I never thought that I would get major writing block, but the story started shifting so I had retrain my focus. Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews, I'd like to get up to 75, but I'm not going to with hold the next chapter if I don't. Oh, if there is something that you don't like let me know!
Again, I don't own Escaflowne - EmpKaylenatye
Chapter 18: Unknown Abilities
Gatti looked around at the latest village that the Dragon Slayers had been through. Nothing was left standing in what had seemed like a peaceful little town. But he no longer felt that kind of piece. Gumeil and Biore were walking around making sure that none of the charred houses remained standing. The echoes of houses collapsing bounced off of the surrounding forest. The mid-morning sun was misted over in a black film from the rising smoke.
Since they had finished their job, Gatti decided to climb out of his guymelef and join Migel, Chesta and Dalet around a makeshift camp fire. Sitting on an old wooden stool unharmed by the fire, he grabbed the bowl of gruel that Dalet handed him. Gatti looked down at his comrade's mangled body. With his shirt off all of the strange looking wires, tubes, and metal plating were staring right back.
After the war, it was months before all of the Dragon Slayers had seen each other. When Lady Serra's army had found their dieing bodies, she had them immediately taken to her laboratories. Just remembering the laboratories down in the dungeons of the fortress made Gatti shiver. Feeling steel cut through flesh and strange things put into their bodies was the nightmare that all of them lived with.
Looking over at Migel who had suffered extensive damage around his face, Gatti was surprised that he still had a will to live. Migel took pride in his looks, but now half of his face was covered by a permanent silver mask. Chesta took the longest to recover, no one even knew whether he even human anymore.
"Do you ever feel like a walking corpse?" Dalet said suddenly giving voice to Gatti's troubled mind.
"Even though we are alive I don't feel it. Only when Dilandu is with us do I think I feel something again."
"But who are we following? I know, a bodiless soul created by Dornkirk, now following Lady Serra very much the same madman as he was. I'm tired of following these warlords." Migel spat at the fire before him.
"I wish we had never been saved. Now we owe Lady Serra our borrowed lives." whispered Chesta.
Gatti threw his food into fire completely losing any appetite. "We will give her what she wants and then we will leave. Get back to your guymelefs we are going back to the fortress."
As Gatti walked back to his guymelef a shadow passed over him. Looking up, he cursed himself as he watched the outline of two dragons flying towards the Kasher Mountains.
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"So what are they going to do to us now?" questioned Van.
"They have to wait for the rest of the Dragon Slayers to return before they will attempt anything as important as getting a pillar, especially since they have to go through the Mystic Valley." Folken leaned back against the wall where he had been chained up to once again.
"But how are they going to get there, the only time we made it there was by chance." Stated Hitomi as she huddled closer to Celena in the damp cell.
Everyone sat and pondered about how Lady Serra would attempt to get into the Mystic Valley. All too suddenly the answer came to Van.
"Hitomi."
"Yes?"
Van shook his head, "No, Hitomi it's you."
"What do you mean?" Hitomi crawled over to the bars trying to see Van better.
"He's right," Folken nodded, "You were they key getting us into the Mystic Valley."
"How?"
"Hitomi, you're not from Gaea. Because of that you acted like a key from Mystic Moon to Gaea, which opened the door between them where the lost city of Atlantis lies." They all knew what it meant. Hitomi's life was in danger for Lady Serra would get her to open the door at all costs.
"Hitomi we can't let them use you like I was used." Said Celena.
"But what can we do behind metal bars?" Hitomi's head drooped to rest on the cold rods holding her into the cell.
"If there was only a way to reach Escaflowne I could really tare up this place. I wish I had brought the others, than I wouldn't have been caught." Van said resolutely.
"No, Van. With our friends not here, that gives us a chance to still escape." Folken said solemnly.
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Ilya sat in a meadow of bright yellow flowers reflecting the warm light of the sun. Tying several flowers together she was beginning to make herself a crown when a warm breeze brushed through the meadow. The breeze didn't bother her, but what she heard from it made her stop. Setting the flowers down, Ilya stood up to see if she could find the source of the whispering. Following the sound, Ilya soon came across a small pool of water. Looking at the surface, Ilya was surprised not to see her face.
"Hitomi?"
It was the woman who she had to watch that was reflected back to her. Hitomi's eyes were closed and only her lips moved, which gave away where the whispering had come from. "I wish Escaflowne could be here."
"Escaflowne!"
Ilya woke up with a start. Noticing that no one was around, Ilya threw off her covers and ran for the door. When she opened the door she was met with Gaddes who had fallen asleep outside her room. Quietly and quickly moving around him, Ilya made her way to top of the Crusader where Escaflowne and Sherazade were strapped down. The door to the outside was hard to open against the whipping wind outside. Once Ilya was able to open it far enough she pushed herself through.
Ilya ran over to Escaflowne. Tiny bits of ice sliced through the air cutting her chilling skin. The nightgown she wore offered no protection from the cold mountain season. Reaching the mechanical monster, Ilya reached for a pendant that hung low on her. Pulling at the leather string that it was tied to, she grabbed the rose colored pendant from underneath and held it tightly in her hands.
Looking up at the cloudy grey sky, Ilya shouted at the wind. "I call on you to help. Send this armor to it's rightful owner."
For awhile nothing happened, but it wasn't long before Ilya heard an animal's roar over the screaming wind. Blue light erupted from the pendant that she held. It spread quickly from her hand to becoming a pillar of blue light. The light encased Escaflowne making it glow white. As the light faded only Sherazade and Ilya stood on the upper deck.
Allen's head snapped up from his sitting position in the control room. A blue light had flashed from somewhere and that was nothing usual from his ship. Gaddes suddenly came running from the lower decks. Millerna and Chid were close at his heels.
"Capitan, the little girl is missing from her room."
Springing into action, Allen and the other two ran out of the room.
"Where have you looked for her?"
"I looked in the bedrooms and washrooms." said Millerna.
Chid panted hard, trying to keep up with the adults. "I checked the kitchen and didn't find her."
'She must have been the one to give off that light, but that came from outside.' Immediately Allen made a sharp turn that almost made the others run into a wall. They followed him up the stairs to the upper deck.
Pushing hard on the door, the group was met with the icy wind as it blew their hair wildly. It wasn't hard to know what was missing from the deck. Allen stood shocked in his place to find a slowly filling snow hole where Escaflowne had stood.
Ilya stood just outside of the circle, her white blonde hair almost blending in with the snow around her. Turning to the others she gave them a small smile. "Don't worry now, the dragons will take care of everything."
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Van sat in the silence of the cell. Folken had retreated into himself not having more to say at the moment and Hitomi and Celena had fallen asleep in the cell across from him. He wished his brother wasn't being so closed off, but then again they weren't on the best of terms the last time they were together. Seeing him again was a shock, knowing that he had not died in the final battle against Dornkirk. Now he wished that he could have searched for Folken after the collapse of Zaibach's floating fortress.
It was while Van was having these thoughts that something deep inside of him began to stir. When he finally felt his pulse quicken through his veins that Van took notice. The feeling of adrenaline coursing through his body was strange since all he was doing was sitting down and thinking. Then he felt something else, a hard vibration ran up his arm causing pain across his nerves. Van grabbed at his arm hoping to ease the odd sensation. Another pulse of energy stormed through his body before he finally registered what was happening. 'It's like I'm inside Escaflowne during battle, but I was never physically effected before. Wait! When I fought Dilandau during the Zaibach war, the damage that Escaflowne received I gained as well. Is the dragon armor under attack and I'm feeling the effects of it?
A shout echoing down the hall caused the four to stir from their positions and move to the bars to see what was going on. As they moved forward guards came rushing down the hallways all shouting orders at each other. Folken looked over at Van who returned his confused look with a shrug. Seeing his brother cradling his arm, Folken was about to ask when Van made a fast move.
A guard that was trotting through the halls was easily heard by the loud clanging of keys, even through the sounds of mass confusion. Just as the guard was about to pass by Van shoot out his hands tripping the guard. Acting quickly he pulled the guard against the cell.
"Throw your keys into the cell across from you!" Van had the man's neck in a tight choke hold. Frantically trying not to anger the man holding him captive, the guard unhooked his keys and tossed them over. Hitomi quickly found the right key and unlocked her door. As soon as she opened her door Hitomi ran to Van and Folken's.
"Open the door and then unchain Folken. I'll hold on to him until then."
After getting the door unlocked Hitomi went to Folken. He gave her a smile in thanks as soon as the maniacal were taken off. Walking out of the cell Folken went to the guard grabbing him by the collar letting Van get out as well. Picking up the trembling guard, Folken shoved him into the cell he had lived in for years. Hitomi quickly locked him inside and turned to Van.
It was a brief embrace before the four of them started out of the prison area.
"I wonder what is happening." panted Hitomi as they ran through the hallways. Folken was ahead of everyone leading them through the twists and turns.
"I think its Escaflowne."
"What!"
Everyone stood still in the dimly lit corridor close to their escape. Van nodded to their confused expressions.
"Trust me for right now, we need to get to Escaflowne."
Folken looked at their location listen for signs of a struggle. Guards were shouting outside of the fortress towards the courtyard. With his many years in Lady Serra's cell, he had learned the set-up of his location. "Escaflowne must be out in the courtyard, this way."
Folken ran yet again, "We need some weapons before we head out; I know where they keep our possessions. Were heading to the war room, but we have to be careful there are a lot of guards running around."
Everyone agreed to watch their movements as they started progressing upwards. It wasn't long before they entered the war room. Hitomi wanted to block out the horrible memories that surfaced from her experiences, but they flooded her mind. Remembering the hours of interrogation before Van came was torture. Van and Folken found a trunk that held their belongings. Just as Van had strapped on his sword the double doors from the outside turret opened wide letting giant snow flakes to cover the floor. Standing in the doorway stood Lady Serra looking slightly a mess.
"How did you get here, you should be in that accursed armor?"
Suddenly the wooden doors behind her exploded into splinters as half of the mechanical armor pushed its way through. Van felt a pulse leap from Escaflowne to himself as the dragon armor recognized its warrior. Walking over Lady Serra who had been knocked out to the side by the blast, Van climbed into the opened cockpit. 'I don't know how you got here, but let's get our friends out safely.' Moving the armor out of the room Folken, Celena, and Hitomi were by the chilling wind.
"I'll be your cover follow me."
Van led the trio across the turret warding off the occasional guard. Looking down at the grounds below hundreds of soldiers was scrambling to protect the fortress. There was one soldier that stood his ground looking up at the escaping prisoners.
"Dragon, I will slay you!" shouted Dilandau from the ground.
"I will defeat you Dilandau!" Van called back. When they felt they had reached a safe spot, Van transformed the armor to the flying dragon waiting for everyone to board. Hitomi wrapped her arms around Van with Celena behind her and Folken holding her tightly in place. Before guards to gather around them the mechanical dragon moved to life and took off.
Dilandau watched the prisoners leave as the soldiers around him still moved in panic believing that yet another attack would be upon them. The figures of two dragons following the king passed over the fortress. Sneering, Dilandau went to see what needed to be done before the Dragon Slayers returned.
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The study room windows in the professor's office were latched tightly against the raing storm outside. Amano and the professor stood over the stone tablet trying to make sense of the half worn symbols. Ilyssa sat with Yukari helping her translate the symbols that they did have with her own small amount of knowledge on the subject. It was the drumming of the rain that kept there minds occupied until lightning started to streak across the sky. Everyone turned to watch the display across the grey sky.
When Yukari heard a gasp from Ilyssa she tore her gaze away from the dazzling show. "What is it Ilyssa?"
"Dragons-" Ilyssa started to walk towards the window and between getting to her goal collapsed to the floor. They were instantly at her side helping her into the professor's plush chair.
"What's wrong Ilyssa?" asked Amano.
Ilyssa looked paler than she had been a moment ago. "I'll be fine. I guess my strength isn't what it was before the trip."
"Rest a while my dear, Yukari, can you please start a pot for afternoon tea." Stubly the professor urged the two young adults to follow him away from Ilyssa.
"Yes, professor."
They followed him to the old coffee pot on the other side of the room.
"She seems to be a little worse than when we found her last night." Whispered Amano.
"It seems that she must have some sort of magical powers and that they are being drained. I want both of you to keep an eye out for her. If she tires herself out, we may never figure out this mystery in time."
"Yes, professor." They said in unison.
Yukari glanced over to Ilyssa and noted that she had already fallen fast asleep.
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Hitomi stood behind Van with Folken behind her holding Celena close. The wind bit at there skin burning them from the little protection they had. It wasn't long before Van was able to spot the half buried Crusaider and from the looks of it they were expecting them. Landing easily on the upper deck, Van waited for his passengers to clamber off before returned Escaflowne to its fighting form. Standing in the doorway leading to warmth was Allen and Dryden.
"Folken? Celena!" Allen quickly rushed to help his sister inside.
"I'm sure all of us must look a sight, why don't we get inside and only tell the story once." Said Hitomi.
Millerna stood not to far away from the door along with Merle holding all the spare blankets they could find. Wrapping themselves up, they were then moved to the cabin room where food and hot drinks were sitting there waiting. After taking her fill of food and drink, Hitomi finally started to feel human once again.
Dryden cleared his throat gaining some attention from his friends. "Van, you shouldn't have chased after Hitomi like that. What would I have told Fanelia when I said to them that their beloved king had died chasing off after his lover?"
Van stopped chewing and stared hard at Dryden. It had been a long time since anyone had spoken to Van as if he was a young child. Hitomi reached over to Van and placed a hand on his thigh to steady him.
Folken spoke up for his brother, "If Van had not come, Hitomi would have been killed for her stubbornness. He bought her time and then was able to free us all from the prison cells."
"How did you manage to fly Escaflowne into the fortress?" questioned Van, still angry with Dryden.
A squeak behind Millerna caused the four sitting at the table to look very confused. Folken didn't notice the little girl when they had been rushed inside to regain heat, but now he carefully looked at her. Millerna had pushed the girl forward after tearing her off of her leg. He saw the familiar white blonde hair, lightly tanned skin, and emerald green eyes. Hitomi saw the look of shock pass across Folken's face.
"Ilyssa?"
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I hope that I haven't thrown my readers completely in the dark. A big thank you goes out to all of you who review to this chapter.
-EmpKaylenatye