The Legend of Liocorna
Disclaimer: for the hundreds time, I DO NOT OWN ESAFLOWNE!!! *breaks down in sobs* Why is life so mean?? I only want to own Esaflowne, nothing more *g*...
Chapter 3: 1st Attack
Hitomi awoke with a start in the middle of the night, sweat covering her body.
With a big sigh she let herself fall back into the softness of her bed.
Why was this dream haunting her over and over again since she had arrived on Gaia again???
~~~~~ *Flashback* ~~~~~~
Hitomi was walking through the darkness, nit knowing where she was going or what would be awaiting her.
After a long time (to her), the darkness slowly vanished and made room for the picture of a huge temple, surrounded by blue.
As Hitomi entered the temple, amazed at the fine structures all around her, she heard a voice repeating over and over again:
"Find the origin of out clan... the one who was banned from the clan has awakened again... go to Gaia... find the origin of our clan... the one who......."
The words here mother had said to her were repeated over and over, the echo bouncing of the walls, the sound increasing with each rehearsal.
Hitomi held her ears tightly shut as the sound became to much for her.
She made out in one of the fare corner a figure covered in shadow a laugh escaping his lips, that send chills up her spine in fright.
Then the world went black once again....
~~~~~~ *end of Flashback* ~~~~~~
Hitomi closed her eyes again and tried to calm her racing heart. None of her sleep-phases went by, without her having this mysterious and frightening dream.
It had only been three days since Hitomi's return. With the dream came that steady feeling she had felt shortly before her mother had been murdered and it was growing again. She didn't know what to do, but Hitomi also didn't want anyone to worry about her even more. So she hadn't told anyone yet, not even Van.
Hitomi smiled at the thought of the young king.
He was always so worried about her, trying to comfort her and be with her when he had time. Those caring eyes calmed her soul and made her feel a bit better. He always tried to let her have anything she needed or wanted.
When Van wasn't their because he had work to do, then Merle was usually around. She had already asked Hitomi every possible question about the Mystic Moon she could think of.
Van had probably told her of what had happened to Hitomi, for she never asked a question about her family. Hitomi was glad for it. It still made her heart ache heavily when she thought about her mother.
It all didn't quite make sense to Hitomi... She just couldn't find out what her mother had been talking about and who wanted her dead or why something like that.
Hitomi assumed, that it had something to do with the dream (or was it a vision?) from that temple, wherever it could be...
What also made Hitomi wonder, was what the healer had said that day...
The healer had come to check on her condition and on how good the wound was healing. He had been very astonished at finding out, that the wound was as good as healed. He had told Hitomi, that it normally took at least one and a half to two weeks to get the wound to close so well. But in her case, it had only taken a few days and if it went on like that, she could getup already in about two days!
Hitomi had never given a thought to her quick healing. It had somehow always been that away on the Mystic Moon as well on her first trip to Gaia. Scratches or little bleeding wound on arms, knees and legs were normally gone the next day. Even bigger wounds had not taken long to heal and if she had fever or another sickness, it also didn't take long for it to go always again. Actually, she had never been really sick even with a bit of a fever. She had always thought, that she was just lucky, but when she thought about it know it seemed somewhat weird.
Even thought Hitomi had her eyes closed, her room suddenly appeared in front of her inner eye. The scene wandered without her doing out of the window and down towards the royal gardens. Stopping at one of the outer walls it took Hitomi all her self-control from not screaming out loud in horror.
Four bodies from Fanelian guards were lying on the ground, all covered in blood. They couldn't be identified anymore, for their faces and upper body had been totally deformed, now only one big bloody mess.
Hitomi was trying hard, not to throw up.
Why now? Why such things? Would it happen? Could she prevent it? Or had it already happened? Somehow, Hitomi knew with such a suddenness it supriced herself, that it already happened (properly only moments ago). But why was she seeing it then?
With Hitomi's knowledge, that it must have already happened, the scene drifted through the main hall. In it were another two murdered guards lying on the ground.
It scared her to no end.
Deep inside of her, Hitomi knew that it had to be because of her. Because she was here and they wanted her at any costs! Somehow, she seemed to be very important to whomever was chasing after her and she had no doubt, that it were the same men who had killed her mother. Why they were all after her, she didn't know, she only knew, that they were not allowed to succeed of getting her and if she had to run for her dear life!
In all this horror and confusion before her Hitomi suddenly saw a memory from so long ago...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She had only been 7 years old, when she had had a nightmare and her mother had stayed at her bed until she was asleep again. Her mother had sung a strange and yet beautiful song:
"Win dain, a lotica..."
Hitomi had asked her mother, what kind of song it had been and she had told her about a legend of an ancient clan. A clan with mysterious powers, which had fled from his original home-planet called Gaia.
At Hitomi's question of why she new all of this her mother had said something, she couldn't remember, because she had already fallen asleep.
Know, in the Vision of her past memory, Hitomi heard word for word what her mother had said to her:
"I know all of this, for you and I are the one of the last of them. Many have already forgotten and lost their power, but not me nor you. You'll one day, become even stronger then me, much stronger. You will return to the planet we once had to flee from. You will help them in a time of great suffering and pain. You will also be chased, but you will make it for you will have great friends there. And most of all, you will also find your true love. I saw you both together, he with his wings wrapped tightly around you. I know you will make it through those hard times to come, for you are much stronger than you think and I'm already proud of you, my child."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The vision stopped only to show Hitomi another hall of the castle. Somehow she knew, it was the hall, where her and Van's and also Merle's rooms lay.
She saw two figures covered in shadow creeping through the hall. She could make out some sort of suit.
Hitomi concentrated more to see what kind of suit and prayed that it wouldn't be what she already knew. But there was no doubt after a short time of concentrating...
It WAS the samurai-suit the men chasing after her had worn on the Mystic Moon! And they were making their way towards her room!!!
With a gasp Hitomi was back in her bed, breathing heavy. Panic started to consume her, making it impossible for her to think clear. Her throat was dry and something seemed to enable her to scream.
Hitomi sat up just as the doors to her room opened and the two shadowy forms from the halls came in.
They were startled to see Hitomi wide awake and looking horrified at them. They were so stunned that they just stood there, not moving.
But the sight of them brought back her voice and she let out a scream before she could think of anything else.
Without even realising it, Hitomi send a mental plea to Van:
Van!! They're here! Help me, please!!
Van woke up the instant Hitomi's thoughts reached him, without a second thought he jumped out of bed and grabbed his royal sword lying on his bed-table. He dashed through the door of the bathroom, which connected Hitomi's and Van's sleeping quarter. As Van bursted into her room, he saw two figures advancing towards Hitomi, who had jumped out of bed to get some distance between herself and the two figures.
With a battle-cry escaping his lips, Van charged at the nearest figure.
The guy blocked the attack with some difficult, but also started attacking right away. Van had to admit that he was good. Swords clashed together again and again, no one seeming to gain the upper hand. Sparks flew as Van tried to make out something from his opponent. There had to be a little weakness somewhere...
As the fight went on Van saw out of the corner of his eyes, the second guy still advancing towards Hitomi.
He saw the look of terror on her face and his rage build up inside of him.
With all the strength Van could bring up at once, he pushed his opponent away from him, letting him stumble over one of the chairs.
At that moment some guards came barging into the room and Van rushed over just in time to stop the other guy from reaching Hitomi. This one was also very skilled with his sword.
Van cursed under his breath and somehow managed to give the guy a gushing wound on his left arm where the armour seemed very thin.
Van didn't know how, but her managed to defeat the second one and knock him unconciousnous, while the guards took care of the other one.
Van let his blood covered sword fall to the ground and slowly turned to face Hitomi. Her legs had given away and she was kneeling on the floor one hand covering her mouth, eyes downcast. He kneeled down in front of her and gently cupped her cheek with his hand. She looked up into his eyes as tears made their way down her face, the look of horror still in her eyes. It made Van's heart nearly break into thousands of tiny shards upon seeing her so full of fright and pain. He carefully brushed her tears away and she let herself fall into his tight embrace. It felt comforting and safe. And it reassured her that he wouldn't let anyone hurt her.
She took a deep breath and whispered hoarsely: " I saw what they did. They murdered four guards at the outer wall from the gardens and two more in the main hall. It was so terrible. There was so much blood... so much."
Van's arms rapped even tighter around her as his mind worked out the information from her. Could someone really be that desperate and kill six people just like that only to get one? Why... Why was it happening?? For what? What would it bring the to get Hitomi into their possession?
Van ordered some of the guards to look in the main hall and along the garden walls for any corpses or more enemies.
"Emmm... Excuse me your majesty, but what shall we do with the two men?"
The question came from one of Van's advisers, Asgoth. He was around his 50th years and had a worn out face with big eyes, who always seemed to show worry, but not always for the people around him, but more for the well being of the countries reputation and also himself.
Van slowly and carefully picked up Hitomi, who had passed out after the current events and turned around to face his adviser:
"Throw them into the dungeons. I want them questioned first thing in the morning, when they have gained consciousness. Tell the guards to have a closer watch on the castle grounds and at the city gates."
With that said, van started to make his way back to his room, Hitomi still in his arms.
"Your highness! What are you doing with the Lady Hitomi?"
"I'm bringing her into my room. I don't think, it would be very safe for her to sleep the rest of the night here, especially since the floor is covered in blood. She will stay with me for the rest of the night."
"But..."
"No buts, Asgoth. I have given you some orders and I want them to be fulfilled right now."
"A...a...a...as you wish, my Lord."
And so Van finally made his way back to his room and lay Hitomi down on his bed and pulled the covers over her still slightly shaking body. Van pulled of the gloves which had also been stained with blood and also crept under the covers. He pulled Hitomi towards himself, arms around her waist her head in the crook of his neck. In that position and the assurance, that she was now safe, Van also fell asleep again.
Chapter end