Chapter 2 Return to a different world!

Hitomi opened her eyes to find herself in the middle of a dense, dark, forest; she looked up but could not see the sky for the leaves were think and creating a canopy. Hitomi began to cry softly to herself.

"Please somebody, anybody I'm lost, please, where am I?"

Suddenly she heard some voices from behind her; she jumped up and walked backwards only to run into someone stood behind her. Hitomi turned round slowly to be greeted by a cloaked, dark, figure the darkness created by the canopy shadowed the face under the hood of the cloak.

Hitomi screamed and swung her arm to hit the figure only to have her wrist caught.

"Hay! Hitomi calm down its me!" The man pulled down his hood to reveal his face.

"ALLEN!" Hitomi burst into tears and hugged her old friend, "oh Allen you don't know how happy I am to see you!" Hitomi released Allen from her grip, "you look different." Hitomi stood back to get a better view of him. He did look different; he wore a band round his head, and had a sort of a fringe-a lot like how he looked like as a child, when he was a rogue. One thing Hitomi also noticed that he was not in uniform.

Allen was about to respond when his attention turned to someone or something behind Hitomi.

"Schezar! Is that her?" Hitomi turned to see the woman, her face was hidden by the hood of her cloak and Hitomi was unable to make out any features; one thing she could see was that she wore all white.

"Yer this is her, we better get going now we found her; the dragons will be in this area in no time."

Hitomi looked around, this sure looked and sounded like Gaea but something about Allen was bothering her. Suddenly Hitomi noticed two strange creatures walk out the shadows, they looked like horses at first glance, but they had long, thin, legs and largish, pointed heads, their backs were also shaped as a saddle so one did not look like it had to be worn. Everything about these creatures was odd even their colour she had never seen a pure pitch black horse or creature before.

"Shadow-Walkers,"

"What?" Hitomi looked at Allen who had obviously seen the bewilderment and confusion on her face.

"Shadow-Walkers, they're a lot like normal horses but faster and quieter."

The Shadow-Walkers wore plain black leather rains that looked like the only way to control them.

"Hold on tight, OK Hitomi?" Allen looked over his shoulder at Hitomi to see her nod; the creatures were unusually comfy to sit on since it was bare back.

Allen said something to the creature and they took of. He was right they were fast. Hitomi opened her eyes, everything was a blur, although the forest was thick the Shadow-Walkers had no problem, never hitting a trunk of a tree or missing a bend…they knew where they were going the rains were not there to control them but to hold on.

Hitomi noticed the white cloak of the strange woman in front of them, and then heard her voice.

"Schezar! There's some trouble up north take the girl to Quintez. Don't bother going home it's too late, go the long way round, I don't want her getting eaten!" And she was gone.

Suddenly Hitomi felt the Shadow-Walker jolt and turn direction. By the morning they had reached Quintez.

Quintez was a small but very lively village in the middle of The Forest of the Dragons.

Allen had told Hitomi, because of it's dangerous location it was independent and the land lay between Fanelia and Asturia, anyone was welcome and safe there; you had no title King, Queen, Duke or Night it did not matter nor if you were an out-law, as long as you paid your way and did not make any trouble you were fine. Everyone was called by their surnames - well were meant to anyway - so to keep things simple.

As they walked though the small village Allen was greeted with waves and smiles. Hitomi heard someone shouting to what she thought was Allen.

"Hay Blondie! Hay I'm talking to you!" A tall, skinny, dark haired man came walking towards them, he was not at all handsome and had surprised Hitomi with the way he had addressed Allen as "Blondie" he had a few scars on his face and looked a little scruffy. "Who's the little lady Blondie?" the man kissed Hitomi's hand.

"Leave her alone Poker, unless you wanna mess with Fanel," Poker glanced at Allen the back at Hitomi.

"Ah! So this is the girl from the Mystic Moon? I better leave you alone don't wanna upset the King anymore than he is."

Hitomi looked at Poker he reminded her of Ryden. As she watched the odd man she saw how a grin slowly appeared across his face and he ran past her.

"Alkia. Ahhhh. God of the Earth you bless me with your presence." Poker threw himself down at a young woman's feet. Hitomi looked at the woman who wore a white dress – Was it – Could it – No it wasn't – No, her hair was only white; but Hitomi could have sworn it was the woman with the sword she saw in her dream.

"Get up you fool," the woman walked past Poker to greet Hitomi. "Hello Kanzaki, sorry we didn't get introduced back there in the forest but I'm Kari Alkia." Kari held out her hand to Hitomi and she took it.

"That was you? Oh well thank you as well I guess." Now in the light of day Hitomi saw that Kari was very beautiful, she had long pure white hair and dark brown eyes; though she looked perfect she had a scar under her right eye on her cheek.

"So Schezar should we get the king out here?" Poker looked at Allen then at Kari.

"Yer. OK, get him out here I'm sure you want to see him don't you Kanzaki?" Kari was quiet upbeat but Hitomi was still weary of her because of her dream and thought she could sense how she felt, "go get him Poker, and take your time The Knights Caeli are coming!"

'The Nights Caeli.' All of them. Hitomi thought there must be something going on if The Nights Caeli were coming to a small village like Quintez. The Nights Caeli was the best of the best only twelve men out of all Asturia were chosen.

Kari walked to the entrance of the Village she looked so majestic in her white dress she was obviously someone you did not want to get on the wrong side of. Hitomi saw two shadows coming out the forest, as they emerged she noticed they were giant white wolfs – they were so beautiful, one larger than the other – they walked towards and stood beside Kari they must belong to her.

The larger of the two wolfs started to growl as men on horses began to come out of the forest. Hitomi counted them, twelve! She looked towards Allen who was concentrating on the man at the front – most likely the commander of all the Knights.

"Hello malady!" The man dismounted his horse.

"Hello sir, may I ask why all the Knights have come to Quintez. I do hope it's not what I think it is; you see the attack on Fanelia have left the dragons wondering, and Karn and Narnia haven't eaten in days!"

Fanelia! Attacked! That was why Van was here, that was what the clocked figure was on about, Van being unhappy.

The Night stirred as the wolfs moved closer towards him, they were huge and most likely capable of eating a human.

"I'm afraid my 'Woman in White' that is the reason I'm here; and I know you wont set your wolfs on me, Schezar wont let you, and it's not your style." Allen walked forward and stroked the larger wolf – Karn – as he past him.

"I'm sorry Sir Gelguran, Miss Alkia has no control over what these two do and I wouldn't want them to starve." By this time Sir Gelguran was losing his nerve. He had wanted this to be a quick confrontation.

"Yes well, I'm here to tell you Woman that King Aston will be seeing you later when you have the time and Si… Allen watch your words you're a wanted man – your safe here but you can't stay here for ever!"

Wanted! What had happened Gaea had changed beyond belief.

Kari stepped up to Sir Gelguran, Hitomi looked around, it looked like the whole village was watching and Allen was back by her side but where was Van?

Suddenly the village gasped, Hitomi looked to see that Kari had gone to slap Sir Gelguran but he had caught her wrist.

"Hmmm I like a girl that makes the first move!"

"Too bad you're not my type." Kari went to slap Sir Gelguran again but was caught again; this time there was no gasp, what was she up to? Hitomi looked to Allen who saw her glance and smiled he knew what was coming.

"UHHN!"

Hitomi turned from looking at Allen – he was no longer a Knight Caeli, but that was his life.

Hitomi turned her head a little Sir Gelguran was on his knees, Kari bent down to talk to him, she whispered in his ear.

"Leave. Take your men and leave, or I'll hurt more than just your ego," laughs could be heard as the Knight slowly lowered himself onto his horse, and left.

Kari said goodbye to a few people before walking out the village shouting before she left.

"Schezar, bring the girl and the King to Palas I want them to see. You know where I'll be…oh and don't get in any trouble."

"Schezar!" Poker came running up towards them "I can't find him Schezar!" Poker was puffing and panting "I'm sorry Schezar; I'm so sorry I'm sure he knows how to handle a dragon!" Allen sighed and began to walk towards the forest.

"That's what I'm worried about Poker," Allen stopped and looked at Hitomi, her face was clear – what's going on?

Poker had sent out some men to look for Van known as the 'Dragon keepers' men trained to handle the different types of dragons that roamed the area around the village. Hitomi had demanded Allen tell her what was going on, and he did.

Allen had told her that he left the Knights after his sister had been kidnapped but had thought about it long before, he said that King Aston was forgetting about his people and letting them suffer. That Fanelia was attacked a few weeks ago by a unknown enemy and no survivors had been found, and as for Kari well Poker ran in saying they had found the King at the shrine before he could start.

Allen took the Shadow-Walkers to the shrine because he said they would head straight for Palas.

There he sat in a clearing with a white stone shrine covered in vines, the area was beautiful, the sun shone though the leaves and the air was hazy, it was so peaceful. Hitomi understood why Van had come here, to find peace and to pray for his people, the Shadow-Walker known as Blaze lowered himself for Hitomi to step down; as she did this she slipped and startled Van.

"Hitomi, so it was true your really here," Van hugged Hitomi and welcomed Allen.

"Allen told me about Fanelia I'm so sorry Van," Van looked down and Hitomi saw the same sadness in his eyes from the race track.

"Van, Hitomi we have to get going I want to leave the forest before nightfall," Van and Hitomi took Blaze who seemed the tamer of the two.

On the way to Palas Hitomi thought that the months she was on Gaea she had never seen the Shadow-Walkers or the giant wolfs, Karn and Narnia before, she had never imagined Allen leaving The Knights Caeli, or that Serena would disappear, she had never also heard of "The Woman in White." Hitomi thought what was going on in Palas, what did Kari want them to see.

Gaea was a different world.

Disclaimer: I do not own Escaflowne or anything to do with it.