A/N:this chapter starts on a flashback...
Chapter 10 Just the beginning.
"Boss?" Gaddess walked into the small study, a concerned look on his face.
"Yes Gaddess?" Allen was sat at a small table filling in the latest reports. He did not look up from his work.
"Maria's here…" This time he looked up and saw his friends face. "It's about Kay." Allen stood and walked down the halls of his castle towards the yard where Maria was stood the Shadow-Walkers by her side.
"What's happened?" Allen asked.
"She wont say a word… she just appeared out of nowhere… she's a right mess, she hasn't even healed her wounds… there's one on her face it won't close… I didn't know what else to do." Maria looked tired, her eyes were red and a little puffy, a sign she had been crying too.
"Where is she… you have to take me there." Maria nodded.
Allen arrived at Kari's cottage, the flowers all dead, the air cold; like that of a battlefield after it has been fought.
Kari was sat in her room on a rocking-chair looking out the small window. She still wore her tattered white dress, bandages covering her hands and arms. She did not stir as Allen walked into the room, she stayed silent.
"Kari?" Allen knelt and placed his hands on hers which she had rested on her lap, she turned to look at him, her eyes were so empty and lifeless, they had lost the glow they seemed to have. Allen noted the cut on her face covered with a bandage, the blood showing through.
"It was horrible…everyone was screaming…there was so much pain… everyone was in pain…burning…the slashes were so deep…everyone died… everyone's gone… so much death… everyone…Everyone's gone…" Kari burst into tears putting her bandaged hands to her face.
"Kari!" Hitomi shouted as she came running with Van and Merle, Millerna and Dryden came walking behind them. "Kari what's going on I heard Allen got arrested." Kari was not listening she stood there staring at the man that came up behind her, the man that Zaron had called Jhono. "Kari do you know this man."
The man in question had long black hair tied behind him two strands coming down at the front. He looked young though was aged by three scars across his left jaw and a very large scar over his right eye which made him blind.
"It can't be… no your dead… you died like all the others… I saw him kill you…" He raised his right arm. Kari gasped.
"What you saw my dear was that man take my life, but he didn't kill me. Your brother found me and took me to Zaibach where they repaired my right side which was almost completely destroyed by the blast."
"I… I can't believe you were alive all these years!" Kari shouted at her father.
"I didn't know how to tell you darling… I wanted to tell you but… I was watching your life; how much you loved it living among these humans… I thought if I took you home you would hate me for doing so…so…"
"So you thought now was the best time… after Marth died… now…even with everything that's going on with Palas and Allen." Everyone stood watching Kari arguing with her father. He began to get angry.
"Karia!" He sounded harsh like when you would tell off a little child. "Karia, you are all I have left now and I will not lose you to that worthless human man. The Elders have ordered that you return and let things run their course… Zaron will not kill you if you return I know that for a fact, but if you stay here with him… I'm not sure what he will do." Everyone heard the worry in his voice.
"I don't care what the elders say… I'm not leaving Allen now… He never left me after everything that's happened… I owe him that at least." Kari began to walk away.
"You owe him nothing!" Jhono shouted at his departing daughter. "He broke your heart remember… when that bastard left you three years ago. I know about that because you came you Zaibach…" Jhono was cut off by his daughter.
"How dare you…how dare you do that… your loss of limbs must have meant a loss of blood… your mind is as open as a book to me…" Kari turned and looked at her father. As Hitomi stared she saw Marth within Kari, she saw his strength when he faced the king and fought on the battlefield in Freid. "I know what you did… what you said to him." Jhono sighed.
"I did that for you Karia… he would have only hurt you in the end." Jhono stepped forward.
"Don't you come near me… I don't want to talk to you." Kari left.
That night Hitomi went down to the dungeons with Van to speak with Allen, to try and work things out as to what was going on. They hadn't seen anything of Kari or her father since.
As they entered the long hall way a soldier led them to Allen passing other men; some were chained others were not and grabbed at Hitomi, though the guard hit them after.
"He's down this way. He's the only murderer we got down here at the moment." The guard was only young and showed his discontent.
They heard voices.
"So, why's your father decided to come out of hiding now?"
"To take me back."
The guard and the others turned the corner, Allen was sat on the floor; on the other side closest to them was Kari sat opposite.
"What the… how you get down here?" The guard was gob smacked, Kari stood.
"I was just leaving."
Van went after her after a few moments, stopping her at an empty cell.
"Kari!" She stopped and turned to van.
"You called me Kari." She smiled, van stepped back a little; he had not realized.
"I guess I did… what is it with you… I know this is going to sound odd but… it's like I've known you longer somehow… you just don't seem right somehow." Kari looked as confused as Van felt. Though she laughed.
"Your right it does sound odd. But… perhaps it's because I met you when you were about five years old." Van was shocked he could not remember ever meting any Zandrions.
"Why were you in Fanelia?"
"Your mother asked my father to help yours, I naturally went with him. This was after your brother disappeared… when your father became sick." Van remembered back to those days.
Flashback:
Van aged five wondered out his room and down the halls to his father's rooms, his father Goau had been taken ill the day before and worried his mother dearly. As he walked the large halls he came across a girl some years older than his self, but younger than his brother of fifteen. She soon spotted him. The girl had white hair and wore a dress of fine silks.
"Who are you?" The young van asked.
"I'm Kari Alkia, King Jhono Alkia's daughter. Who are you?" The young Kari asked.
"I'm prince Van… is your dad going to help my father get better… I heard he could do that?"
End flashback.
Hitomi was stood alone in the dungeons; the guard had gone to find Kari and tell her off for being down there and to ask her not to tell anyone.
Allen was sat on the small cot that was in the cell; as Hitomi thought.
"So what is it you wanted?" Hitomi was taken aback, she hated it how he always knew what was on her mind lately, and that he came out with it straight up.
"I wanted to know if I was true… that you murdered someone." He sighed and closed his eyes.
"Yes." Hitomi gasped, it was not what she wanted to hear, she wanted him to say that it was Zaron trying to get back at him, but he had said it, he had murdered a man. "It was an accident…" Hitomi looked at him, 'an accident'. "… he was drunk… an idiot with a sword. It was sorted when it happened… he had no family…"
Jhono had been welcomed by the king with open arms into Palas and gave him a fine room. Jhono sat at a desk within his room, writing in a leather clad book. His room had a large double bed, with curtains and throws of red and gold, the whole room was red and gold for that matter.
"Come in." No one had knocked at the door, yet he sensed someone there. Hitomi walked in. He did not look up to see who it was and kept on writing. "You are the young woman with the Draconian, are you not?" Hitomi walked into the room a little more noting the walking stick by his side. He looked up. "It's hard to walk with this leg."
"I'm sorry." Hitomi managed to say, her throat seemed to close and she found it hard to talk in front of him.
"Why should you be, you didn't course this pain I'm in… why are you here?" Hitomi scowled she thought this man very rude towards her and disapproved of his tone.
"I wanted to know about the Zandrions…I wanted to find out what was going on." Hitomi found it easier to talk that time. Jhono stood and took his cane; it had a gold top shaped like a wolf; which reminded Hitomi somewhat of Karn and Narnia.
"You wanted to know, or you want to know?"
"If you don't mind telling me, that is."
"Very well… lets go for a walk." Jhono led the way to the gardens of the palace; they were not as nice as those in Freid, but still quite beautiful. He sat at a stone bench; and patted the space next to him; Hitomi sat.
"So you want to know my people's story… well I'm sure you have heard them all by now… well you will be amazed to hear that most of it is true."
"True…" Hitomi thought back to what Van had said… 'There's a lot of different versions from then on' "so what's the right version?" Jhono sighed.
"Well it involves the Ispano tripe… the Draconians went to them for help… they wanted to get us off Gaea…" Jhono looked up at the two moons; Hitomi was on his right so she could not see his expression very well. "…the Ispano tripe invented four machines now known as the Guymelef, one for each of the leaders of the main countries." He looked down at Hitomi.
"Fanelia, Freid, Asturia and Zaibach." They both sat there thinking, most likely about different things, but she thought that Jhono did not seem all that bad – why was Kari so angry at him?
"What the hells going on?" Kari came out of nowhere, a trait she had seemed to master. Hitomi stood as a reaction.
"Erm… well… I asked your father if he could tell me about your people." Kari looked at her father, disapprovingly. "I'm sorry if I did something wrong."
"It's not you Miss Hitomi… my daughter has never seen eye to eye on talking about her peoples past… Though it was two Bringers ago."
"Two!" Hitomi was completely surprised, all this had happened before.
"Yes that is what I said. It all ended the same way… Gaea being reborn." Jhono stood slowly. Hitomi heard the creak of his false leg as he moved and walked back into the Palace. Kari left too, not in the same direction though.
The next day there was chaos in the Palace… Gelguran was dead.
News had spread fast of Gelgurans demise, and the case against Allen was dropped…Kari suspected her father.
It was not until night fall did Kari get any peace, her father had done a disappearing act and the royal guard also suspected him. She had to say countless numbers of times that her father often left in such ways as he was a very busy man.
She had decided to wonder to the roof top, one of her favoured places in Palas. As she walked up the winding stairs she felt the cool breeze, and the calmness of the night. It was nearly autumn on Gaea, the harvest before the snow fell would be taken soon; and then the people of the slums ate at least one good meal before the starvation of winter. These thoughts made Kari stop in her tracks and think… winter was her brothers' time, where she helped the starving families the best she could. How she missed her brother dearly.
As she reached the top she was greeted by a man she had only met in passing, the very rich and very suave man known as Dryden.
"So you must be the famous Karia Alkia?" Dryden took Kari's hand and kissed it.
"You must be Dryden." She pulled her hand away. He grinned at her.
"I say… in all the tales they never say how beautiful you are." He reached for her hand again but Kari walked to the side.
"All the tales mention my beauty, its part of being the Bringer." Kari looked over her shoulder at Dryden.
"I can see why Schezar likes you so much." Her head snapped to look at the merchant. Dryden laughed, "Man! I wish I had his luck… how did he manage to get the heart of a Zandrion?" Dryden looked at the princess, they were the same age believe it or not, but she had a sense of maturity about her.
"We grew up together …that's how." Dryden leaned against the wall.
"Really… well that is news." He smiled again "So how did you two come to grow up together?" Dryden was being genuine; he really did want to know. The Zandrions interested him ever since he came across his first book about them. Everyone he read was different in some way or another. He was not just asking because he thought he might have a chance with the Zandrion princess.
"I helped Balgus the sword-master once when he came across a mother dragon. Allen was known in Quintez with a few other young boys, they were in a bandits' gang, and well Balgus came to me one day with him and; I kept my eye on him like promised."
"I hope you're not talking about me." Allen came walking up the stairs looking a little worse for wear.
"Ahhh! So they let you out then?" Dryden smirked.
"They dropped the case." Allen walked up to Kari and gently kissed her on the cheek. Dryden was not impressed mainly because he did want to try his luck with her, you know just a little.
"Well the beautiful, young lady here was telling me, how you two met." He paused. "It's fascinating; I never knew you were a bandit Allen." Allen cast his eyes down.
"It was before I met Balgus." Kari held his hand; he hated talking about his past. Dryden noticed and decided it was his time to leave.
"Schezar!" Jhono was waiting for him in his room.
"What do you want?" Jhono stood.
"I saved your life, you little bastard…I didn't have to but I did for Karia." Jhono had Allen by the collar, showing his false limb.
"You killed Gelguran." Allen managed to say for Jhono was choking him. He let him go.
"He shouldn't have touched my daughter, but i should kill you; for you were that reason."
Dryden came running into the room which, Jhono, Kari, Hitomi, Van and Merle were sat. They were talking among themselves though it looked like Kari was arguing with her father again.
"Sir Alkia … I came across a document that I believe to be written in Zandrion text. I was wondering if you would be kind enough to translate it." Dryden bowed and held out a scroll.
Jhono looked towards Kari and she nodded, he took the scroll from Dryden's hands. Jhono read aloud.
"Gaea, Blue 12th moon. The Draconians have gone to the Ispano's for so called help to rid Gaea of us after they heard about the Bringer, Taker and Chosen one. I'm not sure what they will do.
Gaea, Blue 20th moon. The Ispano Tripe have invented four things called 'Guymelefs' they seem dangerous. My daughter the Bringer has decided to talk to the leaders of the countries.
Gaea, Blue 21st moon. Melli Asturia, Hari Zaibach and Freid Maurier are the only ones that will not agree to not fight us. Fanelia de Escalina will be the one spared.
Gaea, White 2nd moon. The chosen one killed my son the Taker. Out of rage Kari my daughter kill him. In grief out of killing her love, she took her own life. Gaea is in the middle of a war. Zaibach has used these Guymelefs in aid to take over the other countries. As promised we the Zandrions will protect Fanelia.
Gaea, White 22nd moon. After twenty days of war it has ended. We are down half, this will never happen again. Two Guymelefs have been destroyed; the other two will remain dormant. I will use the last of my power to create a world where my people can live in peace. Ruled by the few I have chosen, Parpill: the Elder of past times. Fera: the Elder of times to come. Knorance: the Elder of times now. Last of all, Memross: the Elder or memories."
Van looked towards Jhono as he finished.
"These Guymelefs that lay dormant. Escaflowne is one of them?" Jhono nodded. "Then this other Melef, Zaron plans to wake it?"
Jhono nodded.
A/N: see i said things would make more sence now...y allen was wanted for murder comes up in later chapters
Disclaimer: I do not own Escaflowne or anything to do with it. But i do own Kari n a few other ppl that turn up like poker n maria(the list is very long ish) so plz dont use them wiv out asking (y ne one would i have no idea)