The Vision of EscaFlowne
Awakening of Wing Goddess
Five
Van looked at the messenger Ruhm had sent angrily. "Why is Ruhm taking this stranger's side who claims that he is my brother Folken?" Van asked angrily as he felt crunched the note in his gloved hand.
"I am just the messenger." The old man said. "Good night."
Van watched as the wolf man leave and then looked at the crunched letter in his hand that was from Ruhm. He wondered if he could trust Ruhm and wondered what Ruhm was thinking. The letter said that Ruhm had Hitomi safe and sound and that she was saved by the man who claimed he was Folken. If Ruhm had Hitomi he would have no choice but to go. Why would someone he trusted with his life put him in danger knowing that it was a trap? He headed off to the shed where EscaFlowne rested, now repaired after he had stood there two days repairing it from the battle that had Hitomi captured. He knew that Merle would want to go with him if she had the chance and it was too dangerous to take her along. Not to mention that the letter had said to come alone.
This Folken character just wanted to talk and that everything would be made clear once he arrived. The place that this Folken had chose to meet; he had to restrain himself from punching the wall. It would do Hitomi no good with loosing his temper now. He put his hand to EscaFlowne's energist and the cockpit opened. He jumped inside. The man had no right to claim that he was his brother and then choose to meet in Fanelia.
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Tomorrow, she would see Van again. She missed him terribly. She realized that this was the second time that she had been "captured" however, this time it wasn't as bad as the last and this time she was in the safety of Ruhm's village and since Ruhm's people where close allies with Fanelia, he would not let anything happen to her. She knew that well enough.
"You should go bathe Queen Hitomi." Eriya said as she entered the hut that she had been given the last time she and Van came here after escaping from Allen's castle. "Don't worry, I'll watch you."
"As your prisoner?" Hitomi asked. "I don't think that Ruhm and his people would let you and Folken stay here if I wa…"
"No, just so that other people don't try to capture you." Eriya said softly.
Hitomi raised an eye brow in disbelief.
"I swear it." Eriya said. "If I wanted to keep you as my prisoner, I would have bound you."
Hitomi closed her eyes and thought of Eriya's words for the moment. "Alright. I think I can trust you. Something tells me to trust you." Hitomi said which made Eriya laugh.
"You are strange." Eriya said and walked with Hitomi toward the near by stream. 'For some odd reason I feel at ease around her.' Eriya thought to herself. 'Is this her power that Folken-Sama spoke of?'
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It took him two days to get to Fanelia. He had not seen it since he and Mamoru went to go rescue Hitomi and at that time, it wasn't in such a state as it was now. His country, his country was in ruins. As he flew ahead he noticed that a man stood in the center of what would have been the castle and he decided to circle around again to make sure that this wasn't a trap. He saw Ruhm standing with the man who claimed to be Folken but he didn't see Hitomi. Where was Hitomi? He landed and then made his way to the man. Once he got a close up on him, his eyes narrowed down at the taller man angrily. It was the man who had held Hitomi captive the first time. "Ruhm, why are you…" Before he could finish his sentence, the wolf pack leader started to walk away.
"I'm staying out of this." Ruhm said. "Hitomi will be returned to you after you two talk." He added. "She's safe and is waiting for you two to finish." With that he was gone.
"You, you dare claim that you're Folken and kidnap my wife!" Van shouted angrily and he didn't even remember his hand going for the hilt of his sword.
"That was under orders of Emperor Dornkirk." Folken said and closed his eyes as he regretted ever having had chosen sides with that man.
"That doesn't matter! Who the hell are you to be claiming that you are my brother?" Van asked shouting. The next thing he knew he had his sword withdrawn and got ready to charge. "You must have been the one who is behind the destruction of Fanelia. I will avenge this country with this royal sword!" He shouted and ran forward.
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"Van!" Hitomi shouted but she was obviously too far away for him to hear her. She stood up and began to walk over to him but was instantly pulled back down by Eriya.
"Folken-Sama's orders are to stay here." Eriya said as she looked in to the younger woman's eyes. "Believe in them, Folken-Sama will get through to Van.
"Eriya…" Hitomi said softly. "Believe in them." She repeated. "You sound like my grandmother."
"Your grandmother was a wise woman then." Eriya said actually smiling.
"Of course, she was queen of Tier, she had to be wise!"
Eriya laughed. "You are strange, Queen Hitomi."
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Folken waited for the right moment. He watched as Van charged forward and he threw the cloak off and then quickly pulled his shirt down. Once Van was an inch away from his bare chest, he watched as white feathers came from his back. He watched as Van slow down as his wings came out. He dared not to breath because when Van stopped, the blade of Van's sword was almost touching his chest.
"Brother…" Van whispered, barely believing it. "You're dead…"
"I am very much alive." Folken dared to say. "I know that in your eyes I am a traitor, but I want you to hear me out. I am a traitor, I admit that much, however, I want to make up for my sins even though I am sure that I can not make up for all of them and I know that the gods will most likely never forgive me, but I am willing to try."
"Why? I thought you didn't desert Fanelia, everyone believed that you did but I…"
"I'll explain myself. Lower your sword and after you listen to me, you can do as you wish. My death if that is what you wish or my knowledge of Zaibach if that is what you wish as well."
"How do I know that this isn't some sort of trap?" Van asked.
"You'll just have to trust me, Hitomi does."
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It felt like hours since the two men started to talk. Van was so stubborn and Hitomi never realized how stubborn he actually was until now. She wanted to pound him in to the ground! Eriya however, was just sitting on the stone and was looking down at the two silently. "How much longer of this? Folken never told me what the signal was going to be."
"Folken-Sama said either his death or…" She didn't say any more. She watched as Folken folded his wings. "That." She added and Hitomi looked just in time to see his wings going back in to his back. "Let's go." Eriya instructed and Hitomi followed, she would get to see Van again after not being with him for three days now. She couldn't help but to feel excited and giddy like an idiot.
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Once she saw Van, she had to restrain herself from running to him and instead, she found that he was the one who was running towards her.
"HITOMI!" Van shouted as he ran towards her and took her up in his arms which made her blush.
"Van, you're alright, thank goodness." She said blushing still.
"That's my line." Van said as he realized that they weren't alone. He had forgotten that Folken and a woman was there. "We should be getting back, everyone is worried about you."
"You snuck off didn't you?" Hitomi asked. "It's more of people will be worried about you."
Van didn't say anything but head toward EscaFlowne. "Let's get going." Van said. Hitomi instantly recognized it as "king mode." She jogged a little to catch up to him. "What about Folken and Eriya?" Hitomi asked and felt cold eyes on her for mentioning Folken's name.
"Their coming to, though I could care less, I'm more worried about you." He said only loud enough for her to hear.
I realized that most of the story is from "Hitomi's point of view" So I decided on doing one chapter that was mostly "Van's point of View." He is a difficult character to get down. That's for sure! Phew! Well, as always people, thanks for the reviews and please review! You guys rock!
