Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne (very cool show), or Merle (she is so cute) or Van (he will show but later. He's my favorite Escaflowne character!)
Warning: I may make some grammatical mistakes but please bear with me. I don't mind if you point out my mistakes in reviews if you wish to. In fact, I think it's very helpful. : )
Scarlet Sky, Scarlet BloodThe family of five headed on their way to what they considered "home."
But is it home? If "home is where the heart is," shouldn't home be safe?
And home was no longer safe.
Merle held onto her father's long tail and swung it with the movements of his feet. Mai clung to her sister's arm, her feet going a mile a minute just to keep up. Mieko turned to his father with a question on his mind,
"Father, what if I asked you for a knife? You have always told me that it was a useful tool that helped you in unexpected ways."
"Not on my watch. You won't be carrying around any knifes at the age of seven. Let your father handle the tools. Maybe when your older." Said Ceival shaking her head.
Mieko exhaled a puff of air and blew the jet-black strands of hair out of his eyes. He couldn't hide his disappointment.
"What your mother is trying to say is that having a knife around when you play with your siblings is dangerous. But I have something else for you."
Lok reached a big hand into a pocket of his pants. He pulled out a red item that had a black cord hanging from it,
"This is a secret weapon," he said, as he tossed the trinket to his son.
With a look of wonderment, Mieko studied the object,
"Dad, this is a nail file. Your secret weapon is a nail file? Am I supposed to fend off bugs or something?"
"No, no. Your enemies will never suspect it; they won't be able to use it against you. Trust your old man. He knows the tricks of battles."
Mieko frowned and returned to pouting, nevertheless he put it around his head and let it dangle down his front.
"Let me see, let me see Mieko!" said Merle running towards her brother.
The sun was setting below the trees that cast shadows in the forest around them. The glow was an eerie blood red. Ceival stopped her family right outside the doorway to the cave and they all gathered around her.
"Why aren't we going in," said Merle.
"Because, children, I was waiting to tell you this, but today is a special day for our race."
"Special day?" said Mai smiling at her mother.
"Yes, it is a tradition for cats your age to acknowledge and swear faithfulness to your younger siblings. Would you like to celebrate something that your old village Kaylip used to do?"
"Yes! Can we, can we?" Said Merle jumping up and down.
So the ceremony was started. Lok lit a fire and smoke bellowed into scarlet sky. Gray clouds with a pink lining were forming in the distance. Eyes with pointed tips flittered
around them waiting. It was the eye of the hurricane.
"Mieko, pick up your first younger sister and hold her the highest you can."
Mieko looked to Mai and put her on his shoulders.
"We will sing and you must dance around the fire and not drop her. Ceival started the song that was hundreds of years old.
In the night sky
Our voices grow high
As we feed amber eyes
The hungry eyes of malice grew wide with more hate. Mieko swung his sister around the flames, his feet moving step by step as the eyes followed.
Our clan at a stance
The fires mighty glance
And to the sparks we dance
The people around them closed in, closer and closer. The fire's smoke hid them from Lok's or Ceival's sharp senses. The fire grew taller, the sky grew blacker, the eyes grew hungrier, the blades grew sharper.
Oh brother, oh sister, that lives in my heart
I hope we'll never be apart
Whether is food that you eat
Or protection that you seek
Your heart will call, till we meet
Ceival's voice rang through the hearts of her family. Ceival's voice pierced the hearts of the intruders. Mieko danced faster and Merle clapped to the singing.
From the claws on my hand
To my feet in the sand
Our separated hearts will mend
The love song
that thebirds sent
say that mighty wind is a friend
This world together, we commend!
And then there was silence. And eerie silence like the one Lok felt before the bomb came through the window seven years before. Ceival's eyes widen as the branches started to move around her.
"Children, move to the door as fast as you can." She said calmly.
Mai was already off of her brother's shoulders.
"Show your selves!" Lok bellowed into the trees.
Merle had already run to the door. Mai had planted herself firmly on the ground and was whimpering quietly. Mieko was trying to pull her up.
"GLADLY," a group of seven bloodthirsty men lunged out from every direction. They all wore armor and spears. Four of them were already on Lok, three when for Ceival.
"I thought your worthless race was gone! Our men have been bored here, traveling the woods. IT'S TIME FOR SOME FUN!"
The biggest man was punching Lok in the stomach as he tried to get free.
"Please, we mean no harm here, leave us alone!" the man punched him in the mouth as three held his arms and legs. He fell to the ground, his face pressed to the floor.
"Ha, Ha, you are a disgrace to human kind and should be wiped out. Vermin beast. You make me sick." The dirty man spit on the ground and bared his teeth in a wide grin that was the truthfully the sickest thing there.
The biggest man placed a boot on Lok's head.
"Eat dirt!" another one of the men chimed in.
"You really got him now, ah boss? Your not such a beat now?" said another.
Ceival, who had made a deep gash in one of the men's faces, was being held down tighter.
"LOK, NO! Please don't hurt him!"
"I wouldn't worry about him, my sweetheart." And the man with the gash in his face slammed her against the ground and held her arms. Another man crouched down and held her thighs tightly and pulled her closer. Ceival closed her eyes and put her head back in agony. The man's hand traveled up her dress as he put his body on top of hers.
"No, stop it, please." She whispered into the air.
Lok had managed to pull himself up, blood trickling down his chin, he looked at Ceival struggling under the man and white-hot rage filled his chest. He started to struggle more as his hand was released. He managed to reach for an arrow in his quiver and dragged himself to his mate. He pulled the arrow above his head and slammed the arrow into the back of the man assaulting his wife.
Ceival moaned with tears in her eyes, as the man lay dead upon her. His blood soaked into her dress and legs. Lok reached for her hand when the man holding Ceival down, let go of her and lurched at Lok with a spear than pierced his chest.
He fell to his kneels, his soft amber eyes wide with stock. More blood was coming from his mouth and fresh blood from his chest. He knew he was dieing as the view of his shocked and panicked mate cried before him.
"Seven short years I lived in happiest… with four tears I say goodbye. I love you dear."
And with the four tears of him family watching, Lok was…
"He's gone…," Ceival cried as she crawled on the ground.
She lay by his side and found his lips as she felt his last breath fade away.
"I have always loved you my warrior."
And with rage, and a cat's war cry, and a flip of her tail, she pulled out the spear that was in Lok's body. With a quick flash that no one saw, she drove it into her husband's killer. Two humans were dead, and a beast was dead, as the remaining five men surround the cat woman.
Meanwhile, the three kittens were unnoticed behind the fire. Mai was crying into Merle's lap and Mieko fell to the floor.
"Dad. No. Why aren't you getting up?"
He inched his way towards the battle.
"Mieko, stay with us!"
Mieko didn't hear the sound of his sisters desperate call; just the sound of his heart. And he didn't see the men that were a dangerous to his life dancing on the other side of the fire; he just saw his beloved father, who yesterday stood up strong and brave, dormant on the ground.
But Lok was beyond Fanelia, and beyond the mystic moon, beyond any world. And in the beyond, he was happy. And he dreamed of, once again, being warm in the body of his mother. He was with his brothers and sisters that lay beside him.
Thanks for reading chapter 3! This one was a little bit more intense. I hope I gave it the right effect. And I hope the song wasn't too corny. Well, please review and tell me what you thought.
The next chapter will about the three siblings. Find out what happens to them! ; )