Sorry! Story updates might start taking a bit longer because I have 4 core subjects and other commitments right now but I'm going to try for weekly updates. Anyways, I hope you like the new chapter (I'm trying to make them longer but sometimes I just really want to post them!).

Hitomi saw Kiba's eyes dart back and forth between Van and herself. His eyes lingered on her for a few moments, surveying for damage or abuse. It was evident his search was in vain, however, Kiba did not slacken his stance. His eye's crimson, blazing with incomprehensible rage. And before Hitomi had enough time to explain the situation, Kiba sprung through the air and pinned Van to the ground. Van's head slammed into the dirt and his body jerked from the impact.

Kiba's hungry fangs were inches from his neck when, finally, Hitomi managed to muster a scream from her dry throat. Kiba, distracted by the resounding cry, looked up, giving Van enough time to push the creature's body off himself and regain his stance. He grasped the hilt of his sword and ran to protect Hitomi from the assumed impending threat. Kiba was preparing a second attack when Hitomi dashed in between the two excited predators.

"Hitomi! What the hell do you think are you doing? Get back!" growled Van yanking the nook of her arm and pulling her towards him. Kiba snarled angrily.

"And I might as well ask why you two are so eager and ready to attack each other," snapped Hitomi. Both were was taken-aback.

"He… that… it attacked me first!" Van stuttered in reply.

"Who are you calling an it? And I have a name," retorted Kiba.

Hitomi sighed, feeling that some tension had lifted, and she walked towards Van. She glanced at him, longing for understanding and he sighed, his fighting-will nullified. Hitomi looked embarrassed and for a moment he couldn't understand why. When it finally occurred to him that she had no clothes on, he pulled off his red shirt and draped it over her head.

He turned his head slightly to provide a minimal amount of privacy for her, though, as if it mattered at this point. As she pulled it over herself she saw Van eyeing her wound in speculation. Kiba's guarded expression lightened no doubt due to his surprise at the gesture of affection and familiarity.

"Van…" Hitomi began, "This is… Kiba. He's been taking care of me for a few days now since…" she cut off her sentence. Her eyes darted to Kiba's face. She made an anxious expression in the hopes that he would not reveal the nature of their meeting. She didn't want Van to know about what had happened, not yet. He appeared to receive the hint.

"And Kiba, this is Van… the king of the country Fanelia." Van placed his hand on Hitomi's shoulder. Kiba flinched, clearly in dislike of Van's gesture, but, nevertheless, he released the tension knotted in his shoulders and preceded to stand.

"What is Fanelia?" he asked. Van looked incredulous. How could anyone not know what kingdom they were in?

"Well… we are kind of in Fanelia, it's the most powerful kingdom on Gaea. Or at least will be… again," Van answered, his voice distant and distracted. Hitomi felt his fingers squeeze her shoulder as he said this.

Gaea had been a state of depression since the failing of Fanelia and ever since the defeat of Dornkrik the kingdoms had become isolated from their neighboring countries. The fate of Gaea was completely undetermined at this moment. Van knew this all to well and that is why he decided Fanelia, a previous superpower, would restore social and economic stability.

However, there had been many forces in clear opposition of his efforts. King Grava Efud Aston, the father of Millerna, had made every endeavor to halt Van's restortation of order. He had become extremely disagreeable and, as one of the elder Kings, retained a lot of influence over other leaders. He had made it exceeding difficult for Van to rebuild. Not one Kingdom wished to assist Fanelia or establish connections. Although, he knew not why King Aston wanted stop him.

"Van?" Hitomi said as Van stared into the distance in thought. The situation was awkward enough and she didn't need nor want any more silence. He returned from his thoughts.

"Hitomi…," Van grabbed her by the shoulders, "Come with me, please. I need your help. I want you to stay with me from now on." Hitomi was shocked by both the sudden mood change and then struck by déjà vu from hearing these words once before. Although, this time, however, she welcomed it and had no inclination to slap him. She averted her eyes are started to giggle at the ridiculous situation she had found herself in.

Who would have thought that after an entire year, she would have returned to Gaea, that she would have met Van so immediately after and while she was bathing no less. All those exams that she had killed herself studying for meant nothing and now those dream-filled nights were her reality. Her life was, in the literal sense, very much a fantasy for others. After her little aside of laughter she stared into his puzzled expression and replied,

"Of course, I would love to."

Kiba on other hand was not particularly a fan of this situation. He was angry and upset for reasons foreign to him. Perhaps because Hitomi already had someone in her life that she wanted and who wanted her, perhaps because she could not spend her life with him and only him. She had treated him like a person, a creature with feelings, a conscience, and a past. She was compassionate and didn't shy away from his appearance and mannerisms. He didn't want to lose that but what he wanted greatly contrasted her desires and compromised her happiness.

His head and chest throbbed from the influx of emotions. The need to belong had always gnawed at the back of his mind but over the past few days that feeling had grown exponentially.

"Kiba? Would you, perhaps, come with us?" Hitomi continued.

"I…," Kiba started, no knowing precisely how to reply. Yet, even though he was at a loss for words relief was diffusing through his body and mind. He wouldn't have to separate from her, and most importantly, she wanted his company. He would have to resign himself to being her second reliance, next to this man.

"Yes." He felt pathetic in that moment for replying in such a simple manner but words probably couldn't communicate how much this invitation meant to him regardless of how he responded.

Hitomi and Van began their walk back to the cave as Kiba darted ahead. He looked like a wild wolf as he dashed in between the trees. Hitomi marveled at the beauty of the forest once more. She could almost here the trickle of the small river near the cave. It was still morning, animals were scavenging for food and birds were chirping. This was the forest where she had been transported from Earth, where those men was searching for her, where Kiba had found her and she sustained her injury and now she would leave everything behind to start anew.

Van walked silently beside her, his expression revealed nothing but a superficial hint of his thoughts. He clearly wasn't happy with her decision to invite Kiba, she new that, but there was a mixture of anxiety and worry that she detected. All she could do was wonder what concerned him. The two walked fairly close and Hitomi felt his hand brush past hers, he grabbed her hand and their fingers intertwined. He squeezed her hand gently. The two walked on, comfortably, not saying a word to one another.

Hitomi was so happy and yet from Van's anxieties and her own, she couldn't completely feel at ease.

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