REMAKE
Chapter 2
Everything is burning. All around me I can see the buildings being devoured by flames. I can feel the heat radiating all around me.
"Why? Why is everything burning!"
I scream out, but no one hears. Now I'm on a battle; field, there are two giants fighting. One is bright red, and the sight of it makes my skin crawl, it terrifies me. The other is a gleaming white, with a royal blue cape flowing out behind it. This giant is even more terrifying, but it's a different feeling I get from it. It's an overwhelming fear for the giant. Then suddenly the ground heaves underneath me and falls away, and now I'm falling too. I scream and reach my hand out. There's a blinding light, and then a strong hand takes hold of mine. It's an angel. His wings are the purest white. And then…
"Miss Hitomi? Miss Hitomi wake up."
Hitomi's eyes shot open and stared up into the fury face of Ruhm.
"AH"
Hitomi shouted frightened out of her mind and threw her arms up to protect her face. Ruhm chuckled and sat back down at the front of the littler.
"Sorry to have frightened you Miss Hitomi, but we've almost arrived at Fanelia."
Ruhm explained over his shoulder. Hitomi slowly lowered her arms, she reddened slightly and looked around remembering where she was.
'Gaia. So it wasn't just a dream, I really am here. And I had that strange dream again.'
Hitomi shivered at the thought of it and wrapped her arms around herself. She looked over at Van who was in the same position she remembered from before she had fallen asleep. He was looking at her out of the corner of his eyes, one questioning eyebrow raised. He looked forward again before she had a chance to say anything to him though.
'Jerk.'
She thought to herself before looking forward again. They were approaching what appeared to be a cleft in a enormous rock wall. The sky was just beginning to shift from night to the pale light of morning as they passed in-between the high walls of rock. They towered over them on both sides. Hitomi craned her neck back to see the now slightly pink sky above. As they emerged from the rock face Hitomi's green eyes widened in wonder.
They stood atop a hill, looking down into a bowl like valley that was filled with a lush green forest. On the other side of the forest there was a city climbing up gentle slop of the mountain to its back. Above the city was a castle so beautiful it took Hitomi's breath away.
"Welcome to Fanelia!"
Ruhm said stretching his arms out before him. Just as firs trays of the sun made it over the cliff face, making the whole valley sparkle green from the morning dew.
"It is beautiful"
Hitomi sighed out in awe, as she moved to the front of the litter to take it all in.
"This will be a glorious day for Fanelia,"
Ruhm said flicking the reins, making the giant Ox move forward again. Hitomi held tightly to the railing as it swayed back and forth on its downward decent.
"By the end of today she will once again have a king to rule over her."
Hitomi peered over her shoulder in slight disbelief to look back at the soon to be king.
' I can't believe that he's going to be a king. His can't be any older then I am, and has no manners either.'
Van paid no attention to what the other two were saying. He just kept watching as the caravan drew closer and closer to the city he loved, and would soon be responsible for. All the while passing the fist sized pick stone back and forth between his two hands.
They arrived at the great gate that separated the city from the surrounding forest. The giant oak doors hadn't been open yet this morning, so the caravan stopped a few feet away from them. A young man on guard duty peered down at them from his post above the gate.
"Who goes there?"
The young guard called down to them. An older fellow appeared beside the young, and looked down upon the caravan as well. His eyebrows raised in surprise.
"Its lord Van you fool. ITS LORD VAN. OPEN THE GATES LORD VAN HAS RETURNED!"
The older guard first chastised the younger, and the call out to men below on the other side of the gate. A great call went out across the city that Lord Van had returned, and when the doors of the gate were pulled back to allow them passage, a great crowd of citizen had formed to welcome their prince back.
"LORD VAN"
A girl's high voice called out above the roar of the crowd, and Hitomi saw Van's face light up with a brilliant smile, before jumped off the side of the ox, not bothering with the rope ladder. He landed in a crouch and had just risen back up, when a pink haired girl came barreling out of the crowd into his chest. A pink haired girl with…
'A tail and cat ears!'
Hitomi mental cried out. as she picked up her duffel bag and flung it over her shoulder. She started down the rope ladder to stand just behind the two.
"Oh Lord Van I'm so happy you made it back safe!"
"Oh Merle you always worry to much about me"
Van patted the younger cat girl on the head and smiled down at her.
"Who's that?"
Merle asked when she pulled away from Van and saw Hitomi standing behind them. But before Van could say anything four older men dressed like samurai came forward as the crowd parted away for them. Merle heard the crowd go silent and turned to see the cause. She gave a meow of surprise and quickly backed away from Van in bow. Van's face turned more serious as he turned to directly face the samurai.
"I've returned Balgus,"
Van spoke to the leader of the samurai, before raising the pick stone high above his head so the crowd could see it.
"I VAN SLANZAR DE FANEL HAVE RETURNED FROM THE RIGHT OF DRAGON SLAYING, AND SHOW THIS DRAG-ENERGIST AS PROVE TO ALL THE CITIZENS OF FANELIA!"
The crowd erupted in a great cheer and the samurai bowed to their future king, before coming to thump him on the back, in congratulations. Hitomi was pushed as the crowd surged forward in their excitement. She bumped into Van's back. He turned around beaming at her and everyone in the crowd.
'He's kind of good looking when he's not scowling'
Hitomi couldn't believe what she had just thought.
'He's still a jerk even if he was attractive.'
She blushed this time at her own thoughts. But before she could chastise herself anymore the man names Balgus raised his arms up and the crowd went silent again.
"TODAY IS A HISTORICAL DAY! OUR PRINCE HAS RETURNED VICTORIOUS, AND BY TONIGHT SHE WILL HAVE A KING ONCE MORE!"
'Just like Ruhm said earlier'
Hitomi thought, as the crowd erupted excitement again. Balgus steered Van to a group of horses that were waiting.
"Van wait!"
Hitomi called out trying to push her way through the crowed. Even if the guy was a jerk she didn't want to get separated to the one person she new on this planet.
"VAN PLEASE WAIT"
She called out again louder this time. Van turned back to face her. She saw him turn to the pink haired cat-girl and point back towards where she was standing in the crowd. Then he mounted his horse and road up the central street with Balgus and the other three samurai.
"Oh great what am I supposed to do now?"
Hitomi said to no one as the crowd around her started to disperse. Then the cat-girl was standing beside her.
"Your Hitomi?"
The she asked giving Hitomi a very disapproving look.
"Ah..yeah, your Merle, right?"
Hitomi asked while looking the young girl up and down. She was completely covered in fur, just as Ruhm, had been.
"Lord Van told me to take you up to the castle with me. Though I don't know why he'd want you there. You dress funny."
Merle said as she put a hand on her hip and waved nonchalantly at Hitomi's tracksuit.
"Well excuse me, its not like you don't strange to me as well."
Hitomi shot back defensively. Merle's cat ears twitched in aggravation.
"How rude, I'm not the strange looking one!"
She shouted up at Hitomi, her tail puffing out in anger.
"Rude! You're the one who picked a fight! What is with this place, does no one on Gaia have manners!"
Hitomi said exasperated with the cat girl and with Van for leaving her alone with some one like this.
The two girls glared at each other for a minute, before Merle turned around and headed up the main street in the direction that Van had ridden. Hitomi stood where she was for a moment watching the cat girl walk away from her.
"AH, MERLE WAIT UP"
Hitomi yelled, as she ran to catch up with the younger girl. They walked in silence all the way up to the palace gates. The guards looked over Hitomi skeptically, but when Merle told them that she was bringing her in on Lord Van's order they stepped aside and permitted them both through.
'I can't believe I'm actually in a castle.'
Hitomi thought to herself as they walked across a beautiful cobble stoned walkway into one of the side entrances. Merle led her down a long hallway with many doors, and quite a few other hallways leading off in various directions. Then up a few flights of stairs to another hallway that looked much like the first one. She stopped abruptly in front of one of the doors and opened it for her.
"This is your room for now"
She said letting Hitomi step into the little bedroom with a window looking out over the city. Hitomi placed her duffle bag on the bed and turned around to thank Merle, but before she could say anything…
"I'm only going to say this once so listen up. Don't get to close to Lord Van!
He doesn't need to waste his time with a rude girl like you.'
Merle explained while glaring at Hitomi. Then she pulled the door closed loudly. Leaving Hitomi alone in the little room.
'Alone in a strange country and a strange world.'
AUTHOR'S SHOUT OUT!
Just wanted to give kimmi0490 a HUGE thank you for my first review! It really motivated me to get this next chapter out as fast as I could! THANK YOU again. And to anyone else reading PLEASE REVIEW I'd love to hear what you have to say!