"Stop fussing or I will leave it to rot… childish little cretin." Maren moved back and forth between Keiki and I while applying this or wrapping that. She brewed tea and drank it herself before either of us would touch it.
Maren was the elder of sorts of a small village that lived close to the ruins of the machine city or rather the battle field beyond. She explained about the fall of Zaibach and the war that took place and they things she had seen.
She had seen a lot.
"I do no fuss and it will not rot." Kaen yanked back his arm and I watched as he fought off sleep.
"Just rest already. I will scream the moment I even think I'm in trouble. Just go to sleep…" He listened against his own objections and slid down tot eh ground next to me and nodded off after only ten minutes.
"That one dotes on you. A life debt perhaps?" She smiled and shuffled about to clear a seat for herself.
"No… That would be easier to deal will I'm afraid…" I avoided looking at Kaen.
"Ah. I see. The beast tribes have a rather odd way of showing affection and love. They wear like a badge of honor while we hide it and place it in boxes from the world around." The woman looked down into her cup and steam rolled up into her face.
"It's embarrassing. Don't they understand?" The woman laughed and spilt tea onto her lap.
"They understand, but they don't care. Love is something they are proud of and they show it to others for the same reason a young lad might pick a fight with someone clearly bigger than they are. It's a display."
I dragged my hands down my face and then knotted them in my lap.
"Tell me more of what you know of the battle that took place here. It's interesting." Maren placed the cup down and looked a few seconds too long. "What?"
"You really aren't from around here. You talk like a Fanelian too." I swallowed hard.
"How can you tell?" Her eye brow rose and she pondered a moment.
"Asturians dance around questions, Freidians ask and Fanelians demand. You might form a question, but when you speak you expect to hear an answer and promptly. It's in your nature I suppose. You stand like someone of high birth, you head is held high and you walk like the world owes you." She laughed then. "But your hair is short and you talk like a man and as much as you demand, you are sincere when you speak. You're a noble aren't you?" I laughed then and woke Kaen in the process.
"Hurin?" He looked around with dodgy eyes.
"Go back to sleep… I'm sorry. I was loud…" He cracked his neck and sat back down with a scowl.
"No… not at all. I'm just willful as my mother would say." Maren chuckled at that and continued.
"Anyways… almost four years ago Zaibach was a prospering county. A man had come from nowhere and brought about so much change and new ideas that it changed the very surface of our country. We built houses and machines and our capital blossomed… then our growth moved in a different direction. Dornkirk made himself emperor and began to create odd machines that did not flow with the people. People began to go missing and black smoke rose from the towers of the capital. Dornkirk adopted strange men and they piloted Guymelefs… and other things. I saw a man once… he was a fearsome creature and silent. He would walk the streets of Zaibach…" Her brows pulled together and held her tea cup tightly. " He spoke little and only the children approached him. He had wings like a ravens and an arm made of Zaibach steel… Folken: The emperors right hand… The battle happened weeks after he disappeared. Guymelefs tore up the earth and after the battle, even though it rained, there was more blood and death and the rain and life. The prince of Fanelia, now King, was there as well as the Asturian knight Allen and our own Guymelef warriors. That menace was a frightening thing… I was young then and you could hear him long before you saw him. Delandau, I think he claimed a red Guymelef because it's color would never change in battle…" I watched her talk and the entire time I could tell she was talking from scenes she say playing out in her memory. She shuddered and I could tell her body almost wanted to run or dodge flying debris of the giant Guymelefs… She painted a terrifying picture. "We did not believe a lot of what we heard until months and months later. We had all heard of the woman that stood by the Fanelian prince's side during the battle. He had draconian blood that one, but the woman was later claimed to have been a demon or sorts for the mystic moon. She had brain washed the generals of four different countries into war and death and destruction. And I saw her the day the battle turned. She stood amongst the battle and different sides all fought for her it seemed and she had frightening abilities. She foretold things that had not happened… I was there that day. Saving the dying while risking being trampled underfoot… she had short hair too; like yourself… Next to Delandau, her voice was the next because it was a stark contrast to everyone else's. A woman on the battle field shouting while they made their way to the capital…"
"Enough."
"Keiki." Kaen stood up and pulled on my arm. "She should not listen to such things."
"And why not? Her King fought in this battle. It is not news to her…" The ground shook. "Her King came with his draconian blood and lay ruin to Zaibach." Kaen stepped close to the woman and silenced her with just his presence.
"She does not need to hear this. New or old, such things are not good to hear."
"Keiki!"
"No! You asked to come here to find the winged people that are coming. I would tell you what you needed to know of this place." He grabbed my hand and held it into his chest. "Hurin's mother's name was defiled here. Her words are lies in your ears and what she thinks she saw is poisonous." Maren dropped her cup.
"Lord Folken had women from the beast tribe with him… they served him to their deaths. Everyone died the year that woman came from the mystic moon. She came and lay ruin to everything in four countries. Do you think all four countries could end a war just like that with laying blame at one woman's feet!?"
"My mother saved your stupid world!" Keiki slid his hand over my mouth and pulled his arm down. "She was dragged her against her will and ended up saving you all you liar!"
"Your mother…? You're from the mystic moon?" Maren stepped back and into her table.
"It's called earth where we come from and we do not have magic powers of work spells. We are men and women, children and parents and we work, live, love and fight when we have to." The ground shook again and harder while I shouted at Maren. She had been so nice. She'd helped heal me and feed us both.
"Get out of this house draconian."
"I wish. It was humans that starts all of this. They fought against the Draconians until they all, but died out. They were nice people, caring people and they loved their children and their families. They didn't do anything wrong. People always try to smother what they can't understand and damn you for being such a shallow and narrow minded person. You are the ugly ones. You are the ones that deserve to be wiped out of existence and you had better hope I can find a way to stop the angry ones that still leave before they get here because you would be the first ones I came for if I was evil! Do you hear me?!" Kaen yanked me out of the house we both got yanked out of the air.
"King Fanel?" Kaen peered into the vented mask of the giant Guymelef Escaflowne.
"Why did you leave you silly girl!?" Van screamed out from the white armor.
"Put me down Van." I tried to pull free but I couldn't. He didn't budge and it just hurt too much when I tried.
"And you, you let her? She's injured and being hunted and you thought her safer with just you?" The Guymelef began to turn away while some of the villagers ran and screamed in fear. "Where a fricken target standing out here. We are going back to Asturia."
"Are you listening to me Van?! Put me down! How the hell did you even find me?!" The mask billowed steam and pulled down and away. Van sat strapped in and geared up. In his hand was her necklace.
"Your mother taught me long ago how to use this dowsing crystal. We are returning and you will stay with us. Else I will bring you to Fanelia across the sea and lock you both up until this is fixed." He glared at me and I freaked.
"Don't you dare. I'm not one of your people! I'm not someone you can boss around and tell them what to do! Kaen will always escape and he will always help me you pompous, arrogant little boy!" Van scoffed and gawked.
"Do you know who you are talking to? I am the King of Fanelia. I…"
"You're not MY KING! You're just some guy that liked my mother and didn't get to keep her. You're just trying to boss me around because I don't have to listen. Who do you think you are?! You're not my father or my brother, you're not a friend or teacher either so when I want your help I will ask for your help" Van looked taken aback and his visor slammed shut over him again.
"If you care one little bit for her, you will stay with us Kaen. Don't let her leave and dammit keep her safe. If I could find her, what makes you think the enemy wouldn't have? Make your choice. Help us keep her safe or watch her from one cell away." Escaflowne walked away from the village and whether from strain, pain or outrage I fought and lost the will to stay awake while both Van and Kaen kept their silence.
.
.
.
"You think you are the only one that gives a damn Kaen?... Your running around with her as if no harm can come to her, but she had been broken, attacked, nearly drowned and not even her mid is safe… I don't know why you let her do what you do, but stop it."
Voices… They are talking about me again…
"I do what I do because she asks it of me. You human's whether half draconian or not hid your heart and what is precious."
"We do that so others can't hurt what we love."
"Then why does Kaori hurt? Why is she not safe?"
Kaen never used me real name. I sounded strange when he said it… I'm cold…
Kaori opened her eyes a bit and all but screamed. She was thousands of feet above the ground and in the distance is what looked like one of Allen's airships.
"Because not everyone loves her. Not everyone can be your Chieftain Ragan or a beast tribesman with speed and strength. Some of us are only human are barely just. I can't protect her from herself… Trust me. I've thought about leaving her in a cell guarded by my entire country, but they wouldn't be enough."
"You love her too much King Fanel. It makes you act wrong." This was not a conversation I should be hearing at all, but it was hard not to when Escaflowne was in dragon mode and me and Kaen sat just behind Van. What I wouldn't have given for my iPod right now.
"Really? And taking her where every the hell she wants is right? You people are strange… she's just a girl. She's soft and doesn't know this world or its dangers. She's been thrown off cliffs, acted as a bloody whore at the Dancing Flower, chased, attacked… she's just a girl."
"No. She is a woman. She is strong and very smart, but you are right when you say soft…" Van swung around and instead of me being asleep and instead of him looking at Kaen, he looked at me. Kaen turned around as well and grinned. "This is better. Now you do not have to lie about your heart to Hurin."
"I will toss you off of Escaflowne if you do not shut up." Van had spun around and I could see his teeth grinding in his mouth from where I lay.
"Keiki! How could you say that to someone! It's no-one's business." I'm going to kill everyone. I will split their throats while they sleep.
"It is not business, it is pleasure. Is kissing always business to humans?" Oh my dear god. Can he shut up? Why won't he shut up!
"Kissed…?" Escaflowne dipped in the air and Van turned around again. At this point I doubted blood moved through me because it was all resting in my head.
"That's none of your business!" This isn't happening! I dug my head under my arm and hid my face from the world. Van got what he wanted now because I would never show my face ever again.
"Hurin… what is wrong?"
"SHUT UP KAEN!"
That was the last I spoke to either. We landed on the airship, Celina helped me down and I disappeared from sight. I didn't see anyone other than Celina and I didn't speak to anyone but Celina and when Celina asked what had happened, I answered her much like I did them.
"It's none of your business…"