The ride would take only half a day by horse.

After his meeting with Allen, Van had arranged things at the castle, leaving his advisor in charge of any immediate problems that came up with the management of the city, until he returned. Convincing Merle that he would be fine- and that she could not come- was a more difficult process. In the end however, he had assured her that he would be careful; Allen would be with him, and they would not be gone long. He would return, as soon as they had the answers they needed from the villagers. The only objection that Allen raised was not taking knights with them.

"It could be very dangerous," the blond knight had argued, as they readied the horses in the stables. "If anything were to happen to you-"

"As I said upstairs, Allen," replied Van, grinning a bit, "that's what you're there for. Besides, I do not wish to take any soldiers from the city. While our soldiers are skilled, there aren't a lot of them. If anything were to happen, if this is a trap, then I want my people to have a chance."

"What about the Escaflowne?" Allen said quietly.

Van paused in mid pull of his horse's girdle. The temptation was there: to go to his room, and retrieve the Drag-Energist, and awaken his family's guymelef from its guardian slumber in the forest. To ride the wind, into what could very well be a trap. To fly again.

"... Escaflowne sleeps, until the day comes that it's needed again," he said, resuming his actions. Allen watched in silence, holding the reins of his own steed. "Besides," Van said after a moment, "I don't see your guymelef anywhere, Allen. Did you forget it at home?"

Allen smiled patiently at the young man's barb, shaking his head a bit as he headed outside to wait for the young king.

"A Knight of Caeli is never without his guymelef- if only we could say the same for the king of Fanelia," he said as he left. Van clenched his jaw, securing the girdle in place. He took a deep breath, before finally taking the horse by the reins, heading outside.

Despite the knight's comment, he was outside, mounted on his horse and waiting with no guymelef in sight. He had been tempted to say something to the knight, but instead he held his tongue, figuring it would do no good to continue the argument. Some days he didn't like being more mature. His old rash attitude wasn't gone, so much as he was in more control of it than he used to be. And it was a pain.

Merle had been waiting for them at the gates, distress playing across her feline features as she looked up at the king.

"Please be careful, Lord Van," she said, looking up at him. "Please come back soon!"

He smiled, for a moment his argument with Alan forgotten. "I will, Merle. Make sure everything runs smoothly in my absence."

Merle nodded her head once, bell jangling softly. With a look of confirmation to Allen, he spurred his horse's sides, snapping the reins. The two shot past the gates, disappearing down the road. Merle remained standing under the arch of the gate, watching until she couldn't see them anymore. She clasped her hands together, bowing her head. Her lithe form trembled with a mixture of fear, and determination as she silently prayed.

'Please... please let him come back safely.'

When they finally arrived, for a moment, Van sat in shock.

It had been two years since the war between Zaibach and the neighbouring kingdoms of Gaea; since a time when villages lay in ruin and people scrambled about, dirty and injured trying to help those less fortunate. Two years of peace.

As he looked on the merchant town of Karnath, for a moment Van was transported back to those days of death and devastation. Stone buildings, though they may have started life simple and safe, were broken, smoldering ruins on either side of the road leading through the town. People were running around, carrying food, water and litters from one place to another, some in no better shape than the people they were helping. For the most part. In the distance, the ruins of a castle smoldered still: even from a distance it was clear that there were no survivors or hope of reclamation. There were knights moving among the survivors, armored soldiers whose colors stated they were from neighbouring cities that were there to help and assist as best they could. Guymelefs patrolled the edges of the town, the tall and imposing mechas keeping their eyes on the horizon. Van dismounted, Allen following. Though the knight's face was stoic and composed, his eyes betrayed him, anger lurking in their blue depths. Van may have made leaps and bounds in controlling himself, but he was not without his own limits. This was too much.

"Who is in charge?" he asked one of the knights.

The armored soldier turned to him, the demand met with silence for a moment. Just as Van was about to demand- with more irritation- a second time, the knight replied. His voice echoed from inside his armor.

"Captain Blain," he replied, pointing down the road. "You'll find him in one of the buildings on the southern edge of town. You can't miss it. It's one of the only structures still standing." The knight's voice, despite its echo, was a maelstrom of emotion ranging from anger, to sorrow, and acceptance. It made Van hold back on whatever scathing comment he might have said.

"Thank you," was all he said, glancing back at Allen, who nodded.

They led their horses through the wreckage of the town. The more they saw, the heavier Van's heart grew for the people that lived there. While many merchants must have come and gone, there were more than likely people in the town that lived there all the time. People whose lives were ruined. If they lived at all. It was as they neared one of the only remaining structures in the village that they saw the bodies lined up by the building, covered by white sheets or flags. The captain stood in front of them, dark grey armor covered in soot and tarnished by the marks of many blades over the ages. The colors on the cape over his shoulder were green and gold, marking him as a resident of the village. His helmet was cradled under one arm, shaggy brown hair falling around a battle weary face that had likely seen as many years as Allen, if not a few more. Green eyes regarded the bodies in front of him with resignation: the face of one who had failed those he swore to protect, yet would forever be haunted by the faces before him, covered or not.

"Captain," said Allen quietly as he approached.

The man blinked once, and turned his eyes to the two. "I am," he said, looking at them.

"My name is Allen Schezar," said the knight. "I am a Knight of Caeli from Asturia. This is Van Fanel, King of Fanelia. We have come to offer our assistance."

The captain regarded them both blankly. "... just the two of you?"

"We come to help you find who did this," said Van, looking at the man. "And I have arranged to send assistance as soon as I return."

"A little late, now," he said, looking back at the bodies in front of him. Van would have preferred anger, or accusation in the man's voice as opposed to the hollow, empty tone he received. His anger rose inside him- not at the captain, but at whoever did this.

"What can you tell us?" asked Allen gently.

"Not much..." The captain looked at the sky, his expression unchanged.

"They came at night. It was a clear night. The Mystic Moon was high in the sky, when we heard it. Snapping, loud, like thunder cracks, from the forest. We raised the alarm, but we were too late. They came from the trees, bellowing fire, attacking the buildings. They didn't care who was in the way. They didn't care who was there. They just... destroyed."

Allen's eyes darkened. "What did they want?" he asked gently.

The captain blinked, and looked at him.

"... Want, sir?" he said dumbly. "They didn't 'want' anything. They didn't take anything. They just... killed."

Van's fist clenched, leather gloves creaking under the pressure.

"Did you get a look at them?" he asked the man, anger riding the warm undercurrent of his words.

The captain seemed to respond somewhat, as though some level of him knew that's what he should feel: anger. It helped to life him from his shock a bit.

"No, my lord," he said, shaking his head. "It was dark, and... I'm not sure, but the air seemed heavy around them. Like the trees were providing them cover just out of sight."

Van jumped as though hit.

"Cloaks? They used cloaking devices?"

"Perhaps, my lord. I'm not sure."

"Thank you," said Allen gently. "We will take our leave, and send people to assist with whatever we can."

"Allen!" said Van, as the knight started to walk back the way they came. "We're not done here!"

"Yes we are," said Allen quietly. "Look around you Van. He's not going to be able to help you. What you need to do is send them aid: people who can help them rebuild not just buildings, but lives. You know this: you've lived through this once."

Van started, eyes locking with Allen's. The knight met his gaze evenly, without falter or conviction.

Just truth.

Van looked away first, fists still clenched tightly at his sides.

"I'm not suggesting we leave right away," said the knight quietly, a small smile on his lips. "But the answers we're looking for won't be with the captain."

"You mean who did this," said Van, approaching the knight.

"No," said Allen, his smile fading, "although that is one. No: look around Van. Tell me what you see- and what you don't."

Van turned his eyes out towards the wreckage. Buildings were toppled, rubble strewn about the street haphazardly; villagers were wandering about, calling out names and searching the wreckage for friends and kin. The guymelefs of the bordering kingdoms patrolled the edge of the town, their sights cast out to the distance. The castle in the distance was a lost cause.

Van blinked in sudden realization. He looked at Allen.

"Our reports said that there had been guymelefs guarding the town," he said.

Allen nodded once.

"But I don't see any ruined guymelefs, do you?" said the Knight of Caeli quietly. "So where did they go?"

Van shook his head, looking around.

"What is going on here?" he muttered to himself.

Allen overheard, and shook his own head, resting one hand on the hilt of his sword.

"I'm not sure, but something isn't right. Despite the size of the town, there aren't as many people here as I would have thought: dead and alive. Regardless, you need to send some help to these people. I'm not sure what's going on, but there are many sick and injured here. They need help."

Van nodded.

"I'll send a message to the castle, and have them send help right away."

"Good. I'm going to take a look around, and see what I can find out about what happened after the attack," said Allen. "I'll meet you where we came in."

Van nodded, turning and heading towards one of knight outposts, where a hawk was perched, ready and waiting to deliver a message. Once he wrote the message, he sent the hawk off into the air, watching it as it soared out of sight against the backdrop of the Mystic Moon.

For a moment, the young king let his eyes linger on the planet hanging in the sky, his eyes searching it as though he could see exactly where she was. Even with everything going on- or maybe because of it- his thoughts drifted to the girl who gave him the pendant around his neck. There had been destruction around them then, as well. For a moment, he almost thought the pendant grew warm against his chest. He started to move his hand, to reach up and touch it.

He stopped in mid motion, seeing something floating down towards him. He blinked, waiting until it landed in his outstretched palm.

A feather: pure ivory, long and warm. For a moment, he could smell the sea, even though he was far from it. The sea, and...

"... Hitomi?" he said, looking from the feather to the sky.

A cerulean sky that gave no answer.

"... Hitomi..."