December 01, 2008
Disclaimer: I don't own Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. I own Than, Aden, and Adena. And the kingdom Than rules.
Title: The Forest of Purity
Author: PurificationArrow
Rated: Teen
Genre: Romance/General
Summary: In the time spent together, Nausicaä and Asbel's feelings for each other start to grow. They also find a strange tree that is protected by an electric barrier. Suddenly, new problems begins to stir: someone is also after Nausicaä's heart, but who?
Notes: So yeah. I have a feeling that this story should be wrapping itself up in like... two chapters, including this one. I'm so sorry for the wait. I have been busy with school and other projects.
Italics - Thoughts
Bold - Emphasis on a word
Bold and Underline - author's note
Chapter 12: The Prophecy
"Mito, Lord Yupa, Asbel, please. You don't have to come." I pleaded. The three men whose names I had called gave each other a look, and then turned back to me.
Mito shook his head, his mustache moving as he spoke, "No chance, Princess. The last time we let you go in this place alone, we got an imposter in your place. We're coming with you this time around."
Helplessly, I looked to Lord Yupa and Asbel for agreement to my words. I received none.
Finally, I sighed and my brushed my fingers against a bag of Chiko nuts the girls back in the Valley had given me. I sighed. I had left Teito back in the Valley, and Princess Kushana had been called over just in case something happened.
At the present moment, Asbel, Lord Yupa, Mito, and I were trekking through the Toxic Jungle, heading towards Than's kingdom. Lord Yupa and Mito had insisted on coming with Asbel and I, saying that old men like them couldn't get any sleep with us being in such danger. Because of that, Asbel and I had filled them in on as many details as we were aware of up to this point.
It had been only a few days since I had woken up back in the Valley. During the time between then and now, both Asbel and I had taken to recooperating. The two of us had tried as hard as we could to gain more information on Than and his kingdom from the archives in the palace.
Unfortunately, we were not able to find anything. The library we had in the palace only contained books from around the time the Valley was made into its own kingdom, which was around 500 years ago. The kingdom of Harasa appeared much older than the time 500 years would allow.
It was for that reason that my retainers, Asbel, and I were traveling back to the kingdom.
I could hear my heart thundering, almost audibly in my chest. I would be lying if I were to say I wasn't scared. I was terrified, in fact. And nervous.
No insects were hampering our journey thus far, and while this was a relief to my companions, I did not see it as such. The insects were an obvious sign of the life of the Toxic Jungle, and the fact that there were no insects around made me even more nervous than I already was.
The words of Than's spy, Cain, also haunted me.
Clearly, Than was not a beloved figure in the lives of the people of the kingdom of Harasa. In fact, they seemed to blame him; or at least Cain did. It appeared, according to his tale, that Than was the reason for the people's suffering.
"'He is. It is all his fault that we have suffered for as long as we have. Than is the poison to our kingdom, and because of him, we are nearly an extinct people. If the Princess hadn't perished, we would not be suffering now. Death to the Prince. Death to us all.'"
I felt a shudder run up and down my spine.
These people, they seemed to have been suffering for so long. That, however, confused me. Based off of Cain's story, the suffering of the people of Harasa began when Than took the throne. Than, however, appeared to be only as old as I am. A kingdom of that magnitude could not have been reduced to such suffering in the course of a mere twenty years.
That is the reason why Asbel, Lord Yupa, Mito, and I were going back. I hoped to find Aden somewhere along the way, and ask for his assistance once again.
I stopped where I was.
Shortly after, the men behind me stopped as well. Asbel whispered, "What is it Nausicaä, do you see something?"
Silently, I nodded and took a few careful steps to stand behind the safety of a tree. Asbel, Mito, and Lord Yupa followed my lead. I closed my eyes, and strained my ears to their utmost.
"I can hear footsteps up ahead." I explained. "And sounds of armour."
Carefully, I was silent and listened again. This time, there were voices. They were louder than before, and the clinking armour was also louder.
"Just check the perimeter of the territory. Make sure the barrier is still in place, and then report back."
"I can hear Aden," I whispered, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. Had it been someone else, we would have had to retreat or worse--fight. "Wait here."
I saw a brief look of panic on the faces of my friends as I stepped into the open. Quietly, under my breath, I hissed to them, "Obey my orders; stay put."
Their faces were not happy at all, but they remained mute as a soldier gave a shout of alarm, "Hey! Captain Aden, there is someone here! A woman!"
It took only moments for Aden to calmly reply, "Restrain her, but don't harm her."
The solder did as he was told. I dropped the sword that was attached to my waist, and raised my hands in a gesture of surrender. There were sounds of more armour, and then Aden's captain's helmet came into view.
Even through the helmet, I knew he was taken aback to see me again in Harasa's territory. "P-Princess, what are you doing here?" Aden asked, stepping closer and waving to the soldier. The soldier lowered the weapon he held and took a respectful step backwards. I sighed. Thank goodness. That soldier seemed to be in Aden's private guard.
"Aden, we need your help." I said quickly.
Aden looked at me quietly for a few moments before raising the visor on his helmet. His brown eyes were breathtakingly familiar. They were like Asbel's. "Are your friends here?" he asked in his deep voice.
I nodded, "Everyone, it is all right now."
The forest was quiet for a few seconds until there was the sound of rustling clothing, and my companions appeared. I tried to ignore the hostile look Asbel was sending towards Aden as I resumed. "We need you to tell us what happened here. Why is Harasa in the state it is? Why the people are suffering so much. Why they hate Than as much as they do."
An unhappy look came over Aden's eyes, and he groaned. His shoulders sank a fraction of an inch. His eyes raked over Asbel, Mito, and Lord Yupa.
"Am I correct in assuming that you won't leave until then?"
"Yes." I replied.
Aden looked back at me, "What we do here is none of your business, Princess. This is our trouble, and to involve an outsider would cause trouble for them. You do not need to feel as though you must bring salvation to our people. You have already completed your role in the salvation of the Valley of the Wind."
I bit my lip as I spoke again, this time, with the authority of royalty. "No, Prince Aden. You are wrong. Royalty does not exist merely for show. It is in time like these, where there are people that need our help that we must act. There is no other purpose for there to be royalty. Now is the time that we must show our worth by aiding suffering people, even if they are not our own."
Then I smiled. "Even if I were not royalty, I still couldn't bear to just leave your people as they were."
There was warmth in Aden's eyes. "...thank you, Princess Nausicaä. I understand. Come with us, and I will lead you and your companions to where you will find your answers."
Lord Yupa coughed politely and stepped forward. He bowed a respectful head to Aden. "Pardon me, your highness, but can you not explain to us the details that have occurred in this place? It would be far less dangerous."
Aden shook his head. "Unfortunately, I cannot. My company is due back shortly, and I have not the time. The best I can do is to lead you to our kingdom's archives."
Lord Yupa nodded in understanding. "I see. Then, let us be off, for the less time we spend idling around, the more the people will suffer."
Aden called to his company who rejoined us quickly. There were very few people, and yet they all gave off a powerful aura. Aden gestured to one of the men, and then to our group. "Lead them to the underground library. Rejoin with us as quickly as possible."
The man nodded, and bowed to me. "This way please, Princess Nausicaä."
Then, I jumped. I turned back to Aden who was ordering his men to regroup into formation. "You aren't coming with us?"
He shook his head. "No, Princess. I must lead my men back and report to the Prince. I wish I could, but I can not. Be safe." He said, dipping his head, and following his men. Soon thereafter, he disappeared.
The solder he had left with us began heading off in a different direction. "Quickly, Princess." He whispered.
I turned back to everyone, and nodded. They replied back with tacit nods of their own, and as a group, we followed the soldier. As we walked, however, I could not help but send worried glances at Asbel. He was acting unusual, and it worried me.
-
It took very little time for the soldier to lead us to the library chambers where he bowed, bid us goodbye, and trotted off.
With that, the four of us split and began examining the library. If we had had more time in this place, there is nothing more that I would have liked, than to stop and examine these books. There were piles and mountains of books, each hardbound and a gold thread tracing the title.
I scanned with my finger through the long rows of small script in a thick book.
It had to be in here somewhere.
Asbel, Mito, and Lord Yupa were helping me look for it.
The story that Cain had told us when we had visited him in the cell explained that the kingdom of Harasa was well over 1000 years old, before the Seven Days of Fire. He also had told us that a spell had been cast over the entire kingdom, shielding it from outside and wandering eyes through use of a strange force called mana. Warlocks had performed this spell when Prince Than had taken the throne, shortly after his sister's death.
It was because of that spell that the kingdom was free of the Jungle's toxins.
However, there was one thing that Cain said that had bothered me, which led to the four of us searching the castle's oldest library files.
If the kingdom was free from the Jungle's poison, then how could the city be in such a state?
'"Prince Than! It was Prince Than that caused the diseases and ill fortune to befall our people; it was he who caused our children, women, men, elderly to fall ill and die! Because of him! It was all because of him!"'
That is what Cain had said.
What we were searching for was why, and how.
My eyes scanned the pages as I skimmed quickly and flipped pages every other second.
And suddenly, I stopped.
"Here." I said out loud.
The single word brought all three men to where I was sitting the pile of books. They followed my finger which was pointing to a picture of a mysterious figure, shrouded in light, whose hair was wreathed in light. Just as the prophecy Aden had showed me described. There was little doubt in my mind that the person in the picture was Adena.
I read through the passages quickly, halting when I found what I had been seeking. My throat felt dry, and dread filled every single bone in my body.
"This is why," I whispered in horror. "The reason why Harasa has stayed the way it has for the past 1,000 years. The reason why Prince Than had the spell cast over his kingdom."
Asbel leaned over my shoulder, unease creeping into his face as he saw the look on my own. "What does it say?" he asked quietly.
I swallowed hard and turned my eyes back to the book.
"It says, 'When the city lies eternal for 1,000 years, the one who had been sleeping since the dawn of her never-ending slumber shall once again open her eyes. She shall awaken, see the light, and at last bring peace to her people. The price paid shall be 10,000 for the 1,000 years of eternity. The reward given shall be she who leads the ones who have awaited her return for an eon; their peace shall be the reward for the lives paid.'"
I swallowed hard.
Mito's eyebrows were furrowed. "And what does that mean?"
Asbel and I shared a glance; we both nodded.
"It means that Prince Than is going to bring back Princess Adena using the lives of the people of Harasa."
I could see alarm flash through the eyes of Lord Yupa and Mito.
"Use the lives of the people?!" Mito hissed.
It felt as though there were a pit in my stomach as I nodded. The mere thought of even placing my people in danger made me sick. And thought of actually sacrificing their lives made me both ill and livid.
"Actually, that isn't completely correct, my dear Princess."
I felt my heart twist--and not in the good way--when I heard the voice. We all leapt to our feet and whirled around to the source of the voice.
Than was standing in the doorway, our method of escape with a smug, pleased little smile dancing about his face. Behind him were rows of soldiers, all armed with swords and guns. I held back a gasp of shock and disgust when I saw their armour. It was armour constructed out of the shells of dead Ohmu and other insect-like beasts of the Jungle. The shields they held were made from the eyes of the dead Ohmu.
Than smiled in a sickeningly sweet way, "Would you care for me to tell you, Princess?"
"What are you going to do to your people?! How could you even think of doing anything to them? You're their ruler; it is your duty as their prince to look after them!" I burst out.
Then, the moment that Than grinned in a way that froze my heart, I knew. Than had lost his mind long before he took up ruling the kingdom. The day his sister, Adena died, he went insane. All judgement and reasoning was gone, and what was left was an empty shell.
"Actually, Princess, currently, I am not planning on doing anything to the people of the kingdom of Harasa. My deed is already done. It began an eon ago when I had the spell cast over my kingdom."
I blinked tensely. The gears in my mind began to turn slowly, and the pieces and bits of information I had been receiving began to piece themselves together. My throat felt incredibly dry.
"The spell did keep out the Jungle's poisons and intruders, but it also kept out one more important thing," He grinned maliciously, "Time. Or rather, the ability for a natural death to take place. You read the prophecy written in that book in your hands, didn't you? 'When the city lies eternal for 1,000 years, the one who had been sleeping since the dawn of her never-ending slumber shall once again open her eyes. She shall awaken, see the light, and at last bring peace to her people. The price paid shall be 10,000 for the 1,000 years of eternity. The reward given shall be she who leads the ones who have awaited her return for an eon; their peace shall be the reward for the lives paid.'"
Then, it finally came together in my mind. I felt horror creep into every crevice of my face. Than knew it, and grinned at the sight.
"Yes, Princess. You are correct. Over the last one-thousand years, while the spell has been in effect, the people of this kingdom were drying because of the spell cast upon the kingdom. 10,000 lives for the price of eternal life...for those living within the castle, at least."
A voice, full of trembling rage came behind me. Asbel took a stiff step forward, his brown eyes burning. "You...how could you condemn those people--your people--to a life like that? They have been dying, one-by-one, not knowing who was next. And here you were, easy at rest in your hell of a castle, living an eternal life for the price of the lives of your people!"
Dislike dripped from Than's voice as he replied to Asbel, sneering at him. "You wouldn't understand, Prince of Pejite. No one would. Because as you most likely know, I took up the throne after my sister's untimely death. And in order to prevent her spirit from truly leaving us, I took the only measure left."
I shut my eyes.
"You cast the spell over Harasa to contain her here." I whispered in a strangled voice.
So that's why I was able to see her in my dreams. She never really left, so she was able to make contact with me.
"Quite correct, Princess Nausicaä. My sister was the one the prophecy spoke of. She was the one who was to save this kingdom from destruction." Than said, sadness masking his face, "Hope was lost. Our kingdom would fall. And so, I reasoned that if I kept my sister's spirit here, my people would be safe. Safe from harm, safe from destruction."
I felt a grim understanding at Than's words. His true intentions had been good. Before his sister had died, his best interests were truly for the benefit of the people of this once-beautiful kingdom. However, when his sister died, when the one who would prevent destruction perished, his hope had faded with her. And so, in a final, desperate attempt to save these people, he trapped them. Willing to take the lives of his people in order to fufill the doomed prophecy.
Now, we too were trapped here. With no clues to save Harasa, no clues how to escape, nothing at all.
-
(A/N:) That was tough. And the chapter pretty much sucked too. I'm really sorry for the late delay, and the fact that the story just stinks at this point. I don't have an estimate of when the next chapter will be out, but things will clear up next time. These things include: why Asbel is so pissy towards Aden, the whole prophecy deal, and pretty much the conclusion of the story. Thanks for bearing with me through all this. Happy belated Thanksgiving!
Please review!
Sincerely,
-PurificationArrow