I so tried to write an amazing battle scene, but I never approved of any of them. I hope this doesn't seem like a "OMG he has her again shes just dragging this out!" But Im kind of writing this as if it could have been like season 2 of the anime or something so you know how those something always happens to the hero and heroine haha! But really Im not trying to do a lot of that I just want it all to play in and it to be a good story in the end.
THANK you for those following! Id like a review to see, does everyone understand? Is there anything that I need to clear up that has been state (keep in mind things are coming into play with Hitomis flashes and the explanation of the Tsuni) but have I contradicted myself at all Ive tried to read back and make sure I wasn't messing up time frame and such.
Anyways thanks guys!
I have no Muse song for this chapter maybe that's why it was so hard to write it a lot of my chapters are inspired by music, heh!
Storius led the march, after the first enemy line was engulf in the flaming trap they had set for them. Everything became a blur after that the armies became a bloodied mass of men battling for one power, one woman. Van's attention followed Serantisan through the skies as he took down Ziabach Gymeluf's one after the other. Their skill might have improved slightly but still held little resistance against Van.
The battle escalated when the larger weapons of war fired into the sloping valley's along Austria's wall. The fortresses unleashed one massive explosion after another; sending units in the area flying, weather it was enemy or not. Their intent was total victory and those who perished in the midst were just simple losses.
The land blazed in pain with newly erupted explosions, the embers danced in the air cooling and becoming a thick cloud of ash that polluted the air all around. The battle below was hard to see through the ashen cloud that drifted above the engulfing flames, but she could hear it. Metal meeting metal, screams of death, and men ordering more to the front lines were all that echoed through the air.
Hitomi and Serantisan glided through the air battling the flying Gymeluf units that proceeded to come from the flying fortresses. She tried to watch for Van, she could see his Gymeluf's scarce outline through the ashen fog as Serantisan rendered each oncoming Gymeluf useless sending them below in a massive explosion as they hit the land. Concentrate Tsuni Hitomi tried to merge with her, but she couldn't pull away from the many tasks at hand. Everything was going too fast and she watched for Van and scowered the skies for Dilandau.
Hitomi searched the skies for him, she searched for Dilandau she could feel him, his anger and rage prickled against her skin trying to absorb into her. This would end with him she thought as she searched, but with the pressing advances of the Gymeluf unit, she couldn't search for him her attention was linked with Serantisan's and the enemy was keeping her occupied.
"And here I thought it would be Van whom combed the skies for me, but alas it is you." His voice bellowed all around her, a shadow casted over her and she looked up.
He stood in a Gymeluf that closely resembled Van's, the sleek black features with red trim lining along its protruding points made him seem more frightening. She could feel the resentment, and suffering beating from the Gymeluf, as if it was in anguish. She pressed her hand firmly to Serantisan's neck and the dragon lifted up heading towards the Levi ship that Dilandau peered over.
They landed on the Levi ship, causing it to jolt; it was considerably larger than Allen's leaving the ship able to retain Serantisan massive body better. Serantisan snapped her jaw at Dilandau fiercely as if thwarting him off as a devilish grin crept across him face. He as baiting her, she restrained the dragon from lurching forward in the tunnel vision of rage she felt. Not yet Serantisan and the dragon stood still, her chest rumbling with growing anger, and her tail flicked against the ship bitterly causing the whole ship to vibrate.
"I'm going to have to kill you Dilandau." She said with bitterness. She was angry, he was creeping into her and she felt the need to lunge at him.
"Impressive, I never knew you were so… confident." His Gymeluf came at her, Serantisan swiftly moved from the blade he had drawn in his swift movement.
She snapped at him trying to lock her jaws around his arm but he evaded and slammed his free hand her chest pushing her back. Hitomi slid down Serantisan's back gripping at the smooth scales before she plummeted off the side of the levi ship. Serantisan pushed her weight back into the Gymeluf as she struggled to stay on the ship and keep Hitomi from falling below. Serantisan size made no matter to Dilandau as his power seemed to be matched with hers; his attacks were forceful and powerful. He gripped her neck and pulled her to the ground; Serantisan claws scrapped against him, but seemed to not be able to penetrate his armor. She swung her massive tail, trying to hit his back side, but his blade sheered through her scales, leaving her howling in agony.
Serantisan pushed the weight from her front legs up pushing Dilandau back, but his gripped tightened around her neck. She pulled away from him trying to claw through his armor, and with the hopefully element of surprise she lounged forward but Dilandau stood fast. His blade met in her shoulder causing her to fall back against the deck, her vision failing as air became minimal.
Hitomi's body pulsed in pain, she quivered in angry tightly pressing herself against the injured dragon struggling to hold on. Help.. Is all she could plead, as Serantisan struggled against Dilandau in fury, he held her thwarting off all her attacks to break free, but not ending her, he was playing with them, or keeping them alive?
Hitomi felt Serantisan drifting in and out of consciousness; Dilandau was suffocating her with his hold she couldn't move. Hitomi pushed for Serantisan to break free but the power was waning, she didn't understand it.
"Your dragon it no match for me, now come!" His blade sheathed he extended his arm to Hitomi and silver wire extended wrapping around her small form and lifting her from the dragon who was barley struggling beneath Dilandau.
Her body pulsed, the pain was gone, and all that was left was anger. She struggled against his hold DIE! Her mind screamed.
Hitomi heard roaring, but it wasn't from Serantisan, she stared at Dilandau returning his devious smile. Her body felt powerful, her anger tensed her muscles and she pointed at him without a thought more than his death on her mind.
"You should not have messed with me."
His eyes showed confusion at her statement, she was powerless, her dragon no longer moving but breathing and she still threatened him. The distance sound of what brought forth Hitomi's courage hit him. He looked in the distance, and the forms of dragons began to appear. The sky had erupted with a searing blue blaze leaving the battle below was consumed with a new being. His gaze met the ground, the ashen fog was dense, but the sight below of land dragons pushing back his army beside Austria engulfed him with anger. He was losing, but he had Hitomi! He let Serantisan go, she was unconscious and no longer was a threat and he proceeded into the inner bay of Levi ship.
Hitomi screamed in his grasp, but he paid little attention addressing the solider in the bay.
"Withdrawl, we got what we came for." His gaze finally locked with Hitomi who stared back at him with intense fury, her forehead emanating a deep blue pulsing from her symbol. Dilandau struck her head with his free hand, and she slumped against his hold, her shine slowly dimming. You won't be so confident when you wake up
-&-
Van's eyes searched the sky for her, the ashen fog about hindered his vision, he lost sight of Hitomi and Serantisan. Dragons! He thought as the roaring beside him caught his attention, they were taking down the enemies with sheer force. He couldn't count how many but they were a mass of different forms releasing rage upon their common enemy. The sky throbbed with a blue illumination that added to the simple assumption that Hitomi was behind this new ally.
The soldiers looked with confusion but pressed on at their upper hand, not questioning their new found ally. Van felt a sense of relief he knew this unexplainable happening was because of Hitomi, so she must be ok. He pressed on, driving the enemy further back. His sight trying to find Hitomi as he easily defeated on Gymeluf after another. Storius and Allen beside him, Allen seemed to be monitoring the skies as well which brought a slight feel of jealous to Van that he didn't understand why.
A small clearing in the fog brought a new fear to his sight. Serantisan lay lifeless over the side of a large Levi ship, no movement, and Hitomi wasn't anywhere near her. His heart stopped. Without thought he was holding the straps and lurching into the skies with Escaflowne. The amount of space between him and the Levi ship holding Serantisan's limp form couldn't close fast enough, he begged in his mind for Escaflowne to go faster.
-&-
Dilandau stood overlooking the losing battle before. His mind raced with the anger of defeat, but he wasn't as angry as he thought he would be. He had Hitomi, this is what he came for, however he had hoped that he would annihilate Austria in the process. He couldn't help but feel powerful; here the girl who just summoned an army of dragon that were terrorizing the land and skies was in his possession. Her powers seemed to have no limits.
He proceeded to the control board; he would have to do this to get away as drained as he would be it was necessary. He cleared his mind, placing his red glowing hands on the center consol. He could fill his stomach knotting and the sweat already beading down his forehead. His body tensed and his muscles blazed with anguish, he could feel the magic running through him and abiding by his will but he had to hold on a little longer. He held back the bile that was trying to lurch from his stomach while his body started to seize, he broke free, he let it go this would have to do.
He hunched over and became vomiting and the sweat poured from his skin. His commander ran towards him and he pushed him back with his fragile clammy hand in repulsion, he was stronger than this Quartz magic! He tried to stop from heaving but between his heaves he looked out the bay window of the command deck. The skies were clear, there was a lake below, and there was no battle on the front.
"How, many…" He coughed between his heaves.
His commander turned and spoke quietly to the man sitting at the communications modules. A moment pass and thought Dilandau was completely drained, he raised his head as the commander approached him.
"All of our stations are accounted for, and our armies stand at half of what we started with." The commander nodded sympathetically and Dilandau quivered with fury.
"Get out of here!" He screamed trying to stand and wiping the moisture from his face.
The scattered from the deck leaving him and the limp body of the girl on the floor. He stared at her, he was angry, but he was winning in the end. He fell to his knees and let his eyes close as his body couldn't move anymore, the darkness took him as he passed out.
-&-
Van could see the Levi ship clearly, Serantisan was breathing, and he was almost there. The ship was quickly a light red tinted barrier started to form around the ship. Van pressed on, as the barrier became more visible, he didn't know what was happening but it was forming around all the ships, fortresses, and the land seemed to be emerging with it. He pushed harder; he had to get to her.
He leapt from Escaflowne to expect to hit the deck of the ship next to Serantisan but nothing came. The ship was gone and he was falling through the air.
"HITOMI!" He screamed as his free fall was stopped when Escaflowne dived under him and he circled the spot in which she should be.
He stood, shocked, she was gone. He couldn't accept it, he felt numb, sadness didn't come, anger wasn't there, he wasn't sure what to feel. He lost her, he should have protected better, and he should have sent her to Fanelia. All the what if's coursed through his mind, but they were ebbing his pain. Blame and guilt ripped through his heart, his chest hurt, he didn't know where she went or where to go.
Van, be strong a tear fell from his eye, her voice it sounded as she was in pain but she mustered the courage to tell him to be strong when she was in the hands of a mad man. Even his mind portrayed her as selfless and he had about enough of trying to make him feel better when it came to Hitomi. He pushed Escaflowne to the ground, he was gathering the remains of this army and going to find here, there would be no rest until he found her, he could give a damn what anyone said.
-&-
She sat at the edge of the fountain Im here again? But her voice faded away, this is where she was supposed to be. This was her life. She ran her fingers through a light jade hair absent mindedly as the blue orbed hummed soothingly to her. The water glistened, the reflection of the blue orb and twinkled with the reflection of the night stars. Her heart hurt, it hurt deeply.
She looked at her reflection in the water, it was different, she almost didn't recognize herself, and her hair was bound in spiral curls, short to her shoulders. Her eyes were a darker emerald than normal, no it was normal. A thin finely crafted crown with a pulsing blue sapphire sat weaved in her hair. Her fingers traced it, as if feeling it would bring back the familiarity she was seeking.
"I can't leave you anymore, he only did this because he knows Almi he knows!" the man's angered voice broke her concentration, she wasn't alone.
He was beautiful to her, he was everything her soul and will called for and she couldn't have him. I love you Van she thought, and then the name seemed foreign to her but she didn't dwell on it. She stood and walked closer to the man who made her body warm instantly at his touch.
He pulled a few loose strands from her face and tucked them behind her ears. She belonged with him, this is who held her heart and her soul, and they had been intertwined for thousands of years, since the making of her, since the making of Gaea. She understood it, but could this love be worth the war she seen in its making?
"I will fly us away from here." She had seen them so many times before but his wings always took her breath away. They pulled from his back showering feathers around her.
"We can't do this Leeran, these people need me." She pulled away from him slightly, but her body wouldn't let her go too far from the heat that pulsed from his body.
"I will not live another day without you." He growled pulling her face to him and pushing his sweet lips against hers. She melted in his arms letting him pull her into him. His lips begged her to part and let his tongue taste her, and she abided willingly.
"And so my dearest friend and my betrothed find themselves disgracing me on the night before our wedding." His voice thick with anger breaking them apart instantly.
Kegran stood with a force of guards ready to pull the two apart at the single word from their King. His eyes were dark, and possessive as he looked aver the two who still stood in each other's embrace. She was his Mine his thoughts fanning the blaze of fury that already coursed through him.
"Kegran you only wanted her because you knew –" Leeran moved Almi behind him
"She belongs to me, and my kingdom, it's only fitting for her to marry me." He spat cutting of Leeran.
"Shes Tsuni! She rules Gaea she IS Gaea she belongs to no one! Centuries the Tsuni have served with the King without marriage! Why her? You could have anyone!" Leeran drew his sword and pointed it at Kegran, the years of friendship couldn't amount to this instant that Leeran needed Almi. They were fated together. Im Gaea? She thought as if never knowing it before, but she was she knew she was, why did she not know until now?
"Leeran, you dare question me? I will have Palas at its knees to show you the suffering you deserve!" His voice grew and echoed through the garden.
"NOO!" Almi ran to Kegran's knees, throwing herself to them, tears pooled from her eyes. He cant suffer, don't let him suffer, he is suffering Im gone the thought didn't make sense, but they were there, and not her voice, but they were coming from her.
Kegran knelt down and pressed his lips to her ears. "You are mine, and you will listen to me." He wretched the crown from her head, and his will poured into her like venom traveling from a vipers bite.
Hitomi shot up her hands grabbing her head feeling for the missing item that she desperately needed. Leeran her mind raced, but her heart fell in sadness. Van she thought, not making her feel better. She was Almi in these dreams, that was here, she wasn't Hitomi. She felt so close to her, like her, their heart beat with the same pulsing energy that she has come to known as hers.
It took her moments of dwelling on her dream to take in her surroundings. She lay on a small cot, and a heavy cold was throbbing at her ankle her body ached. Austria it all came back, the battle, Dilandau, Serantisan she jumped from the cot and ran to the door she instantly caught sight of. Her ankle pulled her back, slamming into the ground as if she had tripped over something. She glanced back looking at a long chain that attached to the wall He took me she thought.
She closed her eyes and tried to feel for Serantisan, she learned she could do this over the past couple days leading up to this. It was like searching for a void, and the void would fill with Serantisan making their thoughts one. Communication was effective this way with her, and if she opened her heart with a single touch against her she would become her. It was a exciting feeling, energy pulsed through her like never before and she felt alive. Serantisan said she only felt this when she was joined with Hitomi was Gaea's mortal essence so it was pure energy. Hitomi didn't understand, she was a girl from Japan but she never thought any further into it until, I am Gaea she said as if the draconian from her dream was repeating himself in her ear.
"I see you're awake." Dilandau stood infront of her; she didn't even hear the door latch or him enter.
He looked sick; his face was a pale white and large blackened circles around his eyes. His lips lost the color of peach and almost matched his skin tone perfectly. He looked emaciated, as if a force had sucked his life away leaving his body a soulless shell. She felt a pang of pity for him, and shook her head he deserved no pity from her.
"So, now that we are back in each other's company, perhaps we can talk." Dilandau set at the small desk on the far side of the room. His voice was weary, and she didn't feel him trying to break her will with hatred, he was drained.
She looked to the cot, her ankle felt sprained as a sharp pain seared through her leg as she limped back to the cot. She simply looked at him, she was confused, he had no feeling coming from him, and he really was drained in every way possible.
"He going to come for me you know that.."She said threatening him; she was still on guard even in his frail state.
"If you think hes out there battling to come and get you, you are mistaken; we are leagues away from Austria, and Fanelia for that matter." His eyes twinkled with satisfaction, he was praising himself.
Of course they were above the battle! She hadn't been asleep for a month had she? And if she was, where was Van? The only way he wouldn't be here is because… She shot up and ran towards the sickly man before her but the chain pulled her back to the ground. Hes not dead! He cant be!
"Don't worry, your precious Fanel isn't dead, at least not yet." He was surprised at the jealousy that inflicted his being with that statement.
She met his glare, her fists clenched, she wanted to hit him. She wanted to bring him to the ground and beat him until he set her free. Calm yourself she thought, her body quivered with her own rage and it was making her clouded with thoughts that she never imagined she would think. The every thought of the way to kill Dilandau in perfect detail, she shook her head and shrunk back to the cot where the imagines slowly disappeared like they weren't hers but it was her doing the deed.
"You know we are not that different." His finger traced his cheek slowly and it seemed to take a lot of effort.
"Im nothing like you." She spat in distaste.
"Oh but Hitomi, we are." Beautiful he cursed himself, the way her name rolled from his tongue was even more sweet than he would accept. It was unnerving and strange to him; he pushed it back to the effects of his drained state.
"How so?" Even she caught the way he said he name and found her self curious, it was so familiar the way he said he name, so delicate and light. She was curious now.
"Two parts of two beings but none our own." He grinned but inside he cursed at himself, he was a monster, STOP he demanded. His drained state brought forth a calm open side he didn't like and he wasn't going to show.
"What is that suppose to mean?" She almost understood, at least she had her own assumption.
He pulled from his pocket a trinket, gazing at it he fumbled it through his fingers. It was a dark red oval, smooth and polished. He walked to her slowly before pausing "I will not hurt you unless you give me reason to." His eyes glinted as if taunting her but his voice; his voice was mellow giving her a different feel to how to take his threat. It would make more sense if it was a threat, it was Dilandau but his tone carried a sense of regret, as if he didn't want to hurt her. She shifted uneasy, she wasn't sure if she preferred the anger crazy blood lusting Dilandau or his split personality.
She simply nodded trying not to access the situation anymore than she already had. He slowly approached her and placed the large cool stone in her grasp. It was cold, freezing more precise. Dilandau closed his eyes and mumbled something to low for Hitomi to hear, as she titled her head to look at him closer seeing something familiar her vision left her.
In a quick blink she looked around. Winged Draconians fell from the sky in pain, the sky was red, and the ground shook beneath her beneath her, but she couldn't feel it. The building crumbled to the ground little by little, she looked behind her to the shadow that was falling over her. Dilandau approached, his state no longer frail so familiar her voice echoed.
He went ahead of her looking back to her, as if telling her to follow, and with no qualm she followed. The destruction still happening all around the followed the large road to an opening leading up to a towering set of stairs. A masculine man stood at the bottom of the stairs kneeling to an injured beauty. He was rough in feature, dirt painted what could probably have been perfectly toned skin. His face was broad and his eyes a deep blue. His black hair hung wet in his face. His wings were beaten, and thinly.
She looked at Dilandau who stared intently at the two, and she returned her gaze.
"Gaea, I will make this right." His face pressed against hers his tears pooled down his face.
"Take me then, I will do it." She softly said her hand pressing lightly against his face.
"Send them there." She whispered again.
He turned and walked behind them where a large group of different looking Draconian children stood.
The tall Dracanion male looked down at them sympathetically.
"We will make a new world, free of this corruption, but you will be our only descendants." He looked back at the woman he called Gaea.
"Do not make the same mistakes we have." A lone tear trickled down his chin.
"Father, Im not leaving!" A small boy, no more than 6 Hitomi would have guess glued to his leg.
"Cretan, don't be afraid, your mother will watch over you." He placed his hand against the forehead of the boy that resembled a younger version of him.
He began mumbling a small chant and the children slowly laid on the ground closing their eyes in a deep sleep.
"Remember this day, Gaea will protect you and our love will be eternal shielding your world from the evil we have bestowed upon our race. Be safe my children, you will never see harm as long as love surrounds you." He approached Gaea and pulled her into his arms. Hitomi wanted to follow as he climbed the stairs but she stood when Dilandau didn't move.
They climbed to the top and disappeared from her sight; she turned and stared at the sleeping children who lay on the ground in peace below all this chaos. One loud crack snapped Hitomi's gaze to the top of the stairs, a red beam casted far into the sky beyond a point of vision. She turned back to the children when the light dimmed and became no more. The children were gone. She looked at Dilandau.
Blinking she still looked at Dilandau but in the room she was before the stone, that now burned in her hand, was given to her. Dilandau pulled the stone from her hold and walked back over to the desk sitting and gazing at her.
"He made her Gaea didn't he?" She thought she was starting to understand.
"It was her choice to be the heart and soul of Gaea." Dilandau's features were still sickly, but he seemed to have a refined dignity about him familiar her voice echoed again.
"Part of her soul is born in every Tsuni." Dilandau stood and headed to the door.
"Wait! I need to know more." She held out her hand to him.
"It doesn't matter, because it will not be your fate – I will have your power." Dilandau's grin returned to his face – the familiar aura around him disappeared and the hate seeped around Hitomi as he left her pondering what she had just learned.