AN: The next instalment is here! Another long one! Excellent. I really like this chapter. Sorry if some parts seemed a little rushed, or a little dragged out. I had a hard time finishing it. Just so you don't worry, the next couple of updates may be slow. I do not know exactly what is going to happen yet because I have nothing written. I just have some plot points and randomness. Please be patient. I will have it out as soon as I can. If you have any ideas, questions, or general comments, feel free to let me know. Also I am re-watching the series and I am remembering so many things that I have forgotten. Many new ideas have sprung up and I can't wait to get going on this.
Disclaimer: I only own Arathnia, and the characters from there. I do not own Escaflowne, even though I wish I did.
* mark dream sequences.
- mark visions.
The Past, Future, and Somewhere in Between
Chapter 16: Into the Forest
"We need a plan," General Avanon spoke up from his place on the boulder. He leaned back against the warm stone, shirtless, bathing in the warm sun. He held a dagger in his hand using the tip to pick at the dirt that lied underneath his fingernails.
"What are you getting at Mendelev?" Van asked with a tired sigh. To he honest, he was growing bored lying around in wait. He knew it was only a matter of time before Queen Brahne would find them. He
He sighed tossing the dagger into the ground leaning forward, "I do not know about you Lord, but I would love to get back to Fanelia sometime soon. We are wasting time here," He stated running a hand through his short greying hair. "Who knows what plans Brahne is concocting."
Hitomi shuddered, "I would rather not find out," She remarked wrapping her arms around herself making a strong effort not to think of the possibilities.
"Yeah," Merle piped up. "I want to go home too Lord Van," She said with a sad sigh.
Allen placed a hand on the cat girl's shoulder. "I think we all do," He added glancing at Celena who nodded in agreement. He turned to Van letting his hand slide from Merle's shoulder. "We need to figure out our options."
"Well we do not have many," Van replied solemnly crossing his arms over his chest. "The only way would be to fly, but we do not have the means for that."
"What about stealing an airship," Merle suggested her eyes hopeful as she gazed at her king.
Van scoffed, "That's a perfect idea," He mumbled sarcastically. "Where do you expect to find an airship Merle? We are miles away from any sort of town."
"Wow, no need to be a prick," Yukari spat rolling her eyes. "At least she is trying to think of something." Spending more and more time with this group, she was beginning to see how short-tempered and abrupt Van was. It was grating on her nerves. She did not understand what Hitomi could possibly see in the guy.
Before Van or anyone could voice a response, a high pitched shriek pierced the air. It was shrill making almost everyone cover their ears at the offending sound. The sound repeated itself several times, growing louder and louder as it's source drew nearer. There was a flash of yellow in the sky before the small reptilian form of Jack landed on the ground a few feet from them. Instantly, he raced towards the temple, his high pitched shriek of alarm never faltering. It was bizarre how such a small creature could emit a sound so obnoxious and loud.
Suddenly, the temple doors burst open. Raven rushed out with Folken right on her heels. Both seemed eager to meet the priestess' pet and see what the fuss was about. The small dragon wasted no time. He grabbed the hem of her skirt with his jaws and frantically began to pull on the fabric in the direction that he had arrived. Both individuals needed no further encouragement as they followed the dragon's lead. He raced off, flapping his wings impatiently gliding over the ground to increase his face. Both individuals followed suite without hesitation.
"What was that all about?" Yukari asked blinking in confusion. Things just kept getting weirder and weirder. She turned to look at Hitomi, who simply shrugged in response.
"Must be important," Allen stated placing a hand over his eyes to block off the sun as he followed the two with his eyes.
Hitomi sucked in a breath as an image flashed before her eyes. Golden hair, giant tears in human flesh, and blood. Lots of blood. She shook her head clearing the images from her mind. However, a sense of anxious fear filled her heart and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. "Something is wrong," She stated sucking her bottom lip in behind her top teeth.
Van nodded in agreement, "That was pure panic," He stated referring to the dragon's sudden appearance. "There is no mistaking that."
Silence enveloped the group as their previous subject had been forgotten completely by the sudden interruption. The silence stretched on growing uncomfortable and awkward as time went on. It was minutes later when the duo came into view once more. However, this time, Folken carried something in his arms. As they drew nearer, it became apparent that the bundle in Folken's arm was a person. A badly wounded and unconscious being. However, there was no mistaken the tangled golden hair. Their steps were quick, nearly a run as they ascended the stairs. As soon as they reached the top, the reality of the situation hit home. Galaxia's skin was frighteningly pale, her body limp and lifeless. Dark red blood stained her clothes, face, arms, and chest indicating the severity of her injuries. Not all of which could easily to be seem.
"Oh my god!" Yukari exclaimed jumping back from the scene, horror etched onto her face.
The sudden clamour seemed to draw attention of all residents within the valley. Priestess' ushered children away, shielding them from the gore and leading them back to the safety of their hovels. Both Salia and Freya rushed from the temple to meet the others.
"What happened?" Hitomi founder herself asking dumbly.
Salia ignored her and checked the woman's neck for a pulse. Not locating one immediately, she slid her hand down to her wrist. "Her pulse is erratic," She stated reaching up and pulling down the bottom lids of her eyes. "Her pupils are dilated," She added remaining calm despite the distinct warning signs of the knight's declining condition.
Freya nodded instantly aware of the urgency needed, "Quick, to the temple, we must act quickly before her condition worsens," She stated firmly, gathering her skirts in her hands to avoid tripping over them in her haste.
Folken started forward when a small voice interrupted his stride. "Mother!" Tarnum cried looking up at the woman cradled in his father's arms. "What happened! Is she okay!" He shouted his eyes wide in fear.
General Avanon placed a hand on Folken's shoulder, "I'll take her," He offered kindly nodding his head towards the silver haired boy. "You deal with the boy."
Slowly, Folken nodded shifting the unconscious woman into General's awaiting arms. He then turned to face his son, kneeling down to his level, "She'll be just fine, Freya is looking after her now," He assured him reaching out and ruffling his silver hair. However, doubt shined within his eyes. He rose to his feet and guided the young boy away from the scene. "Come, let's get you back home. You can come and see you mother later."
Tarnum nodded sniffling slightly, "Okay," He replied reaching up and taking a hold of his father's hand.
Allen walked up beside the General, noticing that he was struggling to keep hold of the limp woman in his arms. "Here let me help," He insisted grabbing a hold of the blonde's upper body. "It will be easier with with two of us."
Freya nodded in agreement, "Hurry, we must go now." She turned as if to glance at Hitomi and gestured for her to follow.
Without another word, she disappeared into the temple. Hitomi followed closely behind the two men as they followed the High Priestess into the temple without hesitation. An uncomfortable silence settled over the small group. The only sound that could be heard was the shuffling of their feet across the cold stone floor of the temple. They followed blindly as she guided them to a curved staircase.
"Oh Savanna, what has happened to you child," Freya said shaking her head as she grabbed a torch from the wall to aide them in the darkness of the hall.
"Savanna?" Hitomi asked as Freya continued to lead her, Allen, and General Avanon into the lower chambers of the temple.
The high priestess nodded. "Yes. Savanna was the name given to her upon her birth," She explained leading them towards the ritual and preparation room. "The name Galaxia was a name she obtained upon adulthood," Freya explained quickly gesturing for Allen and the General to lie the unconscious woman down on the stone table. "A name she gave to herself."
"Why did she change it?" Allen asked with a grunt as he lowered the golden blonde onto the table.
"Yes, why?," Mendelev repeated having carefully placed Galaxia's feet down with little effort.
"To protect her identity," Freya stated walking over to the younger woman, undoing the buttons that held the tattered remains of her shirt together. "She did not want anyone to know her. She wanted to be forgotten," She concluded as Salia and Raven rushed into the room with a large bucket of water and some other supplies.
"But why?" Allen pushed on his eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"Now is not the time for such questions," She spat back waving her hand dismissively. "You may take your leave, I need peace and quiet to work. Such things will be explained at a later date." With that said, the two men rushed out of the room as instructed. Hitomi turned to follow. "Hitomi, I may need your assistance," Freya stated firmly.
"What can I do?" She asked slightly confused. She knew nothing about medical treatment. What purpose could she serve?
"Just observe," Salia spoke up from her place on the opposite side of the table. "Let us know if you see anything out of the ordinary that may have slipped past us," She suggested laying the supplies out on the table beside the unconscious woman.
Hitomi watched with interest and concern as Freya worked. Her boney, yet nimble fingers moved swiftly in order to remove the tattered remains of the clothing that clung to the blonde's battered and beaten body. Once the fabric was out of the way, leaving her in in her underclothes, Freya gestured for Salia's assistance. The young priestess knelt down beside her mother, placing a large bowl of water in front of her. Hitomi could see from the large amount of steam rising from the water's surface that it was nearly boiling. Freya turned towards her daughter, as if to glance at her, before retrieving a white cloth off of the small table beside her. She carefully folded it in her lap before dipping the fabric into the water. She rung it out and then began the slow and tedious process of cleaning the other woman's wounds. It did not take long to turn the clear water a dark shade of red.
After nearly a half and hour, Galaxia's skin was as clean as it could possibly get with the amount of open and still bleeding woulds she possessed. Bandages covered the large gashes and cuts littering her arms and legs and she watched as Salia stitched up the large gash close to her temple from her collapse. Once that was done, The two woman managed to turn Galaxia onto her stomach exposing a few more wounds in the process. Her back was a mess. Several gashes ran along her back all were red and swollen. There were patches of white around the edges and the skin appeared to be peeling. Freya paid it no attention as she systematically ran her hands down the girl's back searching for other abrasions. She did this softly, only applying a small amount of pressure to cause as little pain as possible. Galaxia let out a low moan of pain as Freya's hands travelled across her shoulders. This seemed to catch both Priestess' attention. Freya's eyebrows furrowed and she focused her efforts on the girl's shoulders.
"What's wrong?" Hitomi found herself asking out loud after sitting on the sidelines for the last while. She watched the white haired woman with fascination. She had never seen anyone actually practice medicine on Gaea. Even when Millerna had worked her skills on Allen when he had been injured, she had not been in the room at the time. It was definitely one of the most intriguing things she had witnessed in a while.
Freya gestured for the young seeress to approach the mat. Hitomi immediately obeyed and came to kneel beside the white haired woman. She instantly halted her efforts and pointed her boney finger to a large bump forming on the back of Galaxia's right shoulder. There appeared to be a thick black thorn sticking inside the bump. "You see that?" She asked flatly ripping the thorn-like object from the bump earning another groan from the blonde.
"Yes," Hitomi replied with the nod of her head.
"That my dear..." She began before pressing down on the lump. This produced a loud scream of pain from their patient. Hitomi winced and covered her ears as a waxy yellow substance leaked out of the small puncture wound on top of the lump. Once the fluid had all drained out, Freya removed the pressure and dipped a fresh cloth in a new pot of water. She wiped the substance away as well of the small amount of blood and dirt that trickled out after it. "That is an infection," She explained placing he cloth back into the water. She placed the back of her hand against Galaxia's skin. "She is running a high fever."
"Can infection form that fast?" She asked herself oblivious to the fact that she had once said it out loud.
Freya nodded despite this. "With the right catalyst, they can be quite deadly," She responded pinching some of the yellow goop between her fingers. She rolled in round before washing her hands off in the scalding water. "However, this is no normal infection. This one was brought about by poison. A very specific kind of poison." She ran her hands over the deep gashes on the blonde's back. Within one of the gashes was another small black spike, though larger than the first. Freya removed the spike and held it up for Hitomi to see. "A wyvern."
Hitomi stared at her blankly, blinking as the image of the creature she had seen before flashed across her mind. She shook her head clearing it from her mind. "What's a wyvern?" She asked.
"A cousin to the dragon," She began with a sigh, "Wyvrens however do not have arms, just legs and wings. Their tails are barbed and those barbs contain a violent poison," Freya wiped her forehead with the back of her hand to rid her brow of sweat that had accumulated there. "These creatures are not often found in these parts. She is lucky to be alive if she encountered one. Her immune system is strong." She pushed herself up onto her feet turning her head towards her daughter. "I need to discuss something with our visitors, you can manage this on your own can't you Salia?" She asked wiping her hands on her skirt.
The blonde nodded, "Yes. I am just preparing the salve now," She said as she threw some red and green leaves into a stone bowl. "Once it's finished, I will have Raven assist me in dressing the wounds. Perhaps we can lesson the effects of the venom and prolong her life," She said adding a small amount of water to the bowl.
Freya nodded, "I will leave you to it. Come Hitomi," She stated turning back towards the young girl. "There is more needed to be done in order to ensure her survival," She insisted as they left the room. "I will not allow another child of the Arathnian throne die under my care," She stated with finality.
Hitomi did a double take, blinking as the phrase processed in her mind. "Arathnian throne?" She repeated with slight urgency. "What do you mean Freya."
She shook her head with a sigh, "I did not mean to utter that aloud," She admitted reaching up and pinching the bridge of her nose as if to scold herself for her loose tongue. "Galaxia's real name is Savanna Celesta til Valandros. She is the eldest child of Prince Valandran and his wife Princess Costella of Cesario," She explained as they rushed down the halls back towards the main room where they had left the others. "She is Queen Brahne's niece."
"You mean to say that Queen Brahne did this to her own flesh and blood?" She asked slightly outraged at the hardhearted nature the Queen seemed to display. She recalled Princess Astra's eagerness to comply with her mother's commands. She shivered. How could anyone treat family in such a way?
The high priestess let out a sad sigh. "I never thought I would see the day when she decided to turn on her own family," She mumbled more to herself than the girl beside her. "Speak of this to no one," She spat out suddenly, running her hand through her hair. "Not even to Van."
Hitomi nodded her head in understanding, "My lips are sealed."
With that said, the two continued on in silence. It only took moments before they reached the main room of the temple where the crowd seemed to have migrated. Upon their entry, Folken was instantly on his feet. Anxiety filled his face even though he tried his hardest to mask it.
"Is she alright?" He asked urgently.
Freya held out her hand to silence him as she shook her head. "Her condition is grave," She began calmly allowing her hand to fall down to her side. "She was attacked by a creature, a wyvern. She is poisoned and suffering from it's effects. If not properly treated, and quickly, she may die," She answered swiftly her voice showing no indication of the small emotional outburst she had suffered moments before.
To everyone's surprise, it was Van who spoke next. "What can we do?" He asked glancing between the white haired priestess and his older brother.
Freya clasped her hands together in front of her. "She needs Firestar blossoms to suck the poison out of her system," She stated factually. "The garr leaves are simply not powerful enough to counteract the Wyvern venom," was her solemn conclusion.
A moment of silence passed before Folken nodded firmly, "I will go."
The High Priestess shook her head, "No Folken," she began reaching out and placing a hand on his arm. "You must remain here. Your son needs you now," She insisted, the commanding tone in her voice not going unnoticed by all in the room.
Van looked between the two before rising to his feet. "I will go," He announced firmly.
Merle's jawed dropped at this statement, "But...but you can't Lord Van. It's dangerous," She argued reaching out and grabbing a hold of his arm as if to stop him.
Van looked between his childhood friend and the tortured expression on his brother's face. He sighed pulling away from her, "I am going," He decided heading towards the exit.
"Listen to me," Freya began grabbing a hold of Van's arm to stop his stride. "These flowers are rarely found in the forest for they mainly grow in the desert of Dragonsand," She began in a hushed voice. "However, they still grow in the forest, but sparsely since the canopy does not allow the same amount of heat to reach the forest floor. There is a patch to the west, not too far from here," She continued loosening her grip and stepping away from the young king. "Take only what we require. Four or five blossoms should so. Take a larger group, but not too large as to draw attention to yourself. Where there is safety in numbers, there is also danger. A group of four or five would be ideal. Smaller dragons and creatures will let you be for fear of confrontation and larger ones will not feel threatened. Take great caution. Hotter areas indicate the higher presence of dragons. Step carefully," She turned her head as if to stare at Merle. The cat girl jumped back in surprise. "Take the cat," Freya stated gesturing towards Merle. "With her increased senses, she will be you strongest ally in this endeavour."
"I'll go too," Hitomi piped up stepping forward, her fingers toying with the hem of her shirt.
Van turned to look at her, surprise etched onto his face. "Hitomi no," Van protested shaking his head.
Hitomi shook her head dismissing his statement. "I want to," She argued defiantly resting her hands on her hips. "I am going whether you like it or not," She stated firmly.
"If Hitomi is going, then so am I," Yukari announced crossing her arms over her chest.
Freya nodded appeased with the group assembled for the mission, "Then it is settled then."
Van led the three girls through the thick brush in the direction that Freya had indicated the Firestar blossoms that she required would most likely grow. Hitomi stared at Van's back, the High Preistess' revelation echoing through her mind. Galaxia was a princess, and Queen Brahne was her aunt. The whole situation was hard enough to grasp without the knowledge of that fact. Still, she did not let her wandering thoughts to slow her pace. She pushed on. The heat seemed to grow more intense the farther that they walked.
Van held his sword tightly as he slashed at the thick brush blocking their way and cutting a clear path as they moved at a fairly quick pace. The sun beat heavily over head and sweat clung to their skin the more they pressed on. Merle was having the easiest time bringing up the rear. She was faster and more agile than any of them. Often, she pushed Yukari ahead when the redhead lagged behind.
They had been walking for close to an hour before they reached a break in the thicket. The clearing was lush and vibrant with colour. Trees surrounded the grassy area with many large bushes peppering the spaces into between. Ice blue coloured flowers bloomed from the dark coloured earth beneath the other foliage in the shade. They were small and almost odourless. The bushed however were alive with star shaped blossoms whose petals were tinted with hues of yellow, orange, and red. The sulphurous smell the exuded and the scalding heat of the sun revealed them to be the Firestar blossoms in which they had been sent for.
Hitomi was about to rush forward and pluck a few from their bushed when she felt Merle's paw clamp down on her right shoulder as if to stop her. She turned her head to look back at the cat girl. Merle's expression was serious and her ears were perked up on high alert. She shook her head in warning her to not venture out any further. Hitomi nodded trusting Merle's keen instincts. Ahead, Van's eyes narrowed as he scanned the clearing. He held his sword to the side, his grip on it visibly tightening. He clenched his jaw as he raised it out in front of him prepared to strike should the need arise.
Yukari looked between her the three other teens in confusion. It seemed as if they all knew something that she did not. "What's going on? Why don't we just go and get the flowers?" She spoke up in annoyance.
Merle's eye scanned the clearing trying to pinpoint the source of unease. "Something is not right here," She replied pulling a small dagger from her belt.
Yukari rolled her eyes in annoyance. "I seriously don't get you guys. I want to get the hell out this place as soon as humanly possible, so I am going to go and get those stupid flowers," She ranted pushing passed Hitomi and side-stepping Van out into the opening of the clearing. "I am so sick of this bullshit!" She cried out in frustration.
"Yukari don't..." Hitomi began only to be cut off by a deep rumbling growl.
At the sound, Yukari's face fell and her skin visibly paled. All the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and fear raced up her spine. This fear was mirrored in her eyes. She turned around so that she was facing the group. "Wh..wh...what was that?" She asked her voice shaking in her fear.
The growling became louder as the ground shook as heavy footsteps thundered against the earth across the clearing. Only seconds passed before the hulking figure of a large dragon stepped through the trees behind Yukari.. It was massive, much larger than the Faerie dragons that they had encountered. It was even larger than the Crystal dragon had been. The heavily armoured scales covering it's body were a deep ocean blue colour and seemed to glitter in the sunlight. The thinner scales that lined his neck and underbelly were a bright sky blue. It's vast wings were spread giving It a much larger and more threatening appearance. Large blue spikes adorned it's head, back, and all the way to the end of it's tail where it widened out into a sharp spade. It's eyes glowed an electric blue colour as it glowered down at the humans in it's domain. Smoke filtered out of it's nostrils. It's sharp claws dug into the earth as it lowered his head, the growling became even more menacing. It's back legs bent down giving it a stance closer to the ground. Slowly and seeming cautious, the dragon stalked towards them.
Van rushed out into the clearing. He grabbed Yukari and throwing her behind him. This put him in the line of danger. The halted the dragon's slow approach. Nothing but Van's sword stood between him and the angry dragon. "Stay behind me," He warned her not taking his eyes off of the creature.
The dragon's eyes visibly narrows at the sight of the steel weapon. It snorted, thick smoke swirling up from it's nostrils. It snarled threateningly, the low rumble echoing throughout the clearing. When Van failed to sheath his blade, the dragon shifted it's feet adopting a more aggressive stance. It dipped it's head down low barring it's dagger-like teeth, challenging the mere human before him.
Merle sensed the impending battle and stepped out into the clearing behind her king. She grabbed Yukari's arm, pulling the redhead away. Shaking out of the shock of the dragon's appearance, Yukari followed retreating into the relative safety of the canopy. A vision of Van's first fight with a dragon flashed through Hitomi's mind. The day they had first met. She bit her bottom lip nervously. He almost did not survive that encounter. If it had not been for her and her abilities, he most definitely would not have. She glanced down at the pendant around her neck. It glowed intensely and it was heating up. He gripped it between her fingers feeling it pulse in her hand. 'What is this,' she wondered before turning her attention back to the clearing. Sheltered from the dragon's wrath, the three girls could do nothing but watch the carnage commence.
The instant the cat-girl and the redhead had taken refuge in the trees, the dragon lurched forward aiming it's powerful jaws straight towards Van. The king waited and jumped to the side at the last possible second. He narrowly avoided the creature's sharp teeth. The manoeuvre had been timed perfectly. As the dragon passed him, Van raised his sword swinging it with all his might. Sparks flashed as the metal weapon slide against the thick armoured scaled covering it's hide. Van cursed. He had not expected the scales to be quite so thick. The dragon growled with rage as it turned back around at a lightning fast pace. For such a large creature, it was remarkable that it moved at such an incredible speed. It turned around bringing it's spaded tail up. In and instant, it lashed out at the young king. Van jumped back, but the sharp point of the spade sliced Van's shirt grazing the skin of his chest. He winced at the stinging sensation, but did not falter. The thin and shallow gash slowly began to trickle blood. Spotting his opening, Van rushed towards the dragon, sliding beneath it's hulking form. He ran his sword along the creature's underbelly. He underestimated it's height as the tip of his sword barely pierced the more vulnerable scales. Still, the sword ripped open a large gash causing greenish, blue blood to flow from the wound. The dragon roared in pain lurching forward and lifting it's foot as if to crush the raven haired teen beneath it. Quickly, Van rolled out from underneath the monster. Immediately, the dragon retaliated. It snapped it's jaws, it's teeth catching Van's left arm. The dagger-like teeth merely grazed his skin, but they ripped into his flesh leaving deep grooves in their wake. Van cried out retching his arm away from the dragon's snout. The deep wounds instantly began to ooze deep red.
The dragon lowered it's head, opening it's mouth. Thick clouds of smoke rolled off of the creature's tongue as it's chest began to glow a frost blue hue. In seconds, it reared up expelling a large stream of bright blue fire. The smothering heat of the flames blackened the lush grass and curled the leaves of the trees nearest to the clearing. They crackled loudly before falling from the branches, littering the ground below. Van jumped out of the way of the fire, but the flames caught his leg. He cried out as it scorched through his pants and seared the flesh of his left thigh. He stumbled to regain his balance, cringing at the intense pain that burst forth from the new injury.
Hitomi bit her bottom lip harder nearly drawing blood. She resisted the urge to rush out and help Van. What use could she be to the young king when all she would do was distract him. It was then that a familiar voice echoed through her mind. A quote that had long been forgotten. She remembered standing in the ruins of old Fanelia with Folken and Van. 'Your anger and fear drew the dragons to you. Just as a drop of water causes ripples in a pond. Where there is anger and fear, you will also find conflict,' She recalled with the utmost clarity. Her eyebrows furrowed in thought as she watched the dragon's moves intently. She quickly discovered the strategy the creature was applying to the situation. It was not trying to kill him. It's attention was solely focused on Van's right side. More importantly, the hand that held a tight grip on his royal sword.
Realization hit her and in an instant, and without hesitation, she leaped from the safety of the trees out into the clearing. She ignored the cries of fear and protest from the two women behind her. "Van!" She yelled jumping over a log that blocked her path. She breathed heavily as her feet pounded against the grass beneath her feet. "Put down your sword!" She yelled tripping over a tree root. She fell forward landing hard on her chest.
Van turned to glance at her quickly before narrowly avoiding another one of the dragon's well-timed attacks. With the injury to his leg, Van was moving much slower which also made him make more errors in his technique. Still, he could not back down from the fight. Pain shot through his body as he swung the sword again.
"Van!" Hitomi yelled desperately as she panted trying to catch her breath. However, he did not seem to be paying any attention to her words.
Instead, her cry seemed to catch the dragon's attention. It craned it's neck to glance at her, seeking the cause of the distraction. It was just the moment Van had been looking for. At that moment, Van swung his sword again, the tip cutting a deep gash into the creature's exposed neck. It shriek with rage as it stumbled back in surprise. Van wasted no time and swung again slashing open more scales. This wound was much deeper than the first. The dragon shrieked in pain as the blueish, green blood flowed out of the gaping wound.
Van let out a cry of triumph as he poised his sword to land the finishing blow to end the skirmish. However, before he could lunge, he was shoved backwards. He barely had time to register the situation before he felt his sword ripped out of his grasp. The hilt slammed into his side, knocking the wind out of him as pain flared up his side from the impact. He fell backwards, landing on his back with a loud thud. The remaining air flew from his lungs making them burn painfully as he gasped desperately trying to breathe.
The intense light from the sun stung his eyes as he looked up at the bright sky above. However, what greeted him was a rainstorm of feathers. Pure, snowy white feathers. They floated down around him, speckling the grass of the clearing much like early snowfall. Were they his? He grunted as he heaved himself to into a sitting position. He put the palms of his hands on the ground to push himself up, however, he was halted be the tip of a sword being pointed at his throat. His sword. It was them that he become aware of the person holding the sword. It was a woman. His eye widened as he took in her appearance.
Her long dark hair hung down around her waist, a large red feather was tied to one of the strands framing her face. Beautiful pristine white wings sprouted from her back holding her about a foot off of the ground above the raven haired king. Her eyes were narrowed as she glared down at him. Van was speechless as he stared into similar crimson eyes.
Hitomi picked herself up running across the clearing and dropping to Van's side. She was quickly joined by their other two companions as they came face to face with the angry Draconian woman. Yukari stood a few feet back staring up at the woman, her mouth agape. She her eyes were wide as she stared at the wings protruding from her back. Aside from Tarnum, this was the only Draconian she had ever seen. Upon further inspection, Hitomi noticed that she was very young. Her face was rather rounded indicating the slight remnants of baby fat. She could not have been much older than twelve or thirteen. The tattered dress that clothed her seemed to be too small for her developing body as it came down to her mid thigh. Still, what grabbed her attention most was the striking similarities the girl seemed to share with Van's mother. Varie.
It was obvious that the same thoughts were racing through Van's mind as well. Still dazed, Van failed to notice her youth as an image of only Draconian woman he had ever known flashed in his mind. "Mo...Mother?" Van found himself saying before he could fully register the situation. He was vaguely aware of the people around him.
The girl scowled, her face twisting into an almost unnatural expression, "Mother?" She spat distastefully. Her voice was smooth, and her speech flowed like music. It was higher pitched than Hitomi had originally anticipated which just emphasized her young age. "I am not your mother foolish boy," She snapped moving backwards and tossing his sword to the ground. The tip sunk into the earth below making it stand on end. "Do I look old enough to be your mother?" She asked raising a curious eyebrow. She gave him no time to respond. She flapped her wings impatiently as she floated back down, her feet touching the grass. "Boy you have some nerve," She grumbled before turning towards the dragon.
Her eyes widened and she ran over to the creature. She flew up to inspect the deep wounds on it's neck, concern etched onto her young face. She reached out gently touch the deep gashes. The dragon whined gently nudging the girl away with it's snout. The girl frowned crossing her arms over her chest impatiently as if scolding the large beast. The dragon snorted folding it's legs underneath it as it settled down onto the ground. The girl smiled softly and stroked the dragon's snout. The four teens just watched the bizarre scene with curiosity.
After a few moments, the dark haired girl turned her attention back to the intruders. She placed her hands on her hips, glaring at them. "What business do you have trespassing into my forest?" She asked impatiently scanning over their small group.
Van stared at her incredulously. "Your forest?" He repeated dumbly.
Her eyes flew to the raven haired king, anger burning within those crimson eyes. Her gaze was very intense. "Yes, my forest," She spat. "I live here, and have all my life. It is my home," She insisted, pointing to herself at every emphasis on the word my. She snorted distastefully. "How dare you come barging in here waving your sword around like a maniac attacking my brother when you were the one trespassing in our territory!" She raged floating down to rest on the dragon's curled leg.
"Your brother?" both Yukari and Hitomi said in confusion.
"Yes. My brother," She replied firmly resting her small hand on the dragon's head. The dragon seemed all too content with the attention. "He was protecting me, and like a fool you raised a sword to a dragon," She muttered shaking her head disapprovingly. "Are you so stupid as to think that he would not retaliate to your threat. You could have lost your arm, or worse, you could have gotten yourself killed."
Van pushed himself up onto his feet ignoring the intense jolt of pain that shot through his system from the burn on his leg. He grimaced as he put his weight on it. He nearly stumbled from the shock of it, but managed to retain his balance. "I do not need a lecture from the likes of you," He stated through gritted teeth in an effort to mask his pain. "I am fully aware of how dragon's respond to threats," He insisted glaring at the young girl before him.
She scoffed at his arrogance, "Well foolish boy," She repeated tilting her head to the side slightly. "I would beg to differ from that statement. Your condition is proof enough of that." For such a young girl, she was certainly well spoken.
Van opened his mouth to retort, but Hitomi interrupted him before he had a chance to speak. "We have a sick friend," Hitomi blurted out reaching out and placing a supportive hand on Van's shoulder. "We didn't mean to intrude, we just needed..."
"The Firestar blossoms?" The girl asked raising an eyebrow in questioning. It was as if she were reading her mind.
The sandy haired girl blinked in surprise before nodding meekly, "Yes, actually. We were sent to retrieve them."
The girl nodded before jumping off of the dragon and walking over to the bushes. She carefully reached out, plucking one of the blossoms with care. She inspected it thoroughly before repeating the process. She did this until she had about six of the orange flowers in hand. It was a slow dragged out procedure. She gave them one more once over before gliding back over towards their small group. Merle bit back a growl at her approach.
"Do you have a name boy?" She asked Van holding out the small bouquet of the sulphurous blossoms she had gathered for them.
"Stop calling me that," He barked in annoyance.
She rolled her eyes, "Then tell my your name," She pushed on crossing her arms over her chest.
"His name is Van," Hitomi spoke up taking the flowers from her grasp with a friendly smile. She sensed no danger from the girl. Where she had failed to foresee the danger of the dragon, the girl seemed to pose no threat to them. She then gestured to herself, "My name is Hitomi, and these are our friends Merle and Yukari." She continued gesturing to each as she named them.
The girl nodded in greeting before placing a her hand upon her chest,"I am Sannah," She stated with a small bow. "Sannah Erina," She continued before gesturing to the large blue dragon at her side. "And this big brute over here is Aza.," She added earning a disapproving snort from her reptilian companion. "Tell me Hitomi, what ails this friend of yours?" She taking a few steps backwards, away from them.
"Wyvern venom," Van spat growing irritated with the girl's questioning.
The girl's arms dropped back down to her sides as a thoughtful expression clouded her face. "You don't have much time then," She mused glancing up at the sky before looking back at the group in front of her. Her eyes fell to Van as she gave him a once over. "You are in no condition to be wandering around the forest," She stated eyeing the reddish-black burn on his leg.
Merle snorted in annoyance. "Way to state the obvious," She hissed rolling her dark blue eyes.
Sannah seemed to pay her no mind. She turned around looking straight at the dragon behind her. "Are you alright to fly?" She asked crossing her arms behind her back.
Aza stared at her for a moment before giving a nod and rising to his feet, grunting as he did so. Once on his feet he shook his body before stretching his wigs out. With a small shriek he flapped them creating a small gust of wind that washed over them. This seemed to appease Sannah, for she nodded back at him.
"Come on," She began running towards Aza's tail, hopping up on the thick appendage. "We'll give you a ride," She said running up his back, grabbing onto the spikes as she climbed. With what appeared to be minimal effort and finesse, she settled down onto the back of his neck, resting between two of the spikes. "It's the least we could do after this...misunderstanding," She stated leaning forward, resting her body against the dragon's back.
Hitomi cast a glance back at her friends before turning to Van, "What should we do?" She asked him before looking down at the flowers clenched in her hands.
Van let out a tired, but pained sigh, "We don't have another option," He admitted limping forward. He visibly winced at the pain shooting up his leg. "I can't walk properly, it would take us twice as long to get back," He admitted glaring down at injury.
Yukari rolled her eyes, "Let's just get back. I fucking hate this place," She spat out brushing past them heading straight for the dragon. It was amazing how terrified she could be one minute and then extremely angry the next.
"Are you alright Lord Van?" Merle asked inching towards him.
He sighed, "I'm fine, just go ahead Merle. I'll be along in a moment," He ordered pinching the bridge of his nose. Whether the gesture was from pain or frustration, Hitomi was not sure.
Merle cast one more worried glance at her childhood friend before bounding after the red head, who was already in the process of climbing the dragon. Hitomi looked at Van before following after. She tucked the flowers into her shirt to keep them from getting crushed. Sannah had made the process seem like such an effortless procedure, however climbing on top of the big creature was no easy feat. His scales were smooth, which made them slippery. She stumbled and tripped several times on her journey having to grab onto the thick spikes to regain her balance more times than she could count. With a sigh of relief, she finally reached the back of his neck.
"Are you coming Van?" Hitomi asked as she awkwardly settled into place on Aza's back.
He did not reply. Instead, he swivelled around and slowly made his way towards them. As he approached, Aza lowered his head glaring at the raven haired king. He snarled in warning, barring his teeth. Van held up his hands submissively, taking a step back.
"Aza," Sannah scolded leaning back and crossing her arms over her chest impatiently.
The dragon snorted in response lowering his head to the ground. Cautiously, Van continued forward placing as little weight on his left leg as he possibly could. After several long moments, he reached them being extra careful around Aza's mouth. The memory of his teeth on his flesh made him nervous. Still, Van reached up with his good arm, grabbing a hold of the spike on top of Aza's head. With a great deal of effort, he managed to pull himself up onto the dragon's snout. He barely had time to get situated.
Without as much as a warning, Aza stretched his wings before kicking off from the ground. His wings caught the wind sending him soaring into the air with minimal effort. The new passengers on board lurched forward, wrapping their arms around the spikes to keep themselves from falling to forest floor beneath them. Sannah was the only one to maintain perfect balance. She rolled her eyes obviously not impressed with the creature's careless disregard for the people riding him. Her eyes turned ahead watching as Van struggled to keep his hold on the front spike. She sighed shaking her head. She lifted her body and slid up the dragon's back onto the top of his head with ease. She carefully rose up onto her feet maintain her balance easily. She reached out and gently grabbing a hold of Van's good arm. He turned to look at her the sudden contact startling him. She smiled in apology and guided him to his feet. He winced as she pulled him across the smooth scales and over to a much safer resting spot. He settled down in the spike below hers with a sigh of relief. It was much more stable there. Once in the air, Aza shot forward at an incredible pace. He seemed hell bent on delivering them to their destination. However, the safety of his passengers did not appear to be the dragon's highest priority.
It took a mere five minutes for Aza to cover the same amount of ground that it had taken them over an hour to cover. It was a fairly rough journey. With simple directions from Van, Aza carried them straight to the valley. Once the temple was in sight, the dragon began his descent. Cries of surprise and wonder could be hear beneath them as Aza soared above the huts that housed the children of the land. The landing was rough. The abrupt stop caused the passengers to lift off of the dragon's back and slam back down. Van hissed in pain as it jostled his injured leg.
By the time they had landed, Freya and Mendelev has rushed to greet their reptilian visitor. Aza flexed his wings and shrieked in greeting. Slowly, he leaned down resting his large body against the ground. This made it much easier for his passengers to dismount. Yukari was the first, thankful to be back on the ground. She sunk to her knees, relief flooding her features. Merle followed suite, heading up towards the creature's neck to aide her dear friend. He slid off, landing hard. His leg crumpled beneath him, but Merle caught him as he fell. Lastly, Hitomi hopped off pulling the orange coloured blossoms from their hiding place beneath the fabric of her shirt. In an instant, they were whisked from her hand by a dark haired priestess whose name Hitomi could not recall.
"My lord, are you alright?" Mendelev asked taking in the haggard appearance of his king with concern in his eye.
Van nodded leaning on Merle for support, "Yes I am fine."
"He'll live at least," Sannah piped up making herself known. She stood walking up the rest of the dragon's neck and standing a top his head. "Not too smart though is you ask me," She mused a smug expression on her face.
Van shot a glare at her. "No one asked you," He retorted. The kindness she had shown him during their brief flight seemed to have been short lived. Sannah merely stuck her tongue out at him.
Mendelev eyed the newcomers with awe in his eyes. He instantly recognized the species of dragon that rested before him. Slowly, he approached the creature. Never before had he seen such a magnificent beast. "My god, an Azure dragon," He mumbled hesitantly reaching out to touch the rare creature. Aza glared at him, but made no effort to move away from the General's touch, "And who might you be little lady?" He asked politely noticing the petite girl standing on top of the dragon's head. Cautiously, he slid his hand over the smooth scales of the dragon's snout.
"The time for introductions will come at a later time," Freya announced walking towards Van. "We have more urgent matters to attend to," She stated glancing at the girl. "Forgive my abruptness but you have arrived during a very dire situation," She declared offering her most sincere apology.
The girl nodded, bowing her head in respect to the elder woman's authority.
Freya's attention immediately turned to Van's injuries. She said nothing as she took a hold of his wounded arm, inspecting the large gashed with her fingers. He hissed in pain as she did this. "It is not too deep. No major damage was done," She announced wiping her now bloody hands off onto her skirt. "Hitomi, I will leave you to tend to Van's injuries. I must go and assist my priestess with the preparation of the salve."
"But I have never..." Hitomi started.
Freya cut her off. "You observed us well. I am sure that you can handle it," Freya assured her offering a small smile of encouragement. "Take him to the temple library. I will have Arebell send you the supplies that you will require," and with that, the High Priestess made her leave.
Van cried out loudly as Hitomi placed the sterile wet cloth to the dark burn on his leg. Perhaps not being as gentle as she should have. He jerked away from her scowling. "That hurt!" He yelled glaring at the sandy haired girl kneeling beside him.
She sighed in frustration. "Well if you would sit still it wouldn't hurt as much!" She snapped back returning his angry stare.
Van snorted but made no reply. He slowly set his leg back down allowing her to continue working on it. She sighed dipping the cloth back into the water and repeating the process, though much more gentle this time around. Silence passed over the couple as she worked to clean the wound before an infection could set in. Once she had finished, she dipped her fingers in the cream that Salia had given her. She liberally applied it to the seared flesh. She heard Van suck in a breath as the cool ointment came into contact with the damaged skin, but said nothing. Hitomi frowned rinsing her hands off in the bowl before grabbing the bandages at her side. Carefully, she wrapped his leg tightly to keep it clean. Once that task was complete, she wiped the sweat from her brow. She was fairly proud of her work. Despite her lack of training or knowledge, she seemed to have done a very good job of tending to his wounds.
Van looked down at the bandages before glancing at Hitomi. Guilt gnawed at him from his outburst at her earlier. She had just been trying to help. It was not her fault that his warrior's pride was bruised. He sighed reaching out, hesitating slightly before tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She looked up to meet his gaze. "Thank you," He stated softly.
Hitomi nodded, "You're welcome Van," She replied dropping her gaze to her lap.
He sighed silently cursing himself. "I'm sorry," He began awkwardly, the words seemingly meaningless. "I didn't mean to lose my temper like that," He admitted rubbing the back of his neck nervously.
Hitomi shook her head, "No, no it's alright," She said tucking her hair behind her ears. "I've never really done first aid before. I didn't mean to be so rough," She admitted shyly, a small blush forming over her cheeks. She suddenly felt very warm. She attributed this to the fireplace behind her.
Van inspected the bandages and nodded in approval, "Well you certainly did a good job," He assured her with a small but pained smile.
"You scared me today," She suddenly exclaimed toying with the roll of bandage sitting in her lap. She bit her bottom lip nervously as she played with the frayed ends where she had cut. "You could have died."
"I could have," He agreed with a small sigh. He leaned back in the chair, closing his eyes. The ointment on the burn provided a soothing cooling sensation along with a numbing tickle. He let out another sigh of relief. "But I didn't," He spoke up feeling his body begin to relax as the pain died down to a more tolerable level. He would never admit it out loud, but he had scared himself. This was too much of a close call.
Hitomi rolled her eyes tossing the cloth aside and pushing herself up onto her feet. "Nice to know that you don't care whether you live or die," She spat in annoyance, bending down to pick up the bowl of water.
However, Van halted her by reaching out and grabbing a hold of her wrist. "That is not what I meant." He let out a small sigh of frustration at his failure to articulate himself properly. "I admit I was careless," He began releasing his hold on her, "But had you not been there, I would have been worse off," He admitted running his hands through his messed up hair. "Thank you again, for saving me."
Hitomi smiled placing a hand on his shoulder. "You're welcome," She said leaning down and placing a soft kiss on his forehead.
AN: This chapter was more main character centric. At least that was my intention. I'm not sure if it came out that way entirely. Last chapter was more about setting the scene and giving you more of an understanding into Queen Brahne and Galaxia's characters. Sorry if it seems a little dragged out. I am trying to go for quality and substance in my writing. I hope you enjoy.
What do you think about the mysterious appearance of Sannah?
Also I have a facebook page now. I don't have much on it now, but I post updates and photos, and it will also be a good place to get in touch me with and for you readers to connect. If you are interested, I posted a link in my profile. It's all basically just stuff for this story at this point, with images and links to the story.
Next: Homeward Bound
Response to Reviews:
Jossi-31: Thanks for the review. Don't worry, it's not obvious right now, but Van and Hitomi have a lot to go through before we get to the end of this adventure and a lot to learn about one another and their destiny in the process. All I can say right now is that their bond is important.
PrefersFiction: So glad that you enjoyed it. There will be small tidbits from here on out. I have been re-watching the series and am becoming more and more aware of how up and down those two are together. It's kind of infuriating actually. I want to smack them both! More so Hitomi, but what else is new.