Okay. I just had to post this. If I didn't, this chapter would take forever to come out and would be the size of four chapters put together. As it is, it took a lot out of me just to write this. I worked and worked and worked to get these scenes absolutely perfect, so if there is any silly grammar mistakes, please let me know pronto and I will get those horrible monstrosities out of there!
By the way... I'm just as excited as you guys are to get this completely finished.
'Wait, wait, wait. What? It's not finished', you cry?
Just trust me. I needed a break.
The gravity of intense quiet in the gradually darkening stadium pressed the spectators into a dull murmur of bewildered whispers. The golden sun, which had once pierced the arena with a triumphant flare, had begrudgingly sunk closer and closer to the western stony walls of the late afternoon. Through the expectant tension, numerous servants draped in robes of simple beige began lighting the large torch fires surrounding the top of the stony fortress; bathing the growing night in flickering orange and gold. Majority of the crowd's entire attention were focused on a certain spot in the arena; an under-cove that was slowly growing brighter and brighter underneath the stands.
In that small under-cove, a quiet cry of pain emitted through clenched teeth. A small male mouse clothed in robes of gold barely made a stir as his trembling fingers lit the hanging lamps that swung lazily on silver chains attached to the fortified ceiling. Though the fire filled the room with the orange hue, a shimmering light radiated from the Pilot herself; brightening the room more than mere flames.
His small brown eyes danced only once to the golden-armored girl who was currently stifling another moan and rocking slightly back and forth in her seat. The Vehotus honorary member and Counselor to the King, Sir Balgus, hovered like a large, occasionally grunting, specter at the back of a poor blue bird nursemaid. The nurse slowly worked her gentle feathered fingertips up and down the Pilot's crooked forearm, tenderly feeling through the leather and around the pulsing swirls. The small manservant allowed himself only one more studious glance at the unusual armor before scurrying to light another lamp. A sharp click of the bird's beak sounded like a hard slap in the quiet.
"The radius has been fragmented which disrupted the lateral epicondyle-"
"In words I understand, woman," Balgus growled.
The bird snapped again, her yellow eyes narrowing with concealed irritation. "She broke her forearm and dislocated her elbow."
"Great…" the Pilot groaned as the bird released her arm and slowly set it on her lap. "Now what do I do?"
"I am sorry to report, my lady, but you will have to forfeit. There will be no facing the king. Not in this condition."
The auburn-headed girl's back slumped briefly in disappointment. "But I… I have to…I've come so far…"
A slice of the same disappointment befell the little mouse and he forced himself to continue his duties; covering the small flame stick with his thin, quick fingers and spreading the light to yet another lamp. There was no way the Pilot could beat the king anyway. King Van was the most powerful in the country, quite possibly Gaea itself.
It would have made for a spectacular fight though.
The little mouse had been wary of the redhead just like everyone else in Fanelia, but… these Trials had changed a lot of opinions. He'd heard the rumors of the ruined Royal Welcoming and the Pilot's strange spell she'd somehow weaved over their king. He'd listened to other servants saying that the Pilot occasionally was out of bed at night and had been seen running down the castle hallways. He'd even, shameful to admit, remarked a few gossip comments himself on the mock-trial that had happened a week ago. A tornado of water and lightning…
No one should have that much power.
But it was by the end of Sir Gadeth's battle… no before that. The mouse felt his heart hitch a bit as soon as the girl had proudly emerged from the under-cove for the first time and bravely stepped into the circle. Fortified in the golden armor that flowed around her body like streams of water… even skeptics had to admit this girl was the real deal. Redhead or not, Zaibachian spy or Hospeslander civilian, Rutilus had chosen. There was no going back.
And as each battle progressed, the girl kept on prevailing. Beating all the odds, she'd forced those that had insulted her, who had bet against her, to continually swallow their words and lose their money. It wasn't before long until the mouse man couldn't help cheering the girl on. On impulse of his growing admiration for the Pilot, as Sir Dryden fell to the ground in a writhing shock, the mouse had stood from his seat in an excited admiration, a bellow of happiness at the forefront of his lips. Glancing around with a blush, he had seen none of his other servants had jump from their seats and were looking at him strangely. With that revelation, the mouse man sat down slowly and swallowed his cheer.
But he knew even his fellow workers had to admit, there was something about this Hitomi Kanzaki… Something that made the little servant hurt with guilt for ever thinking badly of the girl. As he lit the last lamp, his brown eyes flicked once more to the whispering trio.
"Sir Balgus, I request you please step out of the room." The nurse murmured quietly as she unloosened the straps to the girl's shoulder armor and began delicately removing the pin holding the breast-plate up. The golden rivers attached to the leather flooded downward. The redheaded girl stifled another cry and she closed her green eyes against the pressure.
"I will not-"
"I'm about to take off the top breast-plate and she will be exposed," the bird chirped back angrily. The Pilot's eyes snapped open and she flushed crimson. "Do not argue and get out!"
The old man's mouth opened and closed for a moment before he turned away sullenly and stomped out the doorway. The mouse could hear him grumbling all the way outside.
"Cover yourself with this, Lady Hitomi." The nurse commanded gently, pulling forward a loose white tunic as more of the armor shifted off the girl's shoulders. "I'll only expose you enough to take care of the wound in your shoulder and to wrap up your arm. You there!" the bird turned to the mouse man and his trembling fingers almost dropped the flame in surprise. "Bring me hot water, clean rags, and a bottle of purified carotic extract. Be quick about it!"
"Y-ye-yes," the mouse squeaked and he hurried to douse the small lighting flame. Hastening out the under-cove, he passed the giant Balgus – who was still rumbling in his low voice. The words the mouse caught almost made him stop and stare at the man with incredulity.
"…threw rocks at her face harder than this…"
What?
Rocks?
He had transported her to the small under-cove, his racing mind hardly focusing on the fact that his armor was glazing with an ever-increasing blaze that had started spiking sluggishly higher from the crevices of the white scales...
When he placed her as gently as possible on the wooden chair, his arm was trapped somewhat behind her back as a result. Attempting to shift her without stirring the wound on her shoulder, her small body fell forward with a cry of pain and –before Van could catch her - Balgus was instantly at her side; his large arm bracing on her stomach and his thick fingers holding gently onto the back of her neck. Van nodded swiftly at the old man, whose small eyes flickered briefly on the growing flames of his armor in confusion before giving a short nod of his own.
The king straightened up to transport and her green/gold eyes swung up to stare at him in distress.
"Are you going?" She whispered her face clenched in pain. A small wish in his head translated the pain in her eyes was due to him leaving. Then he dismissed the thought straightaway, waving it gone like the silly dream it was.
Letting his eyes roll for a few ticking seconds over her broken body, he noticed she had sand in her tossed auburn locks and dirty smudges on her flushed cheeks. Her right arm, bent at a strange angle, was curled against her chest. The hole in her bleeding shoulder was easily visible through the see-through golden streams of her armor. It ran red down the boiled leather, dripping to her lap.
How had she managed to keep going? Allen had broken her arm during the first few minutes of the fight.
Allen… A ripple of anger shot down his spine and he felt his vox leap with the flash of his rage. His hands curled into fists as the red raced hot and thick through his body.
Oh, Law, he had to get himself under control.
"I'm going to speak with the council for a moment. Excuse me." He announced monotone and he transported without another word. But not to the Counselor's Oversee where his advisors were waiting.
He didn't have near enough patience for that conversation.
The king appeared in the Royal Cove, which served as his personal area in the stands. As the servants who had been tending his room backed away into the shadows in the wake of his fiery armor, he ignored their fear and concentrated on willing his hands to stop shaking. Glancing down at his trembling palms with his eyes still crimson, he saw a stain of brown/red blood on his thumb and pointer finger which made his stomach flip painfully. He had to move. Had to do something. So he paced swiftly right to left and back again, taking consecutive breaths with each step. Sometime during his pacing session, a brave mouse servant crept from the corner and handed him a wet wash cloth. He grabbed the towel and wringed it tightly in his hands. Van's heart was hammering so rigid in his chest he could feel the blood flooding inside his body all the way down to his toes.
For hours he'd tried to act normal as he watched her struggle in the Trials. For hours he'd pushed himself to be unbiased while she plunged herself into the circle and into danger.
No more. Bet or no bet, this had to stop. She could have died. All for some tradition. All for getting her accepted. All because Modocca and the other Counselors insisted on it. And what did it lead to? Right now, Allen was unconscious, Dryden was being treated for burns, Millerna was concussed, and Gadeth…
Van shook his head and dismissed that worry. He probably didn't have to think about Gadeth too much.
However, all in all, Van had had enough.
It was time to set things right. It was time to end this. He wished there was a way to heal her. A way to make sure she would be alright. If he could give her some of his health even, he would do so in a heartbeat. That look of pain in her eyes… it made him sick. It made him angry.
He straightened his shoulders, stopped pacing, and, with a few more palliative breaths, felt the beginnings of his composure developing under his control. With his vox – and anger – quelling, his crimson eyes finally caught sight of the extraordinary spiking flames that had begun to leisurely subside back into the tightly woven white scales of his dragon armor.
It must be calming with my thoughts, he reasoned to himself as he exhaled another breath through his mouth. Remembering Hitomi's wonderful armor of rivers and streams, he shot another look at the flickering yellow, orange, and red weaving in and out of the crevices. Certainly his armor held some sort of untapped magic. Now was not the time for testing that theory however. Especially in the fragile state his control was in.
Running a hand through his dark locks that were now hanging fully in his face, something tapped quietly on the heel of his black boots. Van looked down at the black cloak that hung from his shoulder braces and it gave him another gentle slap. Pulling the enchanted fabric up into his fingers, he swallowed down a growing lump in his throat as the strong black silk rippled beautifully in the torch-light.
He was fooling himself. He'd been too in the moment when he made that ridiculous bet with her. That wild ride to the Temple of Guymelefs, talking with her, laughing with her, chasing her on horseback… he had felt like he could have everything he wanted. Being with her was like a dream. He could be himself, a careless freedom he'd never truly experienced before.
Running his thumb over the flickering red design that was tied to his vox, he was washed in a torment of fear, anger, and guilt and had to restart his breathing exercise.
Who was he kidding? It was his fault she'd pushed herself to get to through the Trials. If he hadn't forced her to make the bet in the first place, if he wasn't such a coward and had just asked her his question, she would be accepted regardless if they wanted her or not. Regardless if she'd fought in the Trials or not.
That is… if she responded positively to his question…
But he was a coward.
He feared rejection as any man would. And now, especially since so much was changing with the war; the small skirmishes on the borders would soon turn into a confrontation that would require Vehotus assistance.
As of the conclusion of Gadeth's battle, that included her now.
Van had stupidly thought bringing Hitomi into the Vehotus would be a way of shielding her from prejudice, but in reality, he had just pushed her into even more danger.
A battlefield... It was her destiny to be a warrior, but the more Van thought about it, the more he hated it. She could fight, he had to acknowledge that fact, but she had never killed.
That was a whole different story.
He dropped his cloak and it fluttered back to its spot at his feet almost in dejection.
With a fierce pulse of vox – much more than he intended - and a turn on heel, Van immediately envisioned the Council's Oversee and he appeared in the intended room with a blasted wave of red that knocked over several bits of furniture and sent the nearest council member, Meiden, backwards on his chair and painfully to the floor. Their servants raced to right the furniture as the rest of the counselors just sat in surprise at Van's sudden appearance.
"Modocca," the king addressed the wizened man with a stern voice. Unfolding his thin body from the comfortable chair, Modocca stood straight, his long torso casting a wavering silhouette on the tapestried wall behind him. "She will not fight me. I command these Trials stop at once."
"Your thoughts match my own, Your Majesty." Modocca gave a stiff bow, his counselor robe shifting over his thin back. "I cannot stand to watch our precious Vehotus get hurt any longer. Especially with the growing hostilities from the north. Putting our Elite in the pathway of this dangerous woman has jeopardized the entire country. You need to think of your own protection."
Van's brain was cut short in disbelief and his words died in his throat. Modocca had misread Van's intentions so horribly, the king was rendered speechless.
"Your Highness," Justious piped in, his frail body slowly leaving his seat to help Meiden. "I would like to separate my own opinion from Modocca's rather silly observation. I think you should fight her."
"I second that statement." Meiden hissed, rubbing the back of his head.
"She has held her own remarkably well in these Trials and I predict she has more yet to give. That bit with the armor river thingy's…" Justious' face turned dreamy. "I almost thought Allen had her, but she pulled it off. Even with that broken arm... The river crushing Allen was very impressive. Can't believe you predicted it happening, Meiden, my friend."
"I just bet she'd use another technique we have never seen before and would ultimately take Allen down with it."
"And I chipped in to your claim, correct? So, you know what that means…" He glanced at Meiden and gave a crooked grin. Both grey heads swiveled to shoot Brill a sharp, hungry stare. The man under scrutiny shifted uncomfortably in his plush cushioned seat.
"You lost again, Brill." Meiden said lowly.
"You must pay the price later." Justious added.
"How much is it now? Fourteen, fifteen?"
"Oh, my dear sir, it must be at least twenty."
Brill's sweaty face dropped into a scowl. "T-twenty? Don't be foolish. You cannot possibly demand that much! And I still can't believe you bet against your own son's Trials."
"It just means we know them better than you." Justious barked a laugh. "There was no way Gadeth would have won. He's too much like his old man."
"Dryden hates pointless conflict." Meiden chimed in with a bored voice. His grey eyebrow quirked up. "So, Brill, it's twenty. Ten for Justious, ten for myself... or do you want to pay for more…?"
"I said I never agreed to twenty!"
Van cleared his throat. "Brill, Meiden, enough. I will not fight her."
"Very good, Highness," Modocca's wrinkled mouth curved in a satisfied grin.
"She is wounded, exhausted; therefore, unable to fight." Van clenched the hand her blood had been on, rubbing his pointer finger against his thumb. "I do not fear fighting her. I fear hurting her more. She has fought bravely and deserves an end to this nonsense."
Modocca's wrinkled eyes instantly narrowed with a barely concealed irritation. "But, my King, you actually watched the Trials, correct? She defeated Sir Gadeth and Lady Millerna without a weapon. Sir Dryden was blown up. Sir Allen was crushed by her and remains unconscious. The nursemaids have documented his wounds and he has dislocated his left shoulder and sprained the wrist of his sword arm. I cannot ever agree to you putting yourself to risk. She is of monstrous power and-"
"If I may, Your Majesty," an unexpected low voice piped in.
Brill stood from his chair, a head shorter than Modocca. Hidden behind the old counselor's tall shadow, he took several steps forward into the lamp light. The dancing flame illuminated his round face, emphasizing his balding scalp. "I would like the chance to speak."
"And lose more money, it seems." Justious smirked as he finally pulled Meiden to his feet and a servant rushed to fix the toppled chair. The long-haired man groaned quietly in agreement as his back cricked.
Brill ignored the two of them. "What if we inquire the lady's opinion? What is her judgment on advancing? She is the one who ultimately challenges you, so she has the chance to forfeit if she wishes. Let the decision of the Trials rest on her. Even if you do not want to fight, if she demands to challenge you, then you will have to continue, Your Majesty. That is the rule of the Trials. She has won all except yours. She has the right to keep going."
The words made Van's stomach twist with a sour dread. That was the rule of the Trials. She could continue if she insisted, and Van couldn't do a thing about it. A two out of three knockdown battle. He would be forced to bring her down. He'd seen the fights, he'd seen her strength. She was his second now.
She'd come so far, she did possess the right to prove herself against him.
But he didn't want to hurt her more.
"Are you worried she will win against you…?" Modocca guessed with a smooth voice as Van's silence stretched with his racing thoughts. "If she defeats you, Your Highness, she will be the strongest in the land. She will have the right to take the throne from you. If I may be so bold, I believe you should cease this nonsense at once and -"
Van's power flared so abruptly, it shot a red-laced Mindwave from his fingertips and blasted two large holes into the stone floor below his feet. Everyone froze, hardly daring to breathe, as their vox-infused king concentrated on his deep breathing for the third time.
Whatever the cost, he had to convince her not to continue. Of course, this wasn't about his right to rule. This wasn't about a challenge to this throne. It was about her safety. Escaflowne ruled this land and he was Escaflowne's chosen. Rutilus Flumen was a Queen in her own right, but she wasn't cursed to a land like the White Dragon. She was free to roam the world. Whoever Escaflowne chose as his Pilot would be king.
Van was just lucky that the White Dragon seemed very partial to his family.
He knew in his heart Hitomi hadn't even considered the possibility of taking his throne away from him. She just wasn't that kind of person. Modocca was a blind fool.
A small thought crossed his mind and he felt his body both relax and catch with a familiar nervous fear. Besides, if she did take the throne from him, he had another way of getting it back. Even if he was uneasy to ask her those words just now, he'd have to do it.
He would have lost the Trial.
And a bet was a bet after all.
With a deep sigh, his eyelid gave a twitch as he lowered his head and his unruly bangs fell over his forehead. "As much as I despise myself to admit it you are right, Brill. We will inquire after her opinion and, if she wishes to continue, she will fight me in the last Trial. If not, she will be my second in the Vehotus and one of my Elite." His red/mahogany eyes focused squarely on Modocca's long face – whose mouth had pressed into a line so thin, his lips were invisible. "From this moment onward, the Lady Hitomi holds a ranking title; therefore, I shall no longer turn a blind eye to prejudicial comments about her. Be it from commoner, courtier, or counselor. Not only is she the Pilot of Rutilus Flumen, but she is a respected member of my chosen. Each of you owes her your allegiance and respect. I will show no mercy if you insult her again. Is this declaration unclear to any of you?"
"I'm good," Justious shrugged happily. Meiden simply gave a low bow.
Brill swallowed and his face folded into a look like someone held a dead fish to his stubby nose. But he also bent a swift bow to acknowledge Van's decree.
The tall Head Counselor was the only one remaining motionless. The deep edges of his wrinkles were shadowed crevices in his face. Flicking his wizened eyes over the young king, they held each others stare until he finally tilted his chin down and broke off to glare at the ground.
"Very well," he murmured. "Let us see what will become of the future of our country. It is fragile as it is. Why not put it in the hands of an unexperienced little girl…"
"It is her choice." Van commanded, pulling from every authoritative bone in his body. "And you, Modocca, are not coming when we ask her. You will wait here."
His long, thin torso seemed close to snapping as he fell backwards into his chair in surprise. His body trembled with a terrible passion. "You… you cannot be serious, Your Highness… I have to come as High Counselor to the King!"
"I would much rather leave you here." The black-haired man's eyes were pure crimson now. "I am done with you." Modocca's eyes went even wider at the blunt dismissal. Van turned to look at Brill, Meiden, and Justious in turn.
"Come, we are going to the Challenger's Under-Cove."
The nurse had very quickly realized the complexity of the armor as soon as she released the first buckle. Once it was unhooked, the golden rivers froze instantly as if someone simply cut off the power source. The breast-plate, after unpinning the under-leather, drooped terribly and forced the shoulder harness to fall forward; the weight sinking even deeper into the Pilot's stab wound. The bird saw no other option than to strip the girl completely from the waist up. Slithering the girl out of the various pieces required a flexibility the bird didn't think was humanly possible. Wiggling her left arm out of the side and under a now hardened swirl, the girl slipped her thin shoulder out of three heavy straps and gave a quiet sigh of relief. With a few panted choice words in her native tongue, the nursemaid finally peeled the last of the armor that covered the Pilot's chest.
"I didn't realize how heavy this was until I took it off," Hitomi gasped as the bird grunted with the armor's weight. "You should be able to pull it off the rest of the way without disturbing my arm."
"Yes, My Lady," the nurse chirped working on the other arm straps carefully. Once that was complete and the armor was removed, unlaced the leather and stripped it off the Pilot's back. She saw the girl blush brightly and shiver, using her good arm to cover her breasts as best she could. The bird was ready. She gently draped the small white robe over Hitomi's left shoulder and wrapped it tightly underneath her right armpit to keep her wounds exposed. Then she wrung a rag and began wiping on the drying red trails that had wept down the girl's arm and chest. They were silent as the bird worked, with Hitomi occasionally letting out a groan through her closed lips.
"I apologize if this hurts. I've got to stop the bleeding first. Direct pressure is the very best method."
"I wish I had Rutilus…" the Pilot mumbled through another whimper.
"I wish I had a pint of seed ale…" the bird whispered under her breath. Her yellow gaze shifted from the bloody bandage to the mess of armor straps and immobile swirls lying haphazardly around them.
"How about after this, we go get some? Trust me, after today; I think I deserve a party." The nurse caught the Pilot's strained, but good-natured smile and allowed a small easy blink of her right eye. Puffing her feathers, she chirped quietly, "That sounds nice, My Lady. Though you'd probably like honey mead more than seed ale."
"Whatever you recommend."
Another lapse of silence fell between the two women. This one more a touch more comfortable than before.
"The wound is not as deep as I originally fathomed."
"Oh, well that's good." Hitomi hissed lowly as the bird moved her broken arm further on her lap.
"As soon as I stop the bleeding, I will add carotic extract to your wounds."
"Oh, okay. What does that do?" She asked trying to distract her brain from the hurt.
"It is a fast-acting numbing agent. Carotic is one of the few plants that naturally produce a purified form of hexahydrothymol, perfect for painkillers. There are some places that use the plant for specific teas and herbal remedies. I use carotic as a way to slow the heart, which in turn, help staunch a heavy wound that is bleeding out."
Hitomi blinked and her head whipped around to look at the stab on her shoulder. "But you said it's not a heavy wound, right?"
The bird's beak clicked again. "It is quite alright for you to be alarmed. The puncture wasn't deep, but your arm is still not in the best of shape. I am mostly worried about this break."
"Yeah, kinda hurts a bit."
"I will try to give you just enough to dull; however, you must inform me the moment the pain is leaving, My Lady."
"What if it doesn't work?"
The nurse blinked. "If this is your first exposure to the medicine, I apologize I cannot gauge how much it will affect your system. For some of the smaller clans like mouse or rabbit, just a simple dose will knock them out. Others like canines require the entire root of the plant to feel any type of numbness. Humans… it is different for everyone."
The bird reached out to open a small brown bottle and pour some clear liquid into a cleaner part of the towel. An odd smell began to fill the room…
"Is that…mint?" Hitomi breathed in deeply, a comforting feeling washing over her. The scent was so crazily familiar. A memory of something so long ago… but when?
The bird's right eye blinked slowly in approval. "The mint you smell is the menthol."
"I've smelled it before."
"That is possible. Carotic, though it is pronounced different in other countries, is considered a weed in some cultures. It can even survive in harsh, hot climates." The nurse dabbed the carotic cloth on her shoulder and – as if by magic – the pain backed away, chased by this miracle of drugs. Hitomi released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "There is a legend behind this plant. Do you wish to know it?"
The auburn-headed girl grinned, feeling the thankful numbness spreading all the way to her elbow and down further to her wrist. "I'm a legend, too." Law, was her head getting fuzzy? "Van told me he dreamed about me coming. Isn't that strange? I used to dream about him, too."
"My Lady, your robe is slipping," the nurse swallowed and nervously tugged the cloth back securely over her breasts. "Carotic's legend has a lot to do with Rutilus Flumen actually."
"Oh, really? Do tell!"
Why was the floor moving? Or was she moving?… Hitomi opened her mouth to comment, but the bird spoke first. "It is said that the Guymelef, Flower, originally came from carotic. The plant itself doesn't produce a flower-head, but those that have studied it extensively have noticed that it possesses genetic strands of a possible budding-"
"Kanzaki!" The old man came bursting through the doorway like a large stampeding horse, his small eyes wider than she'd ever seen them. "The Council is on their way. The king is with them. What are you…?" Balgus' face grew tight as Hitomi gave him a giant grin.
"What is this?!" He barked at the nurse, gesturing to the towel in her blue fingers. The nurse lowered the blood-stained rag and frowned.
"I am helping with her pain. You are not to be in here, Sir Balgus. My Lady Pilot is not-"
"Hi, Balgus!" Hitomi greeted happily, her body rocking back and forth in her chair. Her green eyes blinked rapidly and she swayed dangerously to the right. "The room is kind of spinning. If I fall, it would be really nice of you to catch me."
"Where is her armor?! Get dressed right this instant, Kanzaki! The king is come to-"
"Lady Hitomi, we need to discuss some important-" Van's voice came from the entryway and cut off as he stepped into the under-cove; his mahogany eyes went wide and his mouth dropped. "I… uh…" He stammered, a deep blush popping on his cheeks. Van tried to back out of the room and collided with Brill – who was just stepping through the threshold.
"What do you want of me, Your King?" Her brain couldn't seem to focus properly. What in the Gaea was wrong with her? "My Majestic… My Highness…" Turning to her nurse, she whispered with slurred words, "I think I've had enough caroopic…"
"I wholeheartedly agree. I have to get this out of here. Please excuse me." The bird's beak clicked and she whisked both the towel and the bottle out of the room in a flurry of white and blue.
"We're still up for seed ale later, right?" Hitomi called after her as she attempted to wrap the slipping robe tighter around her chest. Turning to all five men, who were staring at her with the same disbelieving expression, she frowned at them each in turn, "What? I can handle my drink…"
Balgus' face crunched into a scowl. "Kanzaki, get into that armor this instant. The Council wishes to speak with you."
With carotic gone and the air filtering the mint, Hitomi let out a low breath and closed her eyes to steady herself. "I need help into my armor and my nurse just ran away. What do you wish to speak about? Perhaps we can finish this matter of business quickly."
Van cleared his throat, his face still tinted with a blush. Unknowingly, his armor had begun to flicker, the smoldering scales leisurely increasing with each passing second. "The Council needs a verbal challenge from you to proceed in the-"
"I challenge you." She immediately said, trying to stand, but falling back into the seat with dizziness. Balgus leapt forward and put his large hand on top of her auburn head to stop her from trying again. "I challenge you, Van Slanzar de Fanel, King of Fanelia, as the new Second in the Vehotus to a two out of three Trial."
Behind Van's back, Justious grinned and slapped Meiden on the arm. His long-haired friend let out a loud groan.
"Pay up, Fassa."
"I should have never made that bet."
I feel the same way… Van thought with an inward grimace before quietly announcing, "So, you challenge me?"
"Consider yourself booked for the evening, Your Majesty." Hitomi smirked cheekily, the effects of carotic still stirring her brain. "Well, what are we waiting for? I've got to get dressed for the occasion."
"The match will begin in one hour. She will be prepared." Balgus' low growl sounded behind her. She tossed him a beaming smile and he returned with a snarl deep in his throat.
The flames on Van's armor were spiking as he nodded swiftly, his face remaining expressionless. Turning away, he strode heavily out of the room.
Instantly, the armor quelled as soon as he left her sight.
"Well, that does it. You are challenged, Your Highness." Justious sighed behind Van's back. "I have to admit I thought I'd lose the bet there."
"You're just saying that," Meiden frowned. "Stop faking modesty."
"I can't let her go through with this…" Van whispered, his head beginning to form an aching spot above his left eyebrow. The deep bruise on her pale skin, the crooked bone of her arm, the puncture wound still bleeding on her shoulder…
"You three saw her. She can't fight like that."
"And yet you are challenged." Justious clicked his tongue.
"Take her down easy," Meiden piped in cautiously. "Don't hurt her any more than necessary."
"I plan on it." Van answered feeling a growing heat racing up the back of his neck as his thoughts lingered on her exposed shoulder. Her luscious auburn hair brushed back from her face, revealing her smooth neckline and sparkling green eyes that glinted with challenge. "Consider yourself booked for the evening, Your Majesty…" that soft voice said lowly. Her lips curved into her mischievous smile, and she leaned to the left, allowing the flimsy white fabric covering her breasts to-
"Sire…?" Brill's voice snapped Van out of his growing fantasy and the king realized he had stopped walking and was in the middle of the arena. With a brilliant blush, Van straightened his back and cleared his throat with mock-importance.
"I will prepare myself, excuse me." He announced with unnecessary authority, before disappearing from sight with a puff of red.
The three counselors were left behind.
Two with the beginnings of knowing smiles, and one wondering how he was going to pay for twenty pints of seed ale...
Her body felt like it was on the verge of collapse, but she refused to acknowledge her fatigue. Her knees trembled as she had forced herself to stand from the chair and take the necessary steps towards the stone doorway of her under-cove. Each step spiked like pinprick daggers into the splinted bones on her forearm as each breath re-pierced the wrapped wound on her shoulder. The golden/orange light of the coliseum pillars blazed both heat and light to the sandy arena, igniting it in a soft glow. The sky was quickly fading to evening; a dark spread to the east slowly crawling forward to drown out the daylight.
The carotic salve had faded considerably; only holding a miniscule amount of pain at bay. The blue nurse had offered to add more, but the auburn-headed girl couldn't bring herself to accept it. She'd embarrassed herself enough as it was.
Flicking her gold/green eyes to the fading light, her mind whispered over the options set before her. Her best weapon of defense and offense would be Mindwaves. Weapons were out. Even with a splint holding the bones in place, there was no way she could withstand the weight of her sword. As for her trident, she could use it with her left, but she was right hand dominant. The weapon would just get in her way. She held a spark of gratitude for her armor, which was a bonus for the fight to come. It sloshed expectantly against the boiled leather, twisting around her body protectively. It was too bad she'd had to use it on Allen and reveal its power, but with this, she had the possibility of beating Van.
Unless Van's armor was gifted, this was a definite likelihood.
"An hour has almost passed, Kanzaki." Her mentor mumbled behind her head and she felt the weight of his heavy palm rest gently on her good shoulder.
"I didn't humiliate myself too badly, did I?" she whispered, swallowing down the lick of mortification rising in her stomach.
"You are not allowed near that plant ever again."
Hitomi chuckled darkly, "Oh good, just checking."
"So, you are determined, then. You have challenged him. Despite the display of silliness earlier, I… I am proud of you, Kanzaki. You spoke the challenge like a true Vehotus." Her stomach twisted slightly – not with nervousness – but with a feeling she hadn't been exposed to in a long time. A bitter happiness whelped from a silent cry within her soul; a cry she hadn't realized she'd been making until right this moment. An urge, a want so ferocious she had to catch her breathing to stop from getting emotional.
The love from a parent.
The love from someone who would support her no matter what the cost. Balgus was that one person in this world she could always count on to have her back. Balgus understood her better than anyone else in this world. Without the old man, she would have never been the warrior she was now. She probably would have bowed out in the first Trials after Gadeth. But, as always, he knew exactly what to say – or shout – to make her stand. To make her rise back up to her feet and face whatever lay before her. To make her strive to be the best.
And now, because of this old man, she knew she had to face Van in the last battle – broke arm or not.
If her father was alive to see her, if he could know all the things she had accomplished; her destiny that came straight from his stories of Rutilus Flumen. If he had been alive to see her awaken the very Guymelef he had told her about so long ago… she bit her lip softly and her green eyes flickered gold as she stared hard at the huge, anticipating crowd. Instead of her father, she had Balgus. And instead of Hospesland, she had Fanelia.
This multitude now served as her witnesses. They had journeyed with her through these fierce Trials. She had done her best. She had shown her abilities and pushed herself more than she'd ever done in her life.
These silent people waited for her to walk out into the arena once more. To face the last person in her Trials.
Would they finally cheer or would they curse her name?
Not only would she not back out, but she couldn't. Whether it was for vanity, whether it was selfishness, whether she ended up prevailing against Van or failing in the two out of three rounds, she knew she had to keep going in this to test her strength, her will, her resolve.
"I am in the Vehotus, Balgus, but that doesn't mean my fight is over." At her declaration, from behind her back and therefore unknown to her, he turned his large, scarred face to the ceiling and blinked rapidly to elevate the burn behind his eyes. "I won't back down. If I can still stand, then I can still fight, right?"
"Ex-exactly, Kanzaki," Balgus swallowed in his tight throat. "That is what a true warrior would say. An admirable warrior. You have to keep going, don't you?"
"I do."
"Then, go to it."
With a final nod, she didn't need to turn her head to see the fierce pride in the man's dark beady eyes. His hand dropped as she took a step out. And another. And another. Her feet fell on the thick sand, her breath exhaling slowly and steadily. Like a snare drum for battle, her heart pumped determinedly in her ears; her own personal inspiration. A mild wind had picked up as the evening overcame the afternoon. And with it, the breeze carried an unexpected noise as she continued her way forward. The first cry was from the south-southwest; a single voice from thousands, like a crack in a dam, breaking little by little, faster and faster, building with the pressure. More and more voices joined in, calling, screaming, jumping to their feet in the stands as she took her steps to the middle. And then it hit her as the giant blast of cries and cheers rose to such a degree they blackened the regular ambiance of the fading afternoon and roared painfully in her ears.
She stopped and lifted her head to the crowd – which only increased their applause for her. Her lips lifted into a satisfying smile.
One battle down, two out of three more to go…
The swirls of her armor weaved around her, her core opened and her vox burned to the ready at her fingertips. The power sizzled like an inferno on her wounds, but she separated herself from the hurt. She might as well get used to the pain.
Hitomi approached closer to the middle, the glowing, iridescent circle appeared before her expectantly on the ground.
The last Trial of them all: the King of Fanelia.
Van materialized with a wisp of red, the coals of his armor igniting his features in the darkness, making his entire body a soft radiant light. The silky black cloak attached to his armor tossed itself excitedly into the air, flapping with the noise of the crowd. As Van turned to face her, she held her breath at his expression. His eyes were deep serious crimson, frothing with the red light she'd remembered seeing long ago in the darkness of Castra.
The night he'd held her hand, pulling her through the dark streets to her destiny.
His strong fingers inside the thick gauntlets clenched and unclenched as sparks of red vapor wavered from his fingertips. Her feet had stopped on the edge of her circle and he had appeared right before his. Their eyes were locked together.
Gold with red.
It was then Hitomi broke her stare as something strange happened.
The smoldering scales on his armor were steadily growing brighter, occasional flames lacing out of the crevices and spiking slightly from his body. Likewise, Van blinked at her in surprise, the swirls tossing themselves with a progressively radiant sheen. The water seemed to catch every light in the arena, the pillar torches, and the lining sconces on the walls. The small streams twisted themselves like writhing kaleidoscopic snakes. Likewise, Van's armor grew further in flames, the crevices now bursting with rigorous fury.
"What is this?" Hitomi called to him through the surprised roar of the crowd. She gasped as the fire beginning to lick its way over his body and toss to his right arm and shoulder. Van's red eyes were wide with wonder as he shook his head, his black hair flinging up with the ferocious bursts of cracking fire that were consuming his body.
"Van!" She shouted in panic. Attempting to control the swirls with her vox, the auburn-headed girl tried to ride the rivers back into place with her power, but she was blocked. The streams didn't accept her vox. What in the world was happening!?
"Van, are you alright?"
"I could ask the same about you!"
"You're on fire!"
"It doesn't hurt!"
Her swirls were growing in size, increasing in frenzy. With a gulp, she glanced down and realized the rivers on her right arm and shoulder were beginning to part away, leaving only the boiled under-leather exposed.
"Are you doing that?"
Hitomi shook her head. "I can't control it! What about you?"
"I don't even know how to control it!"
Van let out a wild shout as the gathered flames suddenly shot from his body, bursting directly in Hitomi's direction. She couldn't move, she couldn't breathe as the fire blast hit her square on her right hand and she reflexively screamed. Bending over and grasping her wrist with expected pain, the sharp fire bypassed her fingers and traveled thickly over the spiked throbs of her snapped forearm. Clenching her golden eyes shut, the flames bellowed higher; burning, scorching, soaking through the boiled leather to her very skin. She fought against the screams, tears beginning to gather in her golden eyes.
"Hitomi!" Van's voice broke with her name. In the corners of her consciousness –the part that wasn't panicking on the mysterious fire eating away her arm - she saw the ebony-haired man leap over his circle to sprint towards her. The swirls rushed forward and began to immediately edge around his body as well, encasing him in their dance. His hand tenderly grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her body close to his. Van's other hand reached out to the fire on her forearm, but it flared up higher as if to burn him.
"I can't stop it…" he whispered in her ear weakly. "It's too hot…I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry…"
He pressed her face against his neck as a painful snap resounded from her arm and she cried out in agony. His arm wrapped around her back, supporting her as her legs gave out. The blaze moved from her forearm to her elbow, twisting with colors of red, yellow, gold, orange, and blue. A soothing chill enveloped her forearm where the fire once was, bringing with it a strange sense of relief. His left hand curled tightly against her body, his chin on the top of her head, the fingers of his right hand digging into her hair. Concentrating on the closeness of him, she tried to swallow down tears as the armor's fire skipped over her bicep to flicker on her shoulder wound. She let out a gasping breath. The wound had instantly begun to itch. The blaze lingered, but was beginning to fade.
Her armor flowing around him rushed away, the golden swirls spilling back to their places on her right arm as the fire finally disappeared with a puff of smoke. Van's arm was pressing her so close her back was beginning to hurt.
"The fire… is gone…" she panted. Her legs were still shaky, but she backed away from his chest to survey the damage…
But wait…
What damage?
The pain... The broken bones… Allen's stab wound…
Wishing more than ever she had Rutilus in her brain, she slowly raised her right arm and flexed her fingers.
"Please, don't. It'll make it worse-"
"No, no, it's okay…"
The rivers were encircled once more over the boiled leather, swirling like nothing strange had happened. Zipping her golden eyes on the man in front, her disbelief matched his perfectly. Wide red eyes, mouth slightly open, confusion and wonder spilling from every feature.
"Did I burn you?"
"I don't know… it…" She tested her arm again and the incredulity developed into excitement. "Van… you healed me!"
Those in the front rows gave a loud cry and instantly the crowd became a cloudy crash of conversations. She ignored them all, fully focused on the man who was still holding her tightly.
"Healed you?" His arm retracted from her waist and – before she could feel sad about it – he grabbed her upraised fingers into his gloved hand. She felt his skin through the gauntlet just as before.
He was always so warm…
"How did I do that? I thought it was burning you."
"I… I don't know, but the pain is gone. Even in my shoulder. It's gone!"
"I don't understand…"
"Uh…Van…" her voice was hesitant. His face was very close, his mouth slightly open with surprise. Meanwhile, her cheeks were getting increasingly hot. "You're still holding me…"
The king's red eyes enlarged and he let her go at once, backing away, straightening his back, and clearing his throat strangely. Hitomi smiled shyly, lifting her newly healed arm to brush away the stray tears from her eyes. "The bones, the stab wound, everything. It's all healed, fixed!" A thought crossed her mind and she lowered her voice so the crowd wouldn't hear. "Do you… do you think this was the healing spell?"
His dark eyebrows crunched together underneath his long black bangs. From the glowing coals of his armor, she could see the visible red tinge of his cheeks. "If it was, I never imagined it would hurt you so badly."
"But it didn't," Hitomi shook her head with the contradictory and her tangled auburn hair flipped into her eyes. "Now that the fire is gone, I feel… I feel…" She paused for a moment as another thought flitted across her face. She glanced down at her feet before biting down impishly on her lower lip.
"What? What do you feel?" he asked, unthinkingly looking at her mouth.
Grasping the golden core awaiting her control, she raced the magic down to her fingertips once more and reveled in the fact that the pain in her forearm – which had burned so furiously – had completely vanished. An electric spark crackled between her gloved fingers as she lifted her head, gave him a confident grin. Van backed away. She took a bold step with him…
And entered her awaiting circle.
"W-wait!" Van's crimson eyes widened further once he realized what she'd done. She nodded her head, gestured behind him to his own circle.
"I think it is high time we settle that bet, Van Fanel. Unfortunately for you, I'm feeling a lot better now."
The king's face froze for five full heartbeats before one corner of his lips lifted in a mysterious, lopsided smile. "I was going to go easy on you." He exhaled a long breath and rushed a hand through his tossed hair. "Too bad my armor seems to like you more than me."
Hitomi laughed. "I knew you'd do that. Go easy on me. Isn't this so much better?"
Van's smile fell. "To be honest, I'd rather not fight you at all. We could still call this off…"
"What and miss a chance to knock you down? If you think for a second I'm going to pass that up, you don't know who you are dealing with, Your Majesty."
Van's dark eyebrows rose before he barked a laugh. He glanced down at his simmering armor with delightful wonderment and shook his head slowly.
"Our Guymelefs have a lot of explaining to do after this."
"I agree."
"But we have a bet to settle before then, don't we?" His red eyes shot her a look of pure surreptitiousness and her cheeks blush hard.
Law, that was a handsome look…
"Well, alright then. Let us begin." Van continued to smirk as he backed away until his boot stepped easily into the circle.
The drums beat pulsed with the thick excited crowd. Her golden eyes left his charming smile and instantly zeroed in on his fingers, his stance, his shoulders. Her nerves were back to full force. Balgus hadn't told her Van's powers. She didn't know what to expect with him. He could transport, he could Mindwave, and he was the strongest in Fanelia. Red began to glow making her focus on a strange crimson lace that weaved inside his palms. Was he going to summon his sword? Was he going to concentrate on bringing forth the talents of his armor?
What was his plan?
The drum slowed and a familiar wave of anxiety hummed happily in her belly.
The drum slackened more, the arena's noise halted with anticipated breaths.
She had a whole arsenal of powers to command. Her weapons, her armor, her Mindwaves, her cleverness, and, now thanks to Van, the strength to back it up.
Her fingers snapped with electricity as more power built inside her hands. Her golden eyes flicked up to locked on Van's red.
The drums stopped.
The circles disappeared.
Both red and gold vox blasted; creating deep craters in the sand.
Another explosion hit as a crimson blade of fire met a golden blade of electricity.
I give to you this chapter as a token of my love for all my readers. My brain would have exploded if I continued and it would have taken me at least another week to fully complete the entire Trial. So, like a jerk (or a saint?), I split it and posted early. Depending on how long Van'sTrial(s) go - and how wordy I get - I will post accordingly.
And once they are done... wow... what do I do with my life? lol.
Hopefully this will hold you off till the next update. I did my best to make it completely worth it. Personally, it made me feel all fluffy inside, so I'm hoping you had the same reaction. This chapter, and the next upcoming chapter, are brought to you by the amazingly epic musical compilation of YouTube's Pandora Journey. Thanks to Nanari for showing that to me. Seriously, the music is insanely cool.
Also, a pinterest board has been made based off the story - and is continuing to grow daily thanks to Fairyvixenmaiden. If you want to check that board out, it can be found by typing "Rutilus Chronicles" in search (hopefully). Just some simple pictures to give you ideas of how they dress in Fanelia and Hospesland, what the castles look like, etc.
As for the future of our two love birds?
I'm working on it.
lolz
blue...