IT'S ME! And I've updated and I am so happy! It has taken me waaaay too long and you guys have been so incredibly patient about the entire thing that I don't want to waste your time any more!
Have at it, my friends!
A barely visible sun - bright, golden, and glorious - glistened through the draping trees branches and freckled light on a still figure of a woman. Cool winds laced with the dewy smell of a fresh new day filled her lungs with the quiet ease. It was the perfect moment. The best time in the day for one-on-one training with only herself as instructor. Though it was nice having someone there to critique – though occasionally the critique was a bit too harsh for her liking – she found that using her reflexes on her own terms, working on her flexibility, and quietly communicating to her body without invasive eyes gave her a sense of freedom.
And besides, since her fight with the aforementioned 'too-critical person', she wondered if he would even want to be her mentor anymore.
No, no, no, she thought to herself quietly. It's not like we haven't fought before. And besides, I have already set myself up to apologize. Thankfully, she had the hindsight to ask him to come meet her here later in the day. She needed to work off some tension.
And what better way to relieve stress than swinging some dangerously sharp weapons around?
Standing in one of the smaller training groves that served for specialty combat training, her red hair – now a little past her shoulders – was wound in a loose braid that started at the top of her head. The beautiful golden armor, resting comfortably back in the guarded treasury, had been replaced with a simple boiled leather jerkin and flexible stretchy trousers. Her two weapons were summoned and waiting to the ready for her commands.
A rush of contentment washed down her spine as she tightened her right hand around the pink pommel of her glittering sword and the weapon responded to her touch with a slight shimmering gleam of anticipation.
"You'll get your turn in a moment," she murmured to it with a smile. "Have to work on little trident first." Hitomi let go of the sword and it disappeared with a snap of electricity.
"Alright, you. Let's get this started." Grasping the iridescent pole of her trident, it whistled through the clean air as she swung the weapon high over her head. Bending her legs to keep her muscles loose, she felt her worries melt away as the trident began flipping beautifully in the air between her fingers. The weapon let out a small whisper of delight as her eyes blinked a slight gold and her vision was suddenly clicked into the brighter world of water. The particles floated all around her; in the air, the plants, even woven in the crevices of her tightly stitched leather training gear. She saw the beautiful crystal atoms floating lazily like fairies. Hitomi turned on her left foot, swinging her right leg high into the air in a circle kick; scattering a portion of the floating water. Still twisting with the long weapon in a circle, she brought the trident down and transferred the spinning pole to her right hand with quick fingers. Keeping up the rhythm, Hitomi gave the weapon a small toss in the air. With hands now free, she cartwheeled, keeping her senses on the traveling airborne trident. She flipped back on her feet and reached-
"YES!" she laughed as she caught the smooth weapon and continued the spinning momentum. "That was awesome!"
Feeling for her core, she cracked it further open, guiding the power down her right arm to her fingers. The trident vibrated as her vox touched the surface. "Gimme a bit of sparkle," she said with a proud grin as the gold began to race with shivering lines of electricity. Releasing a quick breath, she halted the flipping trident within her palm and pounded the end of the pole into the grassy ground. The power instantly erupted out of the three pronged spokes with a collective BANG that shattered the serene morning. As the blasting sound traveled across the castle grounds, she let out a small giggle.
That probably woke quite a bit of people up…
"You laugh like a clucking chicken." A low voice grunted from her right. With a slight jump, she straightened out of her stance. Her nervousness kicked in full force as her now green eyes twisted themselves on to the visage of her mentor, Balgus. She swallowed, feeling her throat tighten, and dropped her stance.
"You're really early, but I'm glad you got my message."
The old man scoffed, which sounded more like a dog's bark, and crossed his thick arms over his chest. "She may do as she's told, but that rabbit maid of yours is a coward."
"Myia is just shy," Hitomi retorted immediately, feeling a bit defensive of her little maid. "She did her job perfectly. You're here and that's… that's… er…"
A strangled quiet fell between the two and the red-haired girl silently let go of her trident. It vanished with a small hiss of disappointment.
"I asked you to meet me here because I wanted to say… that I…" she swallowed again and almost choked. Clearing her throat quickly, she glanced at the old man, who had remained unmoved during this entire exchange. "Balgus, I'm sorry." She lowered her eyes away and focused on his feet instead. "I've taken these last few days to think really hard about what you said. Leadership, responsibility for other people's lives - this was something I hadn't even thought of in the long run. You were just warning me about the emotional and psychological stress of losing lives. Lives that are going to be following my orders. And I just snapped at you. It was wrong and I'm s-sorry…" She clenched her fists as her eyes began to shamefully water. Oh Law, I did not want to cry during this. I rehearsed my words so perfectly in my head!
"No need to water the plants, Kanzaki," the old man grunted, his arms finally dropping to his side. "You were exhausted and… I…" he sighed as if he didn't want to continue speaking. "I guess I didn't give you enough time to settle down. The pressure of the Trials can be hard on everyone. I got a bit carried away…"
She looked up finally, holding his large, scarred face with her own hopeful green orbs. "So… are we good then?"
He rolled his small eyes with a grunt. Knowing that was his language for 'yes', more tears of relief spilled down her cheeks as she took off in a run and wrapped her small arms around his thick chest. His reaction was predictable. He took three skipping steps backward as if to try and escape her. Heavy hands rose in the air as she latched onto him. Hearing him exhale slowly, she felt his bulky body settle into a tense tolerance.
"I don't like it when we are actually mad at each other, Balgus." She mumbled into his brown vest as she pressed her red face into the metal buttons. "You're the only family I have."
"Yes, yes, I know," he sighed again, patting the back of her head awkwardly with a hefty hand. A combination of knowing how much he hated hugging and the fact that he hadn't pushed her away made more tears roll down from her closed eyes. "I'm not a fan of it either, Kanzaki."
"Let's never fight again."
"Fine. You can let go of me now."
"And I promise I'll listen to you and I won't explode like I did because you know so much more than me-"
"That's good to know -let go."
"And I promise I'll try to do my best to be the best Vehotus ever! No! I'll be the best Vehotus Commander ever!"
"It's always nice to have goals. Let go!"
With a small laugh, she finally released him and stepped back. Hitomi still held her watery-smile as the old man brushed invisible dirt and wrinkles off his clothes. He glanced at her face and rolled his eyes again. "Wipe those ridiculous tears off your face." She obediently brushed her forearm across her eyes and heard him bark, "Stand with your feet planted shoulder-width apart. Keep your hands loose at your sides. Close your eyes."
"What are we?-"
"Just do it!" he snarled.
Her smile grew as she obediently closed her eyes and separated her feet as instructed.
"Good. Now, I want you to wipe all that mindless, soppy thinking out of your head. Completely clear your mind. Got it?"
She nodded as he continued. "Now, let a picture of this training ground slowly enter your mind. Only this spot. Don't think about castle or the other training grounds. Don't think about touching your core or summoning your weapons. Picture the grass, the trees, and this small section only. Keep the image as clear as you can, understand?"
"Okay…" She answered hesitantly. "This is kind of -"
"No more talking!"
Closing her mouth with a snap, she exhaled shortly. Several seconds clicked by and Hitomi resigned herself to picturing the area as she remembered it. The way she'd danced with her trident in the shaved grass. The large oval shape made by the surrounding trees, the occasional snarled bush that crawled up their thick trunks. Hearing a tiny chirp to the south, she slipped briefly to focus on the bird's little song before zeroing back in to the rustling leaves. Her heavily sharpened hearing was suddenly startled by the loud snarling growl of her mentor.
"Not like that, you idiot! I said picture, not listen! You must use your mind's eye, not your hearing!"
"But-but… there was a bird…" she pouted with her eyes still closed. Before he could continue, she blindly raised a hand and said, "Okay, okay, okay! Picture time! I promise!"
Dropping her hands relaxed to her side, she took a deep breath and once more focused her mind on creating the picture of the field. The small blades of grass, the tall trees, and the sharp prickle bushes that sometimes had really good berries. The bird chirped again and she forced herself to picture the bird instead of listen to its pretty song. Eyeing the thick branches of the cedars around her, her mind slowly, ever so slowly, turned back to the south to find it. Instead of filling its little song with her ears, she opened to see a fluffy brown blob bobbing up and down; back and forth from branch to branch. The bird cleared further as she concentrated. Brown wings and head; white belly, black beak. It was small, tiny actually; flitting and flirting. Its little black eyes blinked twice and it cocked its head as if it knew it was being watched. She silently observed as it open its mouth to stream a breathless chirp. Flicking out and away from the bird, she let her strengthened mind's eye float to an aerial view of the training-ground. The top of trees swayed with the growing wind, the purple-orange streaked clouds of the morning sun. Glancing down, she was surprised to see herself standing below. Still solid and completely firm. She saw Balgus, his arms crossed, his small eyes absorbed completely on her body.
"You are aware. You can see yourself, can't you?" She heard his voice as if he was right in front of her, but her eyes were floating above his head, watching him shift from one foot to the other.
"Yes, I see us." She whispered. "This is so weird." Her mind's eye wavered slightly as she talked, trying to pull back to her body. "What is this? Why can I see us?"
"What you are experiencing is the beginning stages of Transport. A separation from yourself. You shouldn't hold it for too long or the strength of your willpower will wear down. Come back."
A fierce pulling sensation erupted around her vision and she fell to her physical form. Opening her green eyes, a violent lethargy pressed hard on her body and made the surrounding trees spin. Two Balgus' stood in front of her, waiting and watching as she slouched over to regain her misplaced balance and lost breath. "W-wh-whoa…"
"Sit if you want. The first time you separate can be disorientating."
Gratefully taking a seat on the grass, she gasped, placing a hand on her pounding heart. "Does-does it usually do that? Suck all your energy away?"
"Only if you keep your mind's eye open for too long. It is supposed to be instantaneous. Transport is all about willpower. A simple way of saying it: picture where you wish to be, open your mind, step through the opening and your body will follow."
Her mouth opened in horror. "Law, Balgus! So you're saying I could have step through my mind's eye and fallen to my death just now!? I was up really high in the air!"
"Probably," the old man's mouth twitched as if amused. "Thankfully, your brain is too stupid to figure out the next part by yourself."
"Yeah, thankfully," she scoffed sarcastically. "How in the name of Law do you just step through your mind's eye?"
Balgus motioned for her to stand and she groaned as she got to her shaking feet. "We'll take small steps. Don't travel your mind's eye far away this time. Try to keep your image only to a few feet around you."
"Good plan. Okay. Let's do that." She nodded, closing her eyes once more. A feel of excitement enveloped her and washed away the weariness. Something new, something useful. Transport. The one gift she felt was impossible to learn. The one she really, really wanted to learn!
She was just beginning to relax her muscles and picture the grass beside her when:
"What color was the bird?"
Hitomi grinned with her eyes closed. How does he know me so well?
"Brown and white. It was cute."
The throne room seemed to be holding its collective breath. The Vehotus to his left, minus Hitomi, all sat up in their chairs with dismayed astonishment mirrored on each of their faces. Even Gadeth's usual happy grin had slipped in the wake of this one horrifying sentence.
"The Mutts report how many?" Van tried to keep his voice from cracking. His heart felt frozen in place.
This couldn't be true. This couldn't be true. This couldn't be-
Aleg, his long white hair flipped over one shoulder, swallowed deeply in his throat and glanced back down at the note that was clutched in his trembling fingers.
"Over ten-thousand…" Though he murmured the words, they echoed off the walls as if he had shouted them. The air stung in his nostrils as Van tried to inhale. He felt light-headed. His stomach turned. Over ten-thousand men. Over-ten thousand…
"How does one get ten-thousand over night?" Modocca straightened his back with an air of disbelief. "They had significant losses during the Trimane! Zaibach's territory only spans a few miles long! They do not possess the resources to maintain such an army! And Jajuka gave us no word on this. That dog-man has left us completely blind. There has been no news of him since before the Trials, and that was a fortnight ago today! We risked a lot securing him in that position and now Zaibach will have all our secrets if he is taken."
"They will have nothing. Our correspondence with Jajuka was always one-sided. His job was only to report. Whatever he learned of our movements is from speculation of Zaibach." Van countered instantly, his mahogany eyes zeroing in on his wizened counselor. "He is our spy, not Zaibach's."
"Pardon my imprudent question, but how can you be so sure, Your Majesty?" Modocca arched a white eyebrow. "Jajuka has been with Zaibach for half a year. It is quite possible they have taken him and brainwashed him. They may have also used his birds to mislead us."
"Every letter we received had his hidden signature. He was careful to always mark his messages." Aleg spoke up with a quick nod of his head to Van for permission. "The only conclusion we can assume is that he has been discovered and Zaibach has gotten rid of him." The gazelle's deep wide eyes frosted with sadness. Clearing his throat, he blinked rapidly before continuing, "His loyalty to Fanelia has always been steadfast even back in the days of your father, Your Majesty."
"I know," Van agreed. "He was a friend to my father when I was a child. He is no traitor." A memory of the dog-man and Dilandau sitting together on the steps of the castle laughing brushed through his thoughts – he pushed it aside. "Now, we must concentrate on what we have learned about the ten-thousand. The Mutts report the bulk of the army is headed to the border?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
"They are trying to take out the little platoons we have stationed. The Mutts are too thinly laid out and will be easily overwhelmed." Van shifted to the right and motioned to Boris, "What supplies do The Mutts have currently?"
The old man's hands went immediately to the paper-laden table in front of him and he yanked out several rolls of parchment. "By last week, they possessed six fire-cannons, fifty barrels of lighter oil, Two hundred swords, bows, and daggers."
"Each?"
"…No, Your Highness…" Boris swallowed and his wrinkled throat bobbed up and down. "Altogether. Only two hundred weapons…"
"Oh, Law…" Millerna whispered audibly her beautiful face twisting into horror.
"They will be slaughtered unless we send some support." Van nodded his head, feeling as if this small motion was pounding his skull. "But first, I must know everything. I need estimates on where the bulk of the Zaibach army is expected to march. Tell The Mutts to send me maps on the squad locations by tonight. I need a rough count on how many men we have in each defensive platoon and where we need to give more reinforcements. I had planned to send Vehotus to them after the Trials, but we also need to make sure they are well armed and have the resources necessary to fight. We will adjourn this counsel till the afternoon. Aleg," the king turned to the white gazelle. "As soon as you get word from The Mutts, inform me at once."
"Yes, Your Highness," Aleg bowed low and clicked his heels together.
"Everyone else, dismissed." Standing like silent shadows, the group – Vehotus and Council together – headed quietly to the door, the only sound were the collective footfalls on the marble floor.
Van waited till the last click of a heel dropped out of hearing before he sank back in his seat with his head in his hands. Feeling it hard to swallow, he reached up and wrenched off his robe violently from where it was buckled tightly on his throat. Slipping off his gloves, he raked his fingers through his black locks and took deep uneven breaths.
"Ten-thousand…" the number sounded unreal to his own ears. "How in Law did they get ten-thousand men…?"
His mahogany eyes instinctively turned to the empty chair that sat coldly to his left. Hitomi was supposed to be in that chair. She was still training for command; therefore, she remained absent through most of the day. Her lessons were on tactics, strategy, and soldiering commands. Lessons like those would save lives on a battlefield. Probably her own life, too. Still, he wished she was at least present for some of the proceedings. It had been two weeks since he'd last caught glimpse of her.
And now – though he tried his best to hide it - he missed her more than ever.
With a deep sour ball curled in his stomach, the black-haired king sighed quietly and stood from his throne.
He didn't want to bother her. The last time they'd spoken, he'd kind of made her storm off crying. Not that he hadn't already received his verbal lashing for that blunder from his Vehotus. No, he should just leave her alone.
Van took a step, then another, then another.
He wondered where she was currently. Library? Training grounds? She could be in her room for all he knew.
Van stepped down the marble tile and headed to the inner foyer. Servants pushed the heavy wooden doors open for him; he immediately turned to his left and started for the curved marble staircase.
Maybe she was in her room…
Not that he should bother her…
Merle sat shyly on a large flat rock beside the strange man named Plaktu; her thin legs dangling over the edge. The weather was clear, but bitingly cold. She tucked the make-shift robe around her a little tighter and tried not to shiver. The tents were bustling with soldiering young men and women from every different culture. Fur, feather, horns, snouts. From what Merle saw, both male and female fought side-by-side in battle. Whether that was a normal Fanelian custom or just a product of The Mutts' make-shift platoon, she found it curiously strange. The men she saw at the Trimane when she-
-A sharp throb in her stomach and a hitch her throat forced her to stop thinking for a brief moment. She exhaled slowly to hide the burning twinge of pain that shot through her body.
No, no, can't think of that yet.
Not them. Not those faces.
Not yet.
Twitching her long ears forward to distract herself, she caught the sounds of the camp's cook, whom she learned was an older, hard-built woman with long ears named Braska, babbling about some rough pups getting into her stew again. With a flick backward, she caught the faint crack of a smithy fixing a broken weapon. Smack, smack, smack, his hammer clanged rhythmically over and over and over in the ambience. These sounds, these smells, these yells and chatters and laughter – she looked to the tan man beside her only to see his dark, wise eyes already looking at her face. His long chin and thin lips were stretched into a wide smile.
"I am glad you came out to sit with me. There is much to see in this world. If you are tucked away, you will miss the best stories it has to offer."
"Stories?"
"Certainly," Plaktu's voice held an air of mysterious warmth. "Everything has a story. Everything gives a lesson. Whether it is a good lesson, bad lesson, boring lesson, "he chuckled deeply, "there is always a lesson to learn from those around you." Merle's dark eyes followed his tan long finger as he pointed to a tiny pine tree that was growing underneath the shaded in front of them. "Such as this, little one. Do you see this tree?"
"It's a simple pine sprout, right?" she quirked an eyebrow at him. "I see those all the time."
Plaktu let out another deep chuckle. "A simple pine sprout? The word 'simple' does not exist, especially in this world. Nothing is simple."
"But Plaktu… aren't they… everywhere?" she hesitated wonderingly. As philosophical as this man was, she was curious as to what kind of lesson he could teach just by staring at a tree.
"Are not people everywhere? Each has their own struggles, their own stories. Just like us, the plants, the wind, even the very clouds above us have their own their epic tales of adventuring through the vast sky! Raining, evaporating, floating back to the heavens." He gave her another one of his wide grins. "There is so much more to this tiny pine, little one! Like all of us, this little tree is telling a story of its existence. And like everything in this world, there are others that take part in that tale. See what you can find out what it is trying to tell us. What is this pine's story?"
"It's… er… trying to grow…?" she guessed with a confused shrug.
"A solid guess and correct, but there is more to see."
"It's… young and struggling to live on its own." Her sharp eyes twitched to the pine, studying intensely on the thin needles of the little sprout.
"Very good, but still not enough. I'll give you a hint: look around the tree. Look at the outside factors involved in this tree's life."
Merle blinked. She hadn't thought to do that. Looking beyond the little tree, she noticed two taller trees right next to it. Her head tilted slightly. There was another pine to the left of the little sprout. It was obvious the little plant came from this larger parent tree.
"There's where it came from."
"Precisely," Plaktu tilted his bald head forward in acknowledgement. "Keep going."
Her eyes moved to see a strong juniper, its trunk heavy and branches thick, standing to the immediate right of the little pine. Almost intimidating…
"That tree is a juniper; it's all spread out and really strong. It's dangerously close to the pine."
"Ahh," Plaktu's grin grew wider and a nice twinkle hit his dark eyes. "There is a peril, little one. The juniper is a threat. But there is even more to this story."
Keeping her eyes on him only for a few seconds longer, she turned back to the plants. The juniper was obviously a problem for the little pine, but… she frowned. The plant was still green and growing. Despite the fierce, towering persona of the juniper, the pine was surviving. But… how?
"You're getting closer," the man said without her speaking. She felt a tingle run down her spine. In her seclusion, she kept forgetting he could read minds just as if they were plainly written on her face in ink.
An unnerving talent.
Swallowing, she glanced back at the taller pine – the parent tree. Her dark eyes followed the thick trunk to its tall branches way above her head. Her head tilted once more as she saw the various arms reaching out to the sky. The tall pine's branches were thicker on the right side – the side the little plant was on. Likewise, she did the same to the juniper, which also supported massive branches on the opposing side. She jumped from the rock to get a better view. Their smaller branches were entangled with each other; reaching out, knotting, twisting. A perfect example of a battle frozen.
They were fighting.
She turned to grin widely at the man, a bizarre excitement coming over her. "Plaktu, I know! I can see it in the branches. The juniper tree is trying to take over the spot the small plant is at and the parent tree… is…" she faltered on her words as they came crashing over her head. "The parent tree is fighting to protect its child. It's actually built up the branches to fight it off! Look!"
"But… there is more…" Merle's ears lowered with concern as she noticed Plaktu's smile had slipped from his lips. "Look even further."
The cat-girl turned back to the trees, her eyes scanning the branches above. And then it hit her.
Not above – below.
Looking down, she saw at once the juniper's snaking roots reaching out further; digging, twisting, invading closer and closer to the smaller plant without any opposition from the parent pine. A pine tree's roots can't spread like the junipers. The parent could protect the child from above, but below…
It was only a matter of time… the sprout would never make it. It was doomed to die.
"So you see the little pine's story," Plaktu said quietly.
Merle didn't answer. She couldn't answer. Her stomach was beginning to knot with a twisting sourness. Her ears slowly flattened on her head. Her shoulders tensed as she stared hard at the ill-fated sprout that had just begun life. A harsh burn erupted in her dark eyes and before she knew it, several tears escaped down her furry cheeks and caught on her whiskers.
She heard the man sigh quietly and stand. He came to her right side and stood looking at the scene.
"Why?" It was the only word she could muster. Wiping her tears with her palms, she looked up at the tall-tanned man almost fearfully.
Plaktu sighed again, a breath that sounded like it carried a lot of thoughts with it. "In this story, there are three characters. There is the little sprout, the pine, and the merciless juniper." He gestured to each one in turn. "You discovered their woven tale piece by piece. Now is the biggest discovery of all, little one. I want you to figure out who are you in this story. Which tree do you belong to?"
His question hit her hard. She gave a little gasping sob. Her eyes zeroed immediately on one tree. She knew, without a doubt, which one she belonged with.
He read her mind. He shook his bald head slowly and whispered, "No, little one, there is more to it than that."
She nodded, her dark eyes staring transfixed.
"You are not the juniper."
"I… I am…" Merle's voice broke as her verbal confession hit her squarely in the chest. "I-I am the juniper. I am the life s-stealer. I s-stole all those people's lives. I s-nuffed them out and s-strangled them. I did it… I did it and I wasn't sad about it. I felt… nothing." Her heart was racing; her fingers trembled as she lifted them to cover her face from her shame and despair. "Plaktu… why haven't you killed me? You know everything I've done. You've seen the battlefield. You've seen the Library in my thoughts. You know who I really am. I took away life just… because! Just for no reason at all. I am the juniper… I am the juniper…I am the juniper!"
Her legs felt weak. She backed away until the rock she'd perched on earlier hit her back. Leaning on it, her eyes never broke away from the snaking, tentacle roots that were making its way to the little pine. The innocent little pine.
Chid…
"I am the juniper… I am the juniper…" she continually whispered as she began to rock slowly back and forth. "I am the juniper…"
Plaktu had stayed where he was, his bare back facing her. "You are all three."
"I am the juniper…"
"You are all three."
"I am the juniper…"
"Little one, there is always more to a story to discover."
"I am the one who destroyed an entire infantry! I am the one who single-handedly was sent by Master Folken to get rid of the Guymelefs! I've always been a killer! I am the juniper!"
Finally, Plaktu turned to face her. The same sad expression was in his eyes as when he saw her put the story together. "As you said, little one, I have looked into your mind. I have seen everything you have done. I saw every single death you delivered, every poisonous spell you inflicted on those who trusted you. You put the entire Kingdom of Fanelia at risk on the Trimane Battlefield. You kidnapped Dilandau Albatou and gave him to the enemy. For such terrible crimes, you deserve to die."
The burning in her eyes was immediately extinguished as the words she deserved to hear were spoken by the wise man. The tears still ran down, but she could no longer cry. "Then… kill me… please…" Merle slid down the rock, her backside hitting the lumpy foliage below. Raising her knees to her chest, she wrapped her arms around her legs. "Please, just get rid of me once and for all. I-I don't want to be the juniper anymore. I don't want to kill anymore. I'd rather die."
The tanned-man's bare feet crunched on the fallen leaves as he walked closer to her. Bending his long form with grace, he sat in front of her with his lean legs folded. "You didn't listen to what I said, little one." He paused for only a moment more. "You are all three of them. They are a representation of your entire self. They are you."
She shook her head slowly.
"Yes, yes, they are." He leaned closer, his dark eyes growing a small spark of light. "As I told you, I saw your transgressions, little one. I have seen everything. I know what happened to you long ago. You were a small child. A little pine. Your loved ones struggling to protect you during the first invasion of Zaibach. You were taken from your loved ones and placed into darkness so horrid, twisted. You buried your true nature underneath a malicious infatuation. Each one of them is a part of you. Your past as a small child," he pointed to the small pine, "your present as the spy," he gestured to the juniper, "but now it is time for you to stand up and figure out who you really are. Who do you really care about? Who do you love? Who can you protect?" He stood up and held out his large hand for her to grab hold. Sniffling through her stuffed nose, she hesitantly raised her trembling hand, but pulled it back several inches from his fingertips.
"How can this be? Why are you not executing me?" She whispered, her dark eyes widely staring at his tan palm. "You said I deserved to die…"
Plaktu was silent for a moment. "Your story hasn't ended. I have seen the small pine and I have seen the juniper, but there is another path I see for you." He gestured to the tall pine with a nod of his head.
"I don't know if I can be that…" Merle murmured, her hands trembling. Her dark eyes zeroed in on his serious features. His strong pointed chin and thin pressed lips. A thought crossed her mind. "You know what I did to Dilandau. You said it just now. Did you tell the king what happened?"
"I have not." He said simply.
Straightening her back with her growing accusation, she hissed, "Then are you also not guilty for withholding information that will be beneficial to your people? Dilandau is alive and my old Master has him."
"Knowing the fate of his friend will only distract His Majesty. Instead of concentrating on the movements of his enemy, it is predictable he will gather all his strength and waste it for a foolish invasion of Zaibach's stronghold to take back his comrade. It is better for him that he figures out on his own time and uses these precious days left to properly plan with a clear head. Danger is brewing. Fanelia is safer with ignorance."
"But, Plaktu-"
"You could tell him, little one. You could confess your crime. And he will know the truth."
She flinched. The cold wind brushed through the trees like a single exhaled breath and it froze her from the inside- out. Going back there would mean her immediate death. She shook her head slowly, her eyes beginning to water once more. "How could I ever become…?" She faltered and then began again. "How could I ever be a protector – a pine tree – if I am dead? If I step one foot back onto Escadellete soil, I would be slaughtered in an instant."
"Remember, little one. There are always more factors in a story, more to discover. You have several paths you can follow. You can leave and try to return to Zaibach and to your former Master, you can fight us right here at our camp, but, just to let you know, your powers will not aid you and you will die by our hand." She shivered at the coldness seeping in his eyes. "Or you can change. You can be who you were meant to be. You can stand up and fight like how your parents did long ago. Fight against the one that poisoned you and took away your precious childhood. Prove you can be the one who protects."
"I… could be the one who protects…" she whispered.
"There is a little sprout waiting for you to save him, right?" Plaktu's black, intelligent eyes regained their warm sparkle. "Regain your honor, restore your shattered mind, and fight with us. He will be waiting for you when you are ready."
With a small sob, she reached up and finally took the long tan fingers that had been held out to her. There was a chance to set things right. A chance for her to make peace within her strangled mind. A chance to save the one person who trusted her with the word: friend.
Chid…
Van let go a breath of relief.
At last, he found her!
Not that he should have, but he had wandered from her room, to the Royal Library, back down to the kitchen – he got hungry – and, after circling the training grounds, finally spied her sitting with her eyes closed in the middle of the smaller back fields. Her hands relaxed in her lap, she'd crossed her legs comfortably. He noticed little strands of her hair had fallen from a loose braid that was woven at the back of her head and were framing her face.
She looked peaceful.
He shouldn't bother her. What if she was still mad at him from the Trials? This was stupid.
Suddenly, she stiffened. Her green eyes popped open wide and she gasped, "Van!"
He blinked. Well, so much for not bothering her.
She stood, taking time to brush the back of her pants, her face growing slightly red. "What are you doing here?"
What am I doing here? Van put on what he thought was a smile and shrugged lamely.
Her expression softened considerably as her green eyes studied his face. Taking timid steps, she approached him slowly. "Are you okay, Van?"
"I… I don't know." He tried to keep up the smile, but it tumbled off his lips like rocks falling off a steep cliff. "I don't know anymore."
"What's happened? What's wrong?" She asked anxiously. Hitomi stopped several steps away from him and lifted her hand cautiously as if to touch his arm. She pulled back and crossed her arms over her chest instead. "You look like you've been run over by a horse."
"So, that's why my head hurts," he joked pathetically. Reaching up, he realized his hair was practically standing straight off his head from where he'd been pulling it. "Hitomi, I don't know what to do anymore. I… need help."
"What do you need?" She asked immediately, stepping forward.
"Zaibach is coming. They are marching to the border of Fanelia. They have over ten-thousand at their command."
She was taken back, but her expression didn't change to horror as Millerna's did. Instead, her green eyes narrowed with thought. "Where did they get that many men? I thought the Trimane significantly decreased their numbers. That's what my command lessons have been telling me anyway."
"That's what we thought." Van let go of a breath and closed his eyes. This time, she did reach out to him. He felt her small fingers gently grasp his right arm and she whispered, "Sit down, Van, you look ill."
He followed her orders and sat with his legs crossed like she had been moments before. Hitomi sat beside him on the back of her legs and didn't let go of his arm.
"Okay, now explain to me what has happened exactly. Zaibach has ten-thousand more men than we thought they did. How did we find this out?"
"The Mutts reported it. They have been spread along the border since the Trimane. I actually split their platoons even further to try and keep that little kitsune from escaping back to the north. They are my best line of defense and I made them even more vulnerable."
"But if you hadn't done that, they might not have spied the incoming army." She injected coolly. "Because you spread out their positions, they were able to warn us. How long do we have before Zaibach attacks?"
His eyes focused on the shortly cropped grass. "I will hopefully know by tonight. That's not the half of it. I have to send the reinforcements in a few days if I want The Mutts to have enough supplies to survive. That means sending the Vehotus as well…" He finally glanced at her as she let go of his arm. Her were pressed together in a straight thin line. Her eyebrows rose slightly and she nodded with understanding and resolve.
"I will have Rutilus with me. They won't get past us."
Van's heart beat rigid in his chest and he shook his head against the image of her fighting alone against a hoard of red flaming Guymelefs… the image of her burning alive…
"Not you, Hitomi, you can't go."
He saw her eyes narrow further and her mouth drop into a scowl.
"I am the Commander of the Vehotus. I have to."
"You are still in training."
"I will bring Balgus with me. I'll keep training along the way." She countered.
He searched his brain quickly. "I… I have to have someone here to take care of the castle."
"Fine, it makes sense that you stay. Take good care of the castle while I'm away."
"No-no, no, that's not what…" Van groaned and rubbed his face with his right hand. "I am going to fight."
"Van, think about it. You are the King of Fanelia. You don't need to put yourself at risk! If you die then it is checkmate for us all! I'm here! Let me fight for you!"
"I just… I…" the king stopped, trying to collect his thoughts. Why did I come to her? This was a mistake. A horrible mistake.
"What? You don't think I can handle it? The pressure of Command will be too much for me? Van, I can do this! Please, let me. I want to fight for you in this war. I want to fight for Fanelia. That's what I've been obsessively training for these past months. I've worked so hard to keep up with everything that is going on. I want to prove to you that I can do it! So, please-"
"You might die!"
She leaned away from him, her face displaying a jolt of shock. Van's entire body was tense. He startled himself with that outburst, but that was the only way to tell her. To let her know that-
"Hitomi… you might die…" he repeated much softer. He remained focused on her, solid. Waiting. She stayed silent, her unreadable green eyes absorbed directly on him. Finally, Van sighed resignedly, "I know this is what you have been training for. It is not that I don't believe in your abilities. You are the strongest warrior I've ever met. But… I just…" he felt himself freezing up again, his words tangling in his throat. "I… can't send you into danger. If you died on me… I wouldn't… I wouldn't be able to-"
The field around them seemed to hush as she took a deep breath, lifted her arms, and wrapped them tightly around his neck. Van's mind and body froze as she hugged him, her warm forehead pressing into his neck. The wind blew slightly, brushing the hair tendrils that had escaped her braid onto his throat. He was sure she could feel his heartbeats thumping loud and hard.
"I will fight for you. And I won't die." She whispered quietly in his ear. "I promise."
Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her back, pulling her closer to his chest. "Hitomi..."
"Van… I've been meaning to apologize to you. I haven't had the time to talk to you since… well, since the ending of the Trials. It's been so busy and I've been training with Balgus almost constantly from sun up to sun down. I've wanted to find you, but… sorry," her head shook slightly. "I'm sorry I stormed off like that. And I'm sorry it's taken me this long to finally tell you."
The relief that washed through him was immense. He couldn't tell whether it was due to the change of subject or the fact that they were obviously making-up after that Trial fiasco. He squeezed her a little tighter with his arms and then let her go so that she could lean back. Her cheeks were a brilliant red, but her green eyes sparkled with delight. Keeping his hands on her shoulders, he finally felt a genuine smile pop back on his lips. "I apologize as well. The Trials was a stressful affair, especially for you."
"Rutilus made me tell her the entire thing about four times. She got really mad that I walked away." She smiled, but her face gave a furtive expression.
There was probably more to her story than she was confessing.
"Trust me I got an earful from the Vehotus about it." Van confessed with a short laugh.
A dove cooed somewhere above his head and woke him slightly to his surroundings. Van glanced up to see the sun's position through the trees and swallowed down his disappointment. As much as he hated to, he lowered his hands from her shoulders. "I have to head back, Hitomi. I dismissed the session only for a few hours."
"Oh," she mumbled, immediately backing away and standing. Her cheeks were still tinted red. "I-I better continue my meditation. I've got Infantry Positions in the Library in a couple of hours anyway."
He stood awkwardly, still facing her, not ready to leave just yet. "Infantry Positions, I vaguely remember learning that," he snorted. "Fell asleep for half of it."
"I actually like it!" she laughed. "It's fascinating."
"You got a mind for strategy and it was put to good use during the Trials."
Her smile grew wider. "You think so?"
"Of course! Are you kidding me? The way you used Gadeth's speed against him, and Millerna knocking herself out. Even Dryden and Allen. And me! You got me, too! Using my own teleport against me and distracting me with…" he felt his own cheeks blushing and moved on. "You are Vehotus Commander after all, so yeah, you've got what it takes."
"Thank you," she said happily. "That means a lot."
"Yeah, no problem. Well, I got to go," he said again raising his hand for a quick wave.
"I'll see you later," she responded, her smile lowering in disappointment. Her eyes told him she didn't want him to go.
"Bye."
"Bye, Van."
He turned away from her to face the castle, his shoulders rising as he took a deep, clear breath.
"Oh, Van?" He turned back around and blinked in surprise. She had taken several steps closer to him. Her face was a brilliant, blushing red. Her green eyes sparked with determination mixed with slight panic.
"Yes?" His voice cracked on the word.
She lifted a hand and pressed it on the side of his face. Reaching up on her tip-toes, she lowered his head and kissed his cheek softly.
All you have to do is turn your head, Van Fanel! His mind screamed at him. Turn your head just a bit and you'll be-
His mouth turned just as her lips left and he missed her by less than an inch.
Judging from her content smile as she backed away, she didn't realize what he'd tried to do.
"Good luck, Van." She said sweetly.
"Y-yeah, thanks," he growled back in a tight throat. Clearing it and turning away, he walked briskly back to the castle.
Damn it.
His grey eyes were changing.
A vivid scarlet rimmed the edge of his pupils, bleeding out into the cornea.
Some days the scarlet was strong, like it was today. Other days, the grey pushed forward, making the red almost like a brown scar. He tilted his head, staring at his eyes from the mirror. The natural light cascading from the window shinned on his pale, swarthy skin. It also fell on the dog-man chained to the wall beside him.
With his shifting eyes, he glanced back to the prisoner. His gaze immediately focused on the blood that seeped down the man's brown, furry arms from his tight shackles. The man let out a miniscule whine and rolled his head weakly to stare at him.
Dilandau couldn't stop watching the slow, dripping, red blood.
"Dilandau…" the man whispered in his deep voice. "I know you know me… I helped raised you. You were like a son to me…"
The silver-haired man tilted his head and didn't respond.
"Please, Dilandau! When I found out you were still alive I came to rescue you! What is the matter with you? Please! Answer me!" the canine practically howled the words.
"Your… your…"
"Yes? What is it? Talk to me, son!"
"Your blood has stopped flowing down your arm," he said with a frown on his face. "I want it to keep going…"
The canine stared in disbelief; as the seconds passed, his expression grew hollow. "You are not Dilandau anymore. Your eyes…"
"My eyes have changed again, have they?" the silver-haired man instantly turned back to the mirror.
A pair of pure crimson stared back at him.
So, everyone knows my life is insane and I've been working on this chapter (and Be Ready) here and there. I finally just sat down, popped each one of my fingers (a bad habit of mine) and wrote and wrote and wrote and prodded that silly muse awake and now I find myself on the precipice of a battle. Nice going, brain. Reaaaal nice.
Though I must give credit out to those who have been PMing me and sending me messages over Pinterest (here's looking at you Fairyvixenmaiden) and to my very best and wonderful friend, Nainari. I am so blessed to have this story in my life just so I could meet such fantastic people. You guys are wonderful!
Predictions, comments, surprises, dislikes. I won't know unless you tell me! :) I have missed you all so much! Thank you for clicking here and keeping with me and my long pauses. You really are the best. I know I've overkilled on saying that, but seriously. I would hate me right now if I had to wait so long during updates. But I feel refreshed and ready to tackle this story to the ground!
BTW:
Marriage planning is hard... :/
PEACE!
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