Vision of Escaflowne:
Silent Attack

Chapter Four - Forbidden Warnings

Lord Chambers looked at himself in a full-length mirror, twisting a bit to see his perfect form, hidden underneath all those rich clothes.  He wasn't at all the tallest, but he was tall.  He had the perfect image of a knight or a man that had been working out.  Black-brown hair that was closely shaved stood in small spikes on his head, accenting his deep blue eyes.  It gave him a rakish air, pleasing to most of the women of the court.  He wasn't as old as most of the former councilmen were, only in his late twenties.  And not to add to the fact that he was a killer machine.  He turned around and faced a person with a bloody face that was held by two guards.  Gerowyn walked slowly over to the man and knelt down on eye level.  "Such a pity that you could not restrain that cat-girl," Gerowyn said softly before standing up and backing away a bit.

"King Van will return and he will take his rightful kingdom back from you, you dominatrix," the person said, spitting a bit of blood out of his mouth.

Gerowyn sighed as he watched the guard struggle against the two iron grips his arms were pinned in.  He flipped a part of his red-black cape back and drew out a wicked looking long sword.  Its blade was normal as any other sword, but the handle looked as if it was made out of reptile skins and the stingers of scorpions.  He turned the blade as it glistened underneath the lamplight of the throne room.  The room was fairly empty save for a few guards who were loyal to him, the prisoner and himself.

Gerowyn's eyes suddenly flashed and he spun around quickly, jabbing his sword into the prisoner's stomach.  He smiled cruelly as the prisoner gasped a bit, trickles of blood flowing from his opened mouth, his wide eyes and his nose.  Gerowyn twisted the sword in his hand a bit; another gasp of pain came from the hapless prisoner.

"Lord Chambers," Astian's voice echoed throughout the room and Gerowyn looked up from his torture to see the blue haired man walk towards him.

Gerowyn sighed, annoyed.  He was having a good time slowly killing the prisoner when Letkus had to interrupt him.  "What is it?" Gerowyn asked, letting his annoyance flow through in his words.

"My Lord, we have received word from our spy in Perid, King Van has arrived there," Astian said in a grave voice and Gerowyn felt a hint of a smile tug at his lips.

"Good, excellent.  Tell the Princess to do whatever she can to keep him there, also tell the King to stall him.  We must accelerate our plans," Gerowyn purred, his low baritone voice jumping one octave.

"But there's also a problem," Letkus started and Gerowyn narrowed his eyes at his tone, "our spy on the Crusade has informed that Allen Schezar is approaching the Wandering Earth…"

Gerowyn noticed that the normally cool headed knight was hesitating on his words.  "Get on with it!  What could be so bad that will ruin everything?" he demanded the knight.

"The girl from the Mystic Moon is with him, her powers increased ten-fold last time she was here.  If she were to get wind of Fanelia's situation or give it to King Van, then our plans could be shattered in an instant," Astian explained and Gerowyn eye's blazed with fury at the news.

"What?  How did she get here?  Have the spy kill her immediately!" Gerowyn shouted, startling the guards who stood upright.  "No wait," Gerowyn stopped Astian in his tracks as he thought of something, "she could be of use to us.  I want to see how much power she has accumulated over these three years…if she returns to Fanelia, we will test her."

"Yes my Lord.  As you wish," Astian replied then turned around to leave his blue-black cloak swishing behind him, revealing some of his black armor and one of his two clawed hands.

Gerowyn bowed his head a bit as the rhythmical tapping of the knight's footsteps faded away.  What could be at the Wandering Earth that would lead Allen Schezar to there? He wondered then glanced at the still conscious prisoner who was gasping, a pool of deep crimson blood around him.  He walked over to the prisoner and pulled his sword out of him.  The rasping sound of flesh and bone against the metal of the sword echoed throughout the room.

He took a small white cloth and wiped his sword blade, turning the cloth into red while the blade was pure silver.  Gerowyn sighed and sheathed the sword; turning around he waved his hand at the guards.  "Toss him to the dogs, he won't survive for less than a few days with that kind of wound," he growled before walking away.  He heard the sounds of the prisoner still struggling as the guards dragged him to the outside door.  That girl has to be stopped…one way or the other.

                                    *                      *                      *

"Well sir, the Wandering Earth…it still gives me the creeps," Gaddes said as the Crusade hovered over the place where the Zaibach Empire used to reside.

"Do a scan search, I want any data on anything unusual," Allen ordered, watching some of the monitors of his ship.  A couple of years back technicians had discovered ways of locating things and can so call scan the region making it easier to spot any enemies from long distances.  "Hitomi, can you spot anything with your eyes?" Allen asked.

Silence answered him.

Allen glanced at Hitomi frowning.  He then recoiled a bit as he saw that she was as pale as a ghost.  "Hitomi!  What's wrong?" Allen asked, coming over to the girl.  He glanced at her and saw that her eyes were focused on a certain part in the pit of the Wandering Earth.

"Moving shadows," Hitomi whispered and Allen looked at her confused.  He noticed that most of the crew was looking at her as if she had gone insane or something.  "Moving shadows…guymelefs…black liquid shadows," Hitomi whispered again trembling a bit.  Allen took her into his arms and pressed her tightly against him, trying to comfort her.

"Shh," he said in a soothing voice, "its okay Hitomi…" Allen could feel her trembling right down to his skin.  He glanced at Gaddes who had a worried look on his face.  "Gaddes, scan that area where Hitomi was saying," Allen ordered the blue haired man.

"Sure thing boss," Gaddes replied leaning over one of the monitors and twisting a knob.  "Oh my…" Gaddes suddenly exclaimed and Allen saw his face turn ashen.

"What?  What is it?" Allen demanded.

"Allen…there's…there's…there's something a-alive down there," Gaddes managed to get out, "the monitors are showing that their energist readings are off the scale, almost like a machine that has no control whatsoever."

"Hnn," Allen muttered glancing down as he kept a hand resting on Hitomi's head, "all right, collect as much information as you can.  I don't know if they have sensors or not, but I don't want stay here for long.  We'll head back to Asturia with the information for King Dryden."

"Fire…Fanelia," Hitomi whispered suddenly and Allen glanced back down at her just in time to see her collapse.

"Hitomi!" Allen exclaimed suddenly worried about the girl.  He placed a hand on her forehead and it felt hot.  She has a fever…over exertion of herself from her travels or something else?  Allen wondered.  He looked at Gaddes who had recovered from his initial shock, "Gaddes, take us away, I think this place is influencing Hitomi."

"Aye sir," Gaddes replied and Allen could hear the evident relief in his second-in-command's voice.  He turned around and carried Hitomi gently off of the bridge and placed her into an empty secluded room.  "Rest Hitomi, save your strength," Allen whispered as the girl moaned a bit from the effects of the fever.  He stroked her hair out of her face before standing up from her bedside and left the room, closing the door behind him.

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Van knelt down on one knee as he finished with his little 'speech' to the King of Perid, Berion Abira.  He wondered if the king would agree just like Asturia did, but since their shaky alliance, he wasn't too sure.  Perid used to one of the kingdoms that was under Zaibach's control and even started to build their guymelefs for them.  After Zaibach was destroyed they had nowhere to turn to, so they started guerrilla attacks on other kingdoms.  Only a few months ago was Fanelia able to reach a treaty and form an alliance with the war-hungry kingdom.

"King Van of Fanelia," King Abira started and Van looked up to the old king.  Wisps of a thick white beard hung down the old king's face, giving him an equivalent look of a mountain goat.  "Have you actually confirmed what your knight tells you so?  I mean he might just even lead you out of your kingdom on a wild goose chase," Abira said in a frank voice and out of the corner of his eye Van saw Gyei bristle a bit at the comment.

"King Abira, Sir von Colewrich is my loyal soldier, he would not lead me to false rumors," Van replied, shooting a glance to Gyei to tell him to quell his anger down.

"Ah, but there could be a chance that these rumors are false," Abira countered tugging his beard thoughtfully.  "Still…" the king hesitated.

Van narrowed his eyes slightly.  He didn't like the calculating look on the old king's face; it made him think that there was something behind all this.  "King Abira, do you wish time to think over your decision?" Van asked.

"Yes, that would be good.  Give me two days to confer with my council.  If you would not mind, your knight and you could stay in the palace until then," Abira agreed and Van noticed that he agreed too hastily.

Something's wrong here, Van thought as he stood up and bowed to the king, keeping his eyes on level with the king's throughout the bow.  "I will wait your decision in two days King Abira," Van said in a monotone voice.

"Good, let my servants lead your to the rooms prepared for you," Abira said and Van followed two young men, just shy a few years of his age, out of the throne room.

"Your majesty, I don't like this…" Gyei whispered into his ear as they walked down some lit hallways.

"We'll discuss the matter later Gyei," Van warned his friend, telling him that there might be spies around even though they were away from the throne room.  What's Abira planning?  He knows about the strong alliance we have with Asturia…he's even afraid of Asturia's military, but he wouldn't be foolish enough to invade Fanelia, Van wondered as he kept a hand on the butt of his sword, his senses telling him to be alert.

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"Curses, he knows we're up to something," King Abira muttered as he paced around a long wooden table, his ten advisors all sitting around it.  He scratched at his white beard, fingering the end of it as he walked around.

"Your Majesty, this King Van might know more than he shows.  We should find out all information regarding this Wandering Earth before disposing of him.  If he is right about some mysterious life-force coming to attack us, then we should be prepared," one advisor spoke up.

"What?" Abira shouted, facing the advisor his eyes blazing with rage, "and leave Fanelia alone now?  No!  Those things where the Wandering Earth collects are probably false rumors."

"Then why explain his sudden arrival?" the advisor countered the shut his mouth up as he realized that it was not good to contradict the king.

"So…you're in league with him," Abira smirked, glaring at the advisor; "guards take him away to the gallows."  He watched as the hapless advisor was dragged from the room.  "Now, gentlemen, if you have any further objections, please raise a hand," Abira started and looked around, but didn't see any hands, "good."

"Sire, Lord Chambers has started the take over of Fanelia and he sent these orders to you.  He says for you to stall King Van as long as you can, also your daughter may have use in this," one of the advisors spoke up, his light blue hair shining a tint in the torch light of the council room.

"My daughter?  Scina?  What does she have to do with this?" Abira demanded, narrowing his old eyes.

"Father…I may be able to convince King Van to stay here longer," a young voice spoke up from the doors of the council room.

Abira watched as a girl who was fairly tall with long raven black hair that almost measured to her ankles walked him, her oval face pale against her hair, but they accented her large yellow-gold eyes.  It gave her a look of a weak girl, but Abira knew the strength behind those arms and lithe frame hidden underneath a white dress.  "Scina," Abira started addressing the young woman, "what are you doing here.  I told you many times before that my council meetings have nothing to do with you."

"Father, I heard today that King Van of Fanelia came, bearing grave news.  You have a problem, you want to take over Fanelia, yet you don't want the young king to interfere or get wind of your plans.  I can dispose of him easily with my skills," Scina offered and Abira rubbed his beard thoughtfully.

"Sire, I suggest we do as the lady says, she may be our ace hole," the light blue haired advisor spoke up again.

"Hnn," Abira mumbled then straightened up, "Scina, you have my permission to dispose of the king.  Just don't let his knight find out about this."

"As you wish father," the raven-haired girl replied bowing.  She then turned around and left the room, her footsteps making no sound on the stone floor.  Abira watched her leave then turned to face his council members once again, minus one councilman.

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Merle watched the gray landscape of the desert move by in a fast pace as the Crusade flew towards the capital of Asturia.  She had heard that Hitomi had collapsed from whatever they found at the Wandering Earth.  Suits that girl right, she can't even hold her own after being transported here, Merle sniffed looking up at the stars then back down at the gray ground.  She blinked her eyes as she saw something in the distance.  "What the…" Merle started as she saw the thing in the distance as a person lying flat on the ground, and what seemed to be a Camose near by.  "Sir Allen!"  Merle yelled, "There's something alive down there!  Looks like a person and a Camose!"

"What?" Allen reply came from the cockpit of the ship and Merle grabbed onto the railing she was leaning on for dear life as all power was cut from the ship, instantaneously stopping it.

She squeaked out protest as she felt the air to her lungs knocked out of her as she was pressed against the side of the ship.  "Sir Allen!"  Merle managed to call out, after regaining her breath.

"What is it Merle?" Allen asked approaching her.  Merle pointed down towards the distant figure and saw that Allen narrowed his eyes.

"Get someone down there, I think that person's wounded," Allen ordered and Merle watched as a few people got off the ship and ran towards the person.  She saw Allen lower the ship to the ground and walked towards the interior where the hanger bay for the guymelefs were.

Merle hesitated a bit before heading down towards the hanger bay herself.  When she got there she gasped a bit at what she saw.  It was the same guard that had told her where Lord Van was, but this time he was covered in blood and a large oozing wound penetrated his stomach.

"Kiron, what happened?" she heard Allen ask as he held the guard in his arms.

"S-Sir…A-Allen," she heard the guard speak and Merle slowly approached.

"Who…did this to you?" Merle asked softly, afraid that any sudden movements would hurt her friend.

"L-Lord…C-Ch-Chambers," the guard replied and Merle's eyes widened at the news.  She knew that Chambers would never hurt him like that…but…

"Kiron…why?" Merle asked and could see that the man was going fast with his kind of wound.

"Fanelia…H-He w-wants…to…c-conquer it.  Warn…warn…K-King Van…trap," the guard struggled with his words before he slumped over in Allen's arms, dead.

Merle resisted the urge to scream out loud at the sight of her friend dead.  "No," she whispered hanging her head, "Lord Van…Fanelia."  She glanced back up, tears streaking her face.  She angrily swiped at them and promised not to cry.

"Gaddes," Allen started and Merle could hear his voice was rough with emotion, "I don't like this, but wake Hitomi; we have to warn Van.  And she's the only one that could pinpoint his location."

Merle felt a flare of jealousy that replaced her sorrow as she was reminded of Hitomi's special powers.  I should be the one that could save Van, Merle thought angrily, not Hitomi.  She glanced back at Kiron who was laid gently on the floor; I have to warn Lord Van.

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Hitomi felt groggy as she made her way to the meeting room aboard the Crusade.  She didn't know why she was summoned there, but she had a feeling that it was very important.  She opened the door to the room and came in upon the crew of the Crusade all faces looking grimmer than usual.  She noticed that Merle had a pinched anger look on her face while Allen was more sullen than usual.  "What happened?" Hitomi asked as she stepped in.

"Hitomi, we need your help.  You found Van before with your pendant, now we need your powers again to find him," Allen spoke slowly and Hitomi looked puzzled.

"Is something the matter?  Is Van in trouble?" Hitomi asked fearing the worst for the one she loved and missed.

"He might not be in trouble, but his kingdom will be," Allen said in a cryptic voice then sighed, "we've received news that Fanelia could be conquered and we have to warn Van."

"Fanelia…burned to the ground like it had before," Hitomi whispered glancing down to the floor then back up.  She hardened her eyes and looked straight at Allen, "What is it that you want me to do?" she asked.

"Since the pendant is most likely with Van, you don't have a way of finding him, but if you could concentrate hard enough you might be able to generalize his location," Allen said and Hitomi nodded a bit.  She was a bit surprised that Van had kept the pendant she had given to him, with him.  She almost expected him to leave it underneath something or maybe just keep it in a safe.

"All right I'll try, but I can't have any distractions," Hitomi replied and saw Allen wave his hand to shoo the rest of the crew out, only leaving Gaddes, Merle, him, and her in the room.  It was almost eerie, as if this was a repeat of what had happen three years ago when they tried to find Van, except this time, there was nothing that Hitomi could use to help her.

A few minutes later she found herself seated, the skin-map rolled out in front of her, this time more detail was added to the map.  She breathed in and out, trying to relax herself and closed her eyes as the candles flickered, sending shadows all over the skin-map.  Hitomi retreated to the deep recesses of her mind, concentrating on Van's image, smell, feeling, words, and presence.  She could feel her hands moving to their own accord as they traveled over the map.  There were light spots, dots of happiness in the part that was marked Asturia, but that was also masked in a bit of concern.  She felt fear spike through the region of Fanelia, followed by a wave of greed, lust, and power.

Hitomi tried to stick those awful feelings away from her as she concentrated harder, seeing through her mind's eye as she passed the Wandering Earth.  She shuddered a bit, as the dark presence seemed stronger than before where the Wandering Earth collected.  It was very soon, very soon that those dark things were going to be awake and ready to attack.  No, can't concentrate on that, I have to find Van, Hitomi thought as she brushed the dark presence away from her, and rebuilt the image of Van she had in her mind as she kept her eyes closed.  She burrowed further into her mind and suddenly she snapped her eyes open as she saw something…

Flash!

He was alone in a room, after talking with a knight that seemed to be his aide.  She watched as he stared out of the window, into the stars.  She saw that he held her pendant in his hand, fingering it unconsciously.  She saw him get up and walk out of his room, heading to the gardens.  He sat there, his gaze lost in deep thought.  Suddenly a figure whirled into view and Hitomi saw that the figure was a girl, about her height.  She had long raven black hair that was clipped into a half braid, the wind whipping her hair into her face, giving her a mysterious look.  Hitomi noticed that something was wrong; her eyes were glowing erratically, almost as if they were like a predator hunting…

Flash!

She saw him wrap his hands around the girl, drawing her closer to him as they kissed with passion and almost ferocity.  Hitomi felt her anguish pour out as she saw him like this…she didn't like it at all.  Suddenly there was a gleam and she saw her reach behind her, Van unaware of anything, and drew out a glittering knife, keeping it low.  No!  Van! Hitomi tried to shout as the vision exploded and shattered to a million pieces.

Flash!

Hitomi found herself back in the room where she was looking at the skin-map.  She noticed that Merle had a blank look on her face, while Allen's had worry written all over.  Hitomi glanced down at the map and saw that her hands had stopped moving over the map and they seemed to glow a bit underneath whatever they were on top of.  She lifted them away and saw that it was marked as the region of Perid, near the outlying edges of Asturia's boarders and also of the Wandering Earth.

"Hitomi, are you okay?" Allen's voice penetrated her foggy mind, brining her back to reality.

"He's in Perid," Hitomi whispered as she found that her hands lost their glow and they were shaking uncontrollably.  "He…" Hitomi started when she felt Allen's hands resting on her and looked across the table to see him smile a bit, though it was a sad smile.

"Its okay Hitomi, we're here for you.  Tell us what you saw," Allen prodded gently and Hitomi took a deep breath, forcing her hands to stop shaking.  She still felt slightly embarrassed by Allen's display of affection, but she knew that Allen did not feel any jealousy towards Van, the person she was in love with.

"You seemed pretty scared, care to share?" Merle's voice asked from her side and Hitomi noted that there was an overlaying of contempt hidden in the cat-girl's voice.

Hitomi hesitated and wondered if she should tell them about her vision of Van kissing another girl.  It made her boil on the inside but she also felt scared when that girl lifted a knife and Van wasn't even aware of it.  "I saw Van, in a garden…then something flashed into view and a knife was drawn.  Van wasn't even aware of it," Hitomi started the shut her mouth as she saw that Allen had a grim look on his face.

"You said that he was in Perid right?" Allen asked and Hitomi nodded.  "Damn, this makes things worst.  Astoria was at war with the Peridians a few months after you left, and we're still at war with them, though they haven't attacked recently.  They know the Crusade and they know me, so if we just fly in there, there is a sure chance we'll be taken as prisoners," Allen explained and Hitomi frowned.

"Then how about we just go as ambassadors of peace?" she suggested, and looked at Gaddes who shrugged.

"Yeah, that's a good idea little lady, but I heard that the King of Perid was looking for the girl from the Mystic Moon shortly after you left," Gaddes explained as he detached himself from the wooden post he was leaning against.  "We can't risk this ship or the guymelefs on board, including the boss's Scherazade," he continued and Hitomi frowned.

"Then what do we do?  How can we alert Van?" Hitomi asked looking around.  Her gaze settled on Merle and she thought up of an idea.

"Hey!" Merle cried out, as she grew nervous with Hitomi's thoughtful look on her.

"Merle, how good are you in stealing things and being stealthy?" Hitomi asked the cat-girl who had a suspicious look on her face.

"Never got caught by the palace guards, not even once," Merle declared a proud look on her face.  She snapped up, as the suspicious look returned to her features.

"Oh, I think I know where Hitomi's going with this," Allen interrupted and looked at Merle.  "Merle do you think you could sneak into the palace of Perid and warn Van?  Hitomi would accompany you, since I think she can pinpoint Van's location in the palace," Allen asked gently and Hitomi could see the cat-girl soften up a bit.

"Um…I guess I can, but only if Hitomi stays on the outside, if I have her following me in, then who knows what'll happen if we get caught," Merle agreed and Hitomi nodded.

"Good, then lets head to Perid and get Van," Allen said standing up from his chair, his owl flying from its wooden perch to Allen's shoulder.

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Chapter Five - Impending Danger

Scina brushed her long raven black hair as she sat in front of a mirror.  The torch light in her room flickered as a light breeze blew in from her open windows to her chambers.  She picked up a milky white clip and gathered her hair up in a half braid.  Snapping the white clip against her hair she looked at herself in the mirror.  Her golden-yellow eyes returned her stare and Scina glanced at something on her desk that was next to the mirror.  She picked it up and stuck it in the back of her white dress, hiding it underneath all the folds of the dress.

"Mistress, where are you going?" one of her servants asked as she stood up and walked towards the door.

"I'll be back later, just going to visit someone," Scina replied her husky alto voice echoing throughout her room.  She left, heading down one of the long halls in the palace.  She walked past the gardens when something in the corner of her eye made her stop.  Scina saw the young king of Fanelia sitting on one of the stone benches in the garden, a wistful look on his face as he stared at the stars and the Mystic Moon.  She approached slowly, so not to startle the young man.

"King Van?" Scina asked in a soft voice bringing the king's head around to face her.

"May I ask who are you?" Van replied and Scina noted that he was really well mannered.

She blushed a bit and bowed her head slightly in respect, "Princess Scina Abira."  She raised her eyes and looked at him; she felt drawn to him as if he had some kind of magnet on him.

"Ah, forgive me Princess if I intruded into your garden, I'll leave now," she saw him make a move but raised a hand and stepped forward a bit to stop him.

"No, wait, Your Highness.  You're not intruding, I was wondering why you were out here, that's all," Scina said hastily as she approached him and motioned him to sit down, "you had a wistful look on your face?  Could it be someone you were thinking about?"

"No…" Van replied and Scina heard hesitation in his voice.

"If you want to share with me, then I am willing to listen," Scina pried gently, taking one of his gloved hands into her own.  She was surprised at herself for this sudden gesture and saw in his face that he too was also surprised.  "Oh…um…sorry," Scina said a bit flustered and released his hand.

He shrugged a bit, and turned his face a bit away from her, but she could see that he was blushing.  "I was just thinking about another girl I used to love, but…she…I guess she won't come back," he started hesitantly.

"Oh…how awful.  Did she leave you for another?" Scina asked and suddenly recoiled a bit as he faced her, his eyes blazing with anger.

"How could you say that…" the young king started but Scina saw that he realized he was talking to the Princess of Perid.  "Sorry for my reaction…it’s just that…" he apologized and Scina smiled a bit.

"Its okay Your Highness, I know how you feel," Scina replied then shivered a bit as a cold breeze passed by.  She felt an arm around her and herself being pulled close to a warm body.  Scina looked with surprise at Van who held her close.

"Its chilly out, you should have had a shawl or something," she heard his rumbling baritone voice as she leaned against him.

"I'm perfectly fine with you here," Scina whispered under her breath then glanced at Van, "do you want me to tell you my story…about my only love that went away?"

"Only if you feel up to it," the king replied and Scina sighed, her eyes tracing his jaw line and neck.

"I was around fourteen when I met with this incredibly handsome young man.  He was one of Zaibach's commanders…having this light blue hair that was long to his shoulders.  He was around twenty-four years old and it seemed that many respected him for his tactical genius.  He came to Perid on a usual mission for my father's report on the guymelefs we were constructing for them.  I was against the construction, but my father wanted all that power.  I was playing in the garden when he and my father walked by.  I saw them look at me and heard my father comment that I was headstrong and probably ill willed.  But the Zaibach official knelt down next to me and asked me a few questions.  It was then that I realized that I was in love with him.  I saw him again and again when he came for my father's report, a few months later I found out that he had been reassigned next to Dornkirk himself.  I felt elated for his position, but yet, I could not see him anymore.  When the war was raging on, and near the end of it I heard from some traders that the blue haired man that I had fallen in love with had died during battle.  I was devastated…" Scina said then hesitated a bit.

"But he died in battle like a knight," she heard Van trying to comfort her as tears fell down her eyes.

"I don't really remember his name, but I do remember that there was one word that people usually called him…Strategos…" Scina whispered then felt Van stiffen a bit.  "What?  Is something the matter?" she asked looking at him with worry.

"Nothing…" the king replied and Scina looked at him oddly.  The young king seemed so open yet so reclusive at the same time.

                                    *                      *                      *

Van listened as the Princess told her story…it was in a way like his, except Hitomi came from another world, the Mystic Moon to be precise.  Her arrival to this world was by pure accident, then she suddenly left during the middle of the war, but Van had felt the urge to go and take her back…it was the first time that he realized that he missed her.  She was like a link to him something he could not afford to lose.  But after the war, Hitomi said that she wanted to go back to her world…and just left him, giving him the pendant as a reminder of her.

Now this Princess, she was almost like him in some way.  He stiffened a bit as he heard his deceased brother's assumed last name.  Strategos…my brother met this young Princess? Van wondered as he replied to the Princess's inquiry, "Nothing…"

"I'm sorry for pouring out all this to you…but…" the princess started and Van shook his head slightly.

"No, its okay.  It looks like you've been holding this to your heart for a long time," he said looking down at her.  She looked pretty under the shade of the moonlight, her golden-yellow eyes glowing as if there was a current of power running through her veins.  Her black hair shone a bit, giving her a mysterious look.  Van's eyes traced her oval face, her jaw-line and her soft lips…before his mind even registered what he was doing, Van was kissing the Princess with passion.

He pulled her close as both stood up and felt her response to his kiss.  He closed his eyes savoring her taste…then suddenly felt something in the back of his mind warning him of impending danger.  Suddenly pain flashed in his head and he heard Hitomi's voice cry out in his mind…No! Van!  He snapped his eyes open and pushed away from the Princess violently as he staggered back a bit blinking.  He realized that he was breathing hard for whatever reason he could not understand.

"What?  What's the matter?" Scina's voice penetrated through his hazy mind as he shook his head a bit.  He glanced at her and felt something evil radiating from her.

"Stay away," he said, his own voice sounding harsh to his ears.  That evil was resonating like a pulse of a heartbeat…and it was coming from her direction.

"Your Majesty…perhaps…" Scina started and Van shook his head violently.

"No…I'm…sorry, Princess.  I'll take leave now," Van replied in a most polite manner he could muster up and brushed past her, looking at the ground.  Out of the corner of his eye he could see something-silvery flash in the back of her dress and frowned a bit.  What did she have behind her? Van wondered as he staggered back to his room in the castle.

"I take it you found something…" Gyei's voice said from the shadows of his room as Van closed the door behind him and leaned heavily against it.

Van nodded numbly, trying to calm his breathing.  "Something's not right here…" he whispered as he met Gyei's hard gaze.  Something wasn't right; Van knew that for sure.

                                    *                      *                      *

Scina sat down in one of the many chairs that were in the council room.  All the councilmen had left, adjourning for the night to finish whatever they were going to do, or cook up some scheme to displace her father from the throne.  It was the same thing every night and day.  She angrily pulled the milky white clip from her hair, letting her hair flow freely as she slammed the clip to the table top, making a few guards jump, but it didn't make her father jump.

"I see that you failed," her father's voice said and Scina couldn't hear any emotions in it.  Which meant that either her father was furious, or disappointed…she rather have him furious than disappointed.

"Something was probing us, I felt it…it could be the girl from the Mystic Moon you were babbling about for days after the war.  She might be back in this world.  I felt her probe just before I had the chance to kill King Van," Scina spat out, banging a fist on the table, making some of the silverware and plates jump a bit into the air.

"You would like to vent out your anger," Abira observed carefully and Scina nodded a bit.  She watched as he snapped his fingers and a guard came over…Scina noted that the guard was totally oblivious to what was going to happen next.

Scina stood up, and unzipped her white dress, letting it pool to the ground next to her chair.  She saw some of the guards', stationed around the interior of the council chamber, eyes light up as they saw she was wearing a close fitting blood red-black body suit, her combat outfit.  She walked over to a wall and pulled a sword from its place on the wall.  Scina glanced at the silvery sword and slashed a few times with it, a whirling sound filling the air.  She smiled cruelly as she hefted the sword and walked over to the guard who was also instructed to draw out his sword.

"Let me see how much your skills have improved daughter," Abira said and Scina saluted him with her sword.

She glanced at the lone guard who stood in a battle ready position.  "Did he get any powder?" Scina asked looking at one of the servants who was standing next to her father.

"Yes ma'am…"ki" powder for your opponent this time, Your Highness," the servant replied and Scina nodded curtly.

She turned back to the soldier who looked highly nervous.  "Your name soldier," Scina demanded, twirling her sword around.

"C-Crion…A-Adams," the young man replied nervously, "um, what's that stuff the old hag just put on me?"

"You have the ability to destroy my father once and for all, but you'll have to get through me first, so your move, Crion," Scina said in the deadly quite voice and place her left foot in back of her, her right one lightly in front of her.  She grabbed her sword with two hands and pointed the tip of the sharp sword on the ground, enabling her to make a triangle cut easily if the opponent wasn't too careful.  It was her trademark fighting style; she called it the Anazati Slewing Stance.

"M-Move?" the man replied, and Scina sighed a bit in frustration.

"How about this…" she started then raised her right hand and pointed it palm faced at the soldier.  She smiled as she felt her power transfer to her hand and her eyes glowed.  A small ball of blue-white energy shot out from her palm and towards Crion who had a shocked look on his face.  She huffed a bit and narrowed her eyes in anger, "Put your damn hand up and concentrate on an energy you idiot!"

Scina stepped back a few and pointed her sword in a downward position.  She narrowed her eyes and watched as he moved towards her slowly like a predator hunting its prey.  This guy's good, Scina thought to herself as she brought her sword up again defending an overhead blow.  She grinned a bit then faltered as she realized that she had left her stomach open to attack and stumbled back as the air left her; punched out by the soldier.  She watched the soldier smile a bit and advance.  Scina hefted her sword with one hand and charged, slashing at him.  She watched carefully as he blocked all her blows, and suddenly found a window of opportunity as she locked him in an 'x' grip, her leg wrapped around one of his, ready to dump him to the ground and jab her sword into his throat.  She threw him to the ground and fired a "ki" blast at him, but he rolled away from her trap and Scina gritted her teeth in anger.

"Enough games, this is where I kill you," Scina spat out, advancing on the soldier.  Her hair blew in different directions as her eyes glowed with fierce intensity, almost to the point where they turned a bright white.  She moved quickly ducking under his overhead cut and jabbed her elbow into his stomach, forcing him to back into a wall.  She then brought her free hand up and held his neck against the wall.  Her left knee kicked him in the groin area, making him drop the sword.  She then threw him up into the air and stabbed him in the heart as he dropped to the ground.  Blood gushed from his fatal wound and Scina pulled out her sword and turned away from the lifeless body.  She walked back to the table where her father was sitting, a calm look on his face.

"He almost had you there, daughter," her father spoke up in a grave voice.

"No worry, he wasn't a match for my powers and skills," Scina replied arrogantly then looked up to see two pairs of eyes hidden in the shadows watching her.  Spies, most likely here to warn Van, Scina concluded as she reverted her gaze back to her father.

"There will be another chance to kill the king.  But I have to rest now, tomorrow I'll have to get those wings from that damned abomination," King Abira said and Scina nodded.

"Yes father," she replied standing up and bowed to him.  She then spun around and left the room.  As soon as the door closed behind her she turned her footsteps towards where she had seen those eyes.  Whoever they were, they were going to be in some serious trouble when she found them.

                                    *                      *                      *

Chapter Six- Warnings of Danger

Merle was seriously spooked as she and Hitomi approached the gates to the capital of Perid.  The place looked so dark and creepy this late at night.  She held onto Hitomi's arm in a death grip as the two of them stopped in front of the gates.

"Halt!  Who goes there?" one of the guards standing on the tall sentry tower that over looked the gates called down to them.

"My grandmother and I were out all day picking the wild fruits, we didn't realize the time and just made it back here.  But she along the way hurt her leg.  Please let us in so I can find a doctor for her leg," Merle spoke up in the best pleading voice she could muster up without letting her fear flow through.  She silently jabbed Hitomi who was hidden underneath a cloak and hunched over to speak a little.

"Ohh…my poor aching foot…" Hitomi said in a crackling voice and Merle thought that she was too into the part.

"Well, okay I guess you could come in, but hurry, there's been reports that something's creepy going on," the same guard spoke again and motioned to someone Merle could not see in the shadows.  She grinned slightly as the gates cracked open and she walked in with Hitomi in tow.  Looking around Merle saw that there was a straight path that led to the palace and started to follow when Hitomi spoke up beside her.

"Now dear, remember my house is this way," the old voice Hitomi had tried to put on cracked with force and Merle felt her left arm strongly tugged in the left direction.  She narrowed her eyes at the brown cloak Hitomi was hidden in as they moved to the left and into the shadows.

"What do you think you're doing?  The castle was on a direct path!" Merle hissed to the girl as soon as they were out of the guards' sight and hearing range.

"Merle, the guards were watching us, if you didn’t stick to your part then we would have been caught there.  Now lets go to the castle the long way, we'll try to avoid the guards this way by taking the back streets," Hitomi explained returning to her normal voice and Merle gave her a dark look.

"Fine, Miss I-Know-The-Direction, lead on," Merle snipped at her then grumbled under her breath, "just hope you don't get us caught."  She followed the girl deep into the capital.

                                    *                      *                      *

Hitomi knew that she would have to rely on her own instincts and her special powers to get them to the castle through the back streets of the musty, and mostly dirty capital.  She suspected that the king only lavished in his own goods, not even caring for the citizens of the town; as she saw some of the grungy people walking around searching for scraps of food to eat.  It was like some of the parts of Tokyo she had seen before…but this one seemed worst.

"Miss, food for me?" a voice spoke up beside her and Hitomi looked into a wrinkled, brown spotted face that was only skin and bones.

"Uh…sorry ma'am…I have nothing on me," Hitomi started when the old woman grabbed onto her sleeve and Hitomi shivered a bit as she felt bones instead of life hands on her right wrist.  "Let me go!" Hitomi said more forcefully and shook the old crone off.

"Uh, H-Hitomi," Merle's scared voice said and she turned to what the cat-girl was looking at.  She gasped as she saw more than ten bone-like starving people walking towards them, their hands outstretched as if they wanted to eat them or something.

"Merle," Hitomi said her heart beating very fast with fear.

"Yeah?" Merle's scared voice replied and Hitomi felt her hand grab hers in an effort to calm herself down.

"Run," Hitomi ordered and she forced her legs to move as they were rooted to the ground in fear.  She dragged Merle along until they were a few feet away from the bone-people before the cat-girl found her own legs and ran quickly.  Hitomi ran along side the girl as both plowed their way through the dark streets when suddenly Hitomi skidded to a stop as a looming vine covered wall was before them.

"Um, which way now Hitomi?" Merle asked and Hitomi noted that the cat-girl was slightly out of breath, either from being so scared or they had run so far.

"This looks like the castle wall, window up there!" Hitomi pointed out and looked at Merle who had an even look on her face.

"You can climb right?" Merle asked and Hitomi nodded.  She had a bit of climbing lessons to strengthen her leg muscles during her track and field practices.  They had helped for her long jump and marathon runs.

She put one of her feet into a secure vine holding and hoisted herself up after Merle.  Climbing with ease she reached halfway before she glanced down to see that the street they were on was covered with those bone-people.  "Um, Merle, hurry it up, we might have company," Hitomi hissed at the cat-girl who was climbing in a slow way.

"Yes ma'am," Merle's reply came down and Hitomi couldn't decide whether it was sarcasm or respect; but the cat-girl did climb a little faster.

As soon as Hitomi felt her hand touch the window she breathed a sigh of relief.  The window was medium size in comparison to how many stories they were up from the ground floor.  She climbed in and looked around the room they had climbed into.

"Nice weapons," Merle commented as Hitomi saw many different kinds of swords, bayonets, clubs, axes, guns, and…

"Drag-energists?" Hitomi asked, puzzled as she went over to a pile of purple-pink energists, which were glowing with power, creating a night light of some sort in the room.  She went over and touched one; it felt warm as if it wanted her to hold it…as if it was alive in some way.

"Um…Hitomi…your eyes…" Merle's voice spoke up behind her and Hitomi glanced at a mirror that was next to the drag-energists.  She recoiled as she saw that her eyes were glowing faintly.

"Uh…" Hitomi started taking her hand away from the energist and her eyes returned to their normal color.

"I don't think that was normal…" Merle commented as she looked over Hitomi's shoulder at the energists, which seemed to glow in a happy way.  "I think they like you," she added on.

"Huh?  I thought energists were not alive, just a power source," Hitomi asked looking at the energists.

"Well, um…might as well take one and ask Van or Allen later on," Merle suggested and Hitomi nodded a bit.

"Okay, I guess," she agreed, hesitating a bit.  She took one from the small pile and placed it in a small bag that she had brought along that was hidden underneath her brown cloak.  It glowed a bit, the light shining through her bag, before the light died down.  Looking back at the pile she saw that the other drag-energists also had stopped glowing their purple-pink color.

Suddenly there was a noise coming from outside of the room that sounded like two people fighting with swords and Hitomi saw Merle peek outside.  "Whoa…who's the lady fighting the guard?" Merle said and Hitomi crept out to where Merle was looking from a balcony down to a torch lit room with a long table and one medium aged man sitting on one end of the table, watching a girl with raven black hair fighting a guard.

Hitomi closed her eyes as she saw the girl kill the guard and tried not to throw up at the bloody mess the girl left behind.  She opened her eyes and returned her gaze to the girl and found that she was looking at them, her golden-yellow eyes narrowed with suspicion.  Uh oh…Hitomi thought as she realized that they were spotted, but her fear turned to puzzlement as she saw that the girl did not alert any of the guards, just walk out of the room after talking with the person who was her father.  "Merle, lets go find Van before that girl gets to us.  I got a bad resonating feeling from that girl," Hitomi whispered to Merle who nodded slightly.

Hitomi followed the cat-girl who was using the shadows to her every advantage and Hitomi admired Merle's skills to blend in with the darkness, making her a formidable opponent if she was a soldier.  They walked along the darkened hallways, one torchlight shining the way every twenty steps or so.

"So…who do we have here?" a husky alto voice said from the darkness and Hitomi bit back a gasp as the same girl who killed the guard appeared before them, her sword drawn and glistening in the torch light.  Her eyes showed pure malice and Hitomi could feel evil resonating from her light a heartbeat, almost like what she had felt back at the Wandering Earth.

"Um…" Merle started when there was a heavy footstep that fell behind them.

"Ah, there are those two I ordered to come with me, you two ladies don't know your directions do you," a gruff voice said and Hitomi turned around to see a man dressed in Fanelia armor, his shoulder length brown hair tied behind his head, a half smile pulling along the sides of his squarish jaw.

"Sir von Colewrich, do you know these two?" the girl asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Of course, they were the ones I sent from Fanelia to provide me with the latest information so that King Van can keep to date about his country's business, Princess Scina.  But these two have a habit of taking the shadows and usually end up where they aren't supposed to sometimes.  My apologies," the man called Colewrich said and Hitomi was suddenly grateful of an ally.  She watched as the Princess of Perid walked away, anger evident in her steps.

"Gyei!" Merle cried out as soon as the Princess's steps faded away.  Hitomi watched with a raised eyebrow as the cat-girl launched herself in a big bear hug with the knight.

"Merle, what in blazes are you doing here?  I thought I told no one to tell you where King Van was," the knight said then looked at Hitomi who blushed a bit.  "Who is this young lady?"

"Hitomi, Hitomi Kanazaki, sir," Hitomi said in a formal voice bowing a bit.

"The Hitomi that King Van was talking about ever since the Great War?  The girl from the Mystic Moon?  Then this is no coincidence, you must be here for something important," Gyei concluded and Hitomi noted that this man was a fast thinker.

"Yes sir, something very important that concerns Fanelia and the Wandering Earth," Hitomi stated in a grave voice.

                                    *                      *                      *

Allen watched through binoculars as Hitomi and Merle disappeared into the city of Perid.  The Crusade had settled down in the dense forests near the walled city, undetected by the dark night.

"Boss?  What now?  I mean with Merle and Hitomi in the city, what do we do?" Gaddes spoke up beside him as he set the binoculars down on the wooden railing.

"Waiting would be a long time, since they have to make their way past the sentry guards and actually find Van himself to deliver the message, also who knows if they might be caught," Allen mumbled mostly to himself as he answered Gaddes' question.  He sighed and looked at the stars that were partially hidden by the thick foliage then back at the city.  "If they aren't back by tomorrow dawn, I'll head in with a few others and talk to King Abira.  I'll make it a peace talk so he doesn't get hostile, but if you see any mirror flashing trouble, you'll have to bring the Crusade in.  Hopefully Hitomi and Merle will get the idea," Allen explained looking at the city's faint lights.

"Why do I get the feeling something's gonna go wrong?" Gaddes said and Allen laughed a bit.

"Don't tell me that you're believing those old wives tales again," Allen laughed, grinning at his second-in-command.

"You do ever since Hitomi came and left, you have been listening to them," Gaddes replied in a calm voice and Allen stopped laughing.

"I know…its just that," he hesitated, "I don't really know what I'll do if we have to battle it out with Perid.  I can't risk either Merle or Hitomi."

"Hopefully they'll know what to do if something drastic happens.  They're smart," Gaddes reassured him and Allen nodded absently.  He silently prayed to whatever gods there was to keep everything all right, he did not want to throw anyone back into a war.

                                    *                      *                      *

Van sat on the ledge to his room's window, a long drop to the soft earth below him, but Van wasn't worried.  He could just fly, and not even worry about himself falling.  But he could also be spotted and branded as an abomination.  It’s a twisted history that's got everyone thinking that Draconians are evil, Van thought as he rested his gloved hands on the handle of his sword which was standing up on end.

It was a history that he had lived through, with the Great War just shy of igniting again since Asturia was already at war with the Peridians.  It was pathetic to him that people would still be fighting.  He did not want to involve his country, but if what was true at the Wandering Earth, then he would have to rally up his men again and defend Fanelia from burning again.  He kept staring out into the darkened landscape, not really paying attention to anything until he heard a soft knocking to his door.

"King Van, I brought information you need to know," Gyei's voice spoke up, muffled by the wooden door.

"Come in then," Van sighed, not really wanting to talk to anyone.  Not after his little fiasco with the Princess of Perid.  She had an evil aura around her, making her something dangerous; he had felt that through Hitomi's teachings.  Hitomi, Van shook his head a bit, she wouldn’t be coming back, she was gone from this world, and her only connection was hanging around his neck.

"Lord Van!" Merle's voice echoed throughout the room and Van whipped his head towards the door to see Merle bound through and running up to him, a joyful look on her face.

He caught her in a hug, almost tipping himself over from the ledge as she threw her full weight on him.  "Merle, what are you doing here?" Van asked after releasing Merle who was smiling.

"We went to the Wandering Earth to check out your information, and its true-" Merle started before Van cut her off.

"Who's we?" Van asked, shaking his head a bit as he got off of the ledge.

"Allen, the crew of the Crusade, me, and Hitomi," Merle started and Van stiffened a bit at the mention of Hitomi's name.

"Van…" a voice he thought he'd never hear again spoke up behind Gyei and Van looked up past Merle to see Hitomi, dressed in her school uniform, her hair still short, but a bit longer.  She had grown a bit taller too, Van noticed, and she looked…beautiful? A small voice spoke in the back of his mind.  He clamped down on that part as he took into the fact that Hitomi was here, right now in front of him.

"…Hitomi…" Van started before he found his mouth dry from the lack of moisture.  He couldn't believe it, not one bit at all, she was back…

"I think we better go…" he distantly heard Merle speak up as he kept his gaze on Hitomi who looked equally surprised.  Out of the corner of his eye he saw Merle tiptoe out, dragging Gyei with her and shutting the door behind them.

As soon as the door shut Van turned his gaze away from Hitomi and stared out into the blanket of black night.  He glanced a bit at Hitomi who was staring down at her sneakers.  "I thought you couldn't come back…" Van said softly as he turned back to look at the star-dotted skyline.  He reached into his shirt and pulled out the pink orb that was hanging from his neck and lifted it up to look at it for a moment before putting it back underneath his shirt.

"Me neither…but…I missed you Van…I guess that's why I came back," he heard Hitomi say and Van sighed a bit.  He turned around to face her.

Walking over to her he tipped her chin up from the ground, looking into her bright green eyes.  He could see faint hints of red appear on her cheeks and Van fought a grin from appearing on his face.  She was still the same old Hitomi he knew, but…  Van bent down and kissed her lightly on her lips.  He felt her response and pulled away a few seconds after; looking into her eyes he whispered, "I missed you too Hitomi."

"Van…I-I…" he saw her fumble for words and nodded a bit.

"I also know that you just didn't come back here to see me, something's wrong isn't it, Hitomi?" Van asked as he placed a comforting arm around her.  She felt so fragile and she looked scared for a few moments.  "What's wrong Hitomi?" Van asked searching her scared expression for an answer.

"I-I…I saw you die Van, in another of my visions, I came back to prevent that from happening," she said in a soft voice and Van frowned a bit.  "I didn't want to lose you," Hitomi continued and Van pulled her closer to him, her head resting on his shoulder.

"I won't die if you are with me," Van replied determination etched in his voice.

"There's more Van…Fanelia…Merle told me that your head advisor, Gerowyn Chambers is preparing to take it over in your absence," Hitomi said after a few minutes of silence and Van stiffened a bit.

"Its true Van, we intercepted Kiron Pia after our little side-trip to where the Wandering Earth collects," Merle spoke up from the doorway and Van glanced at her, his eyes narrowed in slightly contained anger.

"Kiron Pia, isn't he one of Allen's men?" Van asked, searching his memory for the bright young man.

"Yes, one of the gate guards.  Chambers injured him fatally and he was only able to deliver the message…" Merle said, trying not to break down as she leaned against the frame of the door.

Van was silent for a few minutes, boiling angry on the inside.  How could Chambers betray him like that?  After he had been his most trusted advisor since he rebuilt Fanelia.  What motives did Chambers have for turning on him and taking over Fanelia?  This is so messed up; Van thought as he clenched a fist then released it.  He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to keep his rising temper down.  "Okay…" Van started before Gyei interrupted him.

"My Lord, King Abira requests your attendance right now," Gyei spoke up, appearing next to Merle and Van raised an eyebrow.

"Now?  At this hour?" Van asked and Gyei nodded.

"All right," Van decided, "Merle…you and Hitomi get back to Allen and tell him that as soon as I'm done with Abira, we'll rendezvous on the outskirts of the Peridian kingdom.  I'll have to tell Abira that something's come up in Fanelia so I can get out."

"King Van, if Abira asks where did you get information, do not tell them about Lady Merle or Lady Hitomi.  I had a bad feeling about the Princess…she made me feel uncomfortable," Gyei interjected and Van nodded sagely.

"There's something wrong with the Princess…she seems to have a more darker persona than most people," Van muttered mostly to himself before looking at Gyei, Merle, and Hitomi.  "Gyei, show them one of the hidden passages out of the castle.  I'll be going to Abira.  Do it quick so he doesn't suspect anything," Van ordered and gave a brief nod to Merle and Hitomi before brushing past Gyei and headed down to the throne room.

                                    *                      *                      *

Chapter Seven - East of Atlantis

A guard met him at the door to the throne room, and Van waited patiently for the king to admit him.  He was slightly confused about why did King Abira called him at this time of the night; any normal Gaian would be asleep, but the King seemed to have suffered insomnia or something of that nature.  Suddenly a piercing wailing sound emerged, muffled by the heavy wooden doors and Van narrowed his eyes.  "What was that?" he asked one of the guards by the door.

"There was a thief whom we caught a few days back.  She seemed to have a unique mark on her…some said that she was Draconian.  King Abira is now paying her back for her robbery," one of the guard snidely replied and Van raised an eyebrow at the guard's comment on the thief being Draconian.

"Weren't all the Draconians killed when they destroyed Atlantis?" Van asked, keeping his voice neutral and cautious.

"Seems this one's been hiding…such a pretty little thing," another guard replied, then shrugged, "I guess the King wouldn't mind if you looked in."  He opened the massive door a crack and Van slipped in.

It was dark around the edges of the throne room, but a bright light shone down in the middle of it, showing Abira and a few of his advisors.  Van held his breath in surprise as he saw a crumpled figure in the middle of the red carpet that led to Abira's chair.  The figure was half-naked and blood ran all over her bare back, signs that she had been tortured.

"Ah, King Van…you came just in time," Abira suddenly spoke up and Van glanced at the King who motioned him forward.  He cautiously stepped from the shadows and towards Abira; something told him that he had to keep his guard up.  Van walked slowly up towards the King, then stopped in front of him at a respectable distance and knelt down.  The girl was a few feet away from him, her ragged breath echoing throughout the room.

"King Abira, you called me for an urgent message?" Van asked, as he shot glances at the girl.  He saw her return his gaze and pain filled her eyes, but underneath that pain he saw that they were warrior's eyes.  She was suffering more than she had too, Van thought, as he felt sorry for her.  Whatever crime this girl committed, it was not worth her having whipped bloodied.

"Yes," Abira's commanding voice brought him back to what the king was saying.  "I've received a courier message from Fanelia.  He says that you are to return to Fanelia immediately because of some foreign affairs of state," Abira said dryly and Van narrowed his eyes suspiciously.  There was something else Abira wasn't telling him, and Van suspected that the middle-aged king knew more than he was giving on.  Does Abira know about Fanelia being taken over? Van wondered as he nodded.

"I am sorry for cutting this visit short.  But--" Van was cut off as Abira shook his head.

"I also called you here because of my decision.  The Peridian kingdom will not help you on this…quest…" Abira spoke, stroking his beard in a calculating way that Van did not like at all.

"…I understand," Van finally replied.  He was confused as to why he felt relieved by Abira's decision not to help him and the Astorians.  He bowed his head again then got up and turned around to walk out of the throne room.

"Wait, King Van," Abira's commanding tone brought him to a halt and he turned back around.

"Yes, Your Highness?" Van asked, puzzled.  He seemed to get more puzzled as things kept happening…something was up, usually he wouldn't be this puzzled and Hitomi's teachings weren't telling him anything.

"King Van…what do you think of this creature here in my throne carpet?" Abira gestured to the girl who was curled up in a fetal position, occasionally moaning in pain from her whip wounds.

"She had a lot of spirit," Van said then added, "What crime did she commit to deserve this punishment?"

"Oh, she did not commit any crime, she is my slave girl…but I can give her to you as a present…" Abira hinted, his voice sly as a fox.

Van shook his head slightly, his coal black hair swishing against his eyes.  "No thank you Your Highness," he replied politely.

"I insist," Abira said more forcefully and Van tilted his head a fraction.  What did Abira have to gain to give her to him?  He didn't want her as a slave girl; she looked too young…plus he wasn't one of those kings that fantasized over perverted dreams and goals to find out how many illegal offspring he could have with slave women.

"Thank you, King Abira," Van replied through clenched teeth.  A guard came over and picked up the girl like a sack of grain and followed Van out of the throne room.  The guard followed Van all the way out to where Gyei was holding their Camose ready.  Van shook his head a no, silencing whatever question Gyei had about their third party member.

The guard left the girl with Gyei who precariously held her against him and both men rode out of Perid.  As soon as Van had left the gates, he felt the darkness that had been nibbling on the edge of his mind wear off.  There was something dangerous in the kingdom and Van had never felt so relieved in his life.

                                    *                      *                      *

Allen ran his blue-eyed gaze through the dark blue night.  He glanced at Hitomi and Merle who were next to him on the bridge of the Crusade.  "You sure that Van will meet us?" Allen asked, trying to see any sign of the young king in the pitch-blackness.

"Of course…Lord Van wouldn't go back on a promise," Merle said indignantly, but Allen could hear an overlaying tone of worry.  That same worry was also on his mind and he suspected that it was especially prominent on Hitomi's mind.

It was about three hours since a knight named Gyei von Colewrich brought Hitomi and Merle to the ship.  Allen had heard a lot about Colewrich and his exploits.  He had heard that Colewrich had defeated many of the wild Abadons that roamed the dark forests near the kingdom of Freid.  Allen smiled faintly, as he thought about the young king of Freid.  Freid was so secluded; no one could get into the mountainous kingdom.  He was glad though, because Prince Chid didn't need to get involved in another war-he was too young to see the horrors yet again.

"Sir!  Two approaching Camose…it’s the King!" Gaddes's voice came from the communication tube that ran throughout the Crusade.

Allen flicked the returning call cap off of the tube and spoke into it, "Gaddes, have them get on board then prep the engine room for fast departure.  I don't want anyone to follow us."

"Roger that sir."

Allen nodded slightly to himself then glanced at Hitomi and Merle, but they weren't on the bridge.  Out of the corner of his eyes, Allen saw the flick of Merle's tail disappearing through the door to the main hall that led to the hanger bay.  He raised an eyebrow at the two girls…they were just so jumpy.  What did really happen while they contacted Van, Allen wondered; usually they weren't so jumpy, with the exception of Merle occasionally.  Something must have happened to keep both of them on this kind of edge.  Allen sighed a bit then followed out the door to see Van, for the first time since the King had come to Astoria to warn them about the Wandering Earth.

                                    *                      *                      *

The scene that greeted Allen's eyes wasn't one of which he had expected.  His eyebrows shot up in surprise as he saw the young king lift himself off of his Camose with such weariness that it made him look like as if he had internal injures of sorts.  What was the real surprise was what Van and his knight had brought on board the Crusade with them.  A young girl, Allen thought as his blue eyes narrowed slightly as he saw that the girl was half-naked, her body mostly covered in a blanket and she looked dazed and half-conscious.

"Van!" Hitomi's worried voice interrupted Allen from his musings and he watched as the girl run up the Van and looked him over, concern in her green eyes.

"Lord Van!" Merle's high voice came from behind him and Allen saw the cat-girl brush past him, flying down the flight of stairs and engulfed Van in a bear hug.  "Lord Gyei!"  Merle said with equal enthusiasm and released Van to hug the knight who had a sort of bewildered look on his face.

"…Merle?" Gyei was saying as Allen proceeded down the stairs and approached Van.  He nodded briefly to the King and noticed that his eyes seemed a bit haunted as if he had some odd encounters of his own since Allen saw him back in Astoria.  "I take it that the Peridians didn't want an alliance," Allen hazard a guess even though he was pretty sure of the answer.

"No," Van replied and Allen could hear relief evident in his voice.  He wrinkled his eyebrows in an attempt to figure out why Van was relieved that the Peridians' answer made him so glad.  Some on the corner of Allen's eyes brought his eyes to look at the Camose, restlessly pawing the metal floor.  Suddenly there was a soft moan coming from one of the Camose and Allen noted that both Gyei and Van perked up as if they remembered something.

He watched as Gyei eased Merle's arms off of him and the knight went over to his Camose and picked the girl off of the animal like a person plucking a feather.  He was about to open his mouth to ask about the girl when Merle's jumped in, her voice in a suspicious tone.

"What is that?" the cat-girl asked, her eyes narrowed and her tail twitching in a hostile manner.  Allen looked around him and saw that the rest of his crew had also come down and all of them looked a bit wary at the girl in Gyei's arms.  Hitomi had a neutral expression on her face, but Allen could tell that she looked slightly hurt.  He returned his gaze back to the young king and waited for an explanation.

                                    *                      *                      *

Van felt Hitomi's arms around his neck and shoulders drop away slowly and he glanced back at her.  She looked hurt and Van couldn't blame her.  But seeing her like that made his heart ache all over his ribcage and he didn't want that hurt look in her eyes.

"Looks like the King picked up a whore after negotiations…" a loud whisper came from one of Allen's crew and Van flinched a little.

"She's not a whore," he said in a low soft voice.  He took a deep breath and released it before looking straight at Hitomi and continued, "Negotiations didn't go as planned and Abira insisted I take her as a gift of some sort.  But she isn't a whore because of her eyes.  Behind her pain…she's a warrior of great caliber."  He turned to face Allen; "She's going to need some medical attention.  Abira was whipping her badly before he stopped and we talked."

Van turned back to Hitomi and saw hints of understanding in her eyes, but he privately made a promise to himself that he would talk to her later when the girl was dealt with.  But right now, he had a lot to tell Allen and the rest.  They would need to be prepared for war if necessary.  "Allen…" Van started before the knight of Cali raised a white-gloved hand telling him to stop.

"We've got a lot to talk about Van.  My men can take care of the girl," Allen said and Van nodded slightly.  He followed Allen up the flight of stairs when he stopped suddenly and glanced back to see Hitomi shaking her head slightly.  Her face said that she wasn't going to go with them…she already knew what Allen was going to talk about and Van had a feeling that she didn't want to be near him at the moment.  He turned back around and followed Allen.

                                    *                      *                      *

Hitomi watched Van leave, Merle scampering behind him as she always did.  She had an inkling on what they were going to talk about, but the urge to go visit that young woman that was semi-conscious was too great.  When Van had said that the girl was a great warrior of caliber, she had a flash of insight from her small psychic powers.  She had seen Atlantis with the winged-people again, then two young girls standing together in the face of Atlantis burning.  One had gray hair with red eyes, while the other had shimmery light blue hair and hauntingly dark blue eyes.  The girl with red eyes had yellow-white wings, while the dark blue-eyed girl had light blue-white wings.

The flash of insight had ended in less than a second and it left her slightly reeling.  "Could she be another survivor of Atlantis?" Hitomi whispered then glanced around and realized that she was the only one left in the hanger bay; all of the other crewmen had gone back to their posts.

Hitomi ran up the flight of stairs and to the bridge.  When she got there she glanced around for Gaddes.  Spotting him, she went up to him and asked, "Gaddes, do you know where the girl was put?"

"Um…lessee…the lower bunk room, two rooms to the right of the briefing room," Gaddes replied and Hitomi nodded a thanks before going down stairs.  She quickly walked towards the girl's room and knocked softly on the door.

"Come in," a scared voice whispered and Hitomi opened the door softly then stepped in, and closed the door behind her.  When she glanced around, she sucked in a breath of surprise.  The whole room was dimly lit, and the girl was sitting on the bunk bed of the room, her knees pulled up to her chest and she looked terrified.

"What's the matter?" Hitomi asked tentatively walking slowly towards the girl.  She stopped as the girl shrank back at her advance.  "Don't worry, I won't hurt you," Hitomi tried to reassure her, "my name is Hitomi Kanazaki.  What's yours?"

"…East…East Rali," the girl whispered hesitantly as Hitomi sat on the edge of her bed.

"Nice name…mind that I turn on the light a bit more?" Hitomi asked and the girl shook her head a no.  Hitomi reached over to a dial and turned it a bit, making the room a bit brighter.  Now she had a real good look at East.  She was a slender girl, very tall to say the least; probably almost as tall as Allen.  She was the young girl from her vision, the one with shimmery light blue hair and dark blue eyes.

"…What…what do you want?" the girl asked hesitantly, shaking a bit in fear.

Hitomi looked at her with sad eyes; the girl was fearful…she had been through so much, Hitomi thought as she shook her head slightly.  "I don't want anything, I just want to get to know you better.  You're among friends now.  Don't worry, we won't hurt you," she said gently as she reached out and took one of East's slender, shaking hands and clasped it between her own.  She looked at East with friendly eyes until she felt the shaking stop, then she released her hand.

East turned away from her and Hitomi stifled a gasp, but none too successfully.  Scars lacerated her back; some darkened to show that they were old whip marks, while others were bright red, recent whip marks.  "What happened to you?" she whispered, horrified at the sight of East's back.

"I was King Abira's personal slave girl…caught by his men a few years back.  Before then I was searching in the woods of every kingdom for my nephew…" she drew in a deep breath then released it.

Hitomi looked at her in wonderment as she spoke.  This girl…woman…she's older than she looks…but how could that be, she couldn't be more than in her early teens, maybe later, Hitomi thought as she nodded slightly for East to continue.

"My older sister told me that her child was all alone in the world, no one left in her family to take care of him.  My sister wanted me to find him, but she didn't tell me specifically where he would be located.  All she said was, 'look for those of the energists,'" East turned back around and stared at Hitomi with her dark blue eyes, "later, I felt my sister died a few days later from grief; I felt it through a psychic link we had with each other."  Hitomi saw that she was hesitating and reached out and touched her shoulder.

"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it," Hitomi gently patted her shoulder.

"No," East's voice broke as she swallowed a couple of times, "Abira's men found me a few weeks after, and they brought me to King Abira-"

"Why did they capture you?"

"Because…I'm…Draconian…"

                                    *                      *                      *

Chapter Eight - The Trap is Set

Merle twitched her tail a bit as Van and Allen spoke, an occasional input from some of the others of the crew who were also in the meeting.  In her opinion, as she watched the two men discuss whatever they were discussing, Van was more cautious than usual and he seemed worried.  Hitomi?  The girl?  Merle wrinkled her nose, her whiskers tickling her eyes.  Gah, this was all boring to her.  Van was recounting his talk with King Abira, old news to her…

"Merle," Allen's voice cut through her thoughts and she blinked a bit, "What's your opinion on Princess Scina Abira?"

She put on her best cat-I-was-paying-attention face and tilted her head slightly as she thought, "Um…she seems kinda cold…didn't really like her at first glance.  Hey, you guys think that the girl could be in league with Scina Abira?"

"Don't know, but I don't think so…" Van shrugged a bit, not really too sure.

"She doesn't look like it, but then again, that little affair with the doppelganger wasn't too good.  We may have to watch the girl carefully," Allen advised and Merle nodded in agreement.  "Speaking of which…my men have placed her in her quarters, do you think we should ask her a few questions now?" Allen suggested and Merle nodded, then glanced at Van who had a frown on his face.

"…I guess," Van replied, his gaze on something faraway.

"Lord Van, what's wrong?" Merle poked at him playfully, trying to get a smile on his face.  She was a bit sick and tired of seeing everyone in a sullen mood and it was high time by her standards that someone cracked a smile.

Van gave a small grin at Merle and she grinned back, delighted that she had succeeded in getting Lord Van out of his mood.  "Nothing, Merle.  Let's go," he replied then got up and followed Allen out of the door and towards where Allen's men had placed the girl in her temporary quarters.

Merle followed along then stopped suddenly as she almost ran into Allen's cloak and growled at him.  "What's the-" she started before Allen's gloved hand clamped over her mouth.

She was about to bite Allen's gloved hand when Hitomi's voice filtered from the room and the girl's hesitant and soft voice replied.  She felt her eyes widened with surprise as she heard Hitomi's question and the girl's soft reply.

"Why did they capture you?"

"Because…I'm…Draconian…"

                                    *                      *                      *

Hitomi turned around suddenly to see Van, Allen, Merle and a few of his men standing in her doorway, all faces mirroring the same thing.  Shock.  Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw East shrink back in fear, drawing a small blanket around her; she was definitely scared.  Hitomi, herself was also surprised at the news, but for some odd reason she expected it from the girl.

"Draconian?!" Merle's voice pitched to a higher octave as she stumbled in, her cat eyes fixing East a neutral look.  Hitomi was glad that Merle didn't start jumping in and around, demanding questions and answers as she was known to do.  She had to admit, Merle had grown-up a lot since she had left Gaia.

"I thought all the Draconians were wiped out," a quiet voice spoke from behind Allen and Hitomi saw Van step in, his face betraying no emotions whatsoever, but Hitomi saw that his eyes held a half suspicious look.  The other half of the gaze was telling her not to say his secret in case East was a spy or something.

"T-Th-They were…but…I survived, and am the last of my warrior race, Lieutenant-Delmi East Rali, a part of the royal family line to the throne of Atlantis…and…to…" she trailed off as she suddenly grew fearful again.  Then without warning she started to look around wildly, blabbering incoherently.

"Beasts, tall ones; armored fighting machines, a fire of some sorts.  A town, engulfed in flames, a beautiful new town; a hand of darkness that extends from-"

Hitomi leapt from the bed as East began to thrash around, tears mingling with her cries.

"What the hell-" Allen muttered, stepping in and trying to make a grab for the girl to restrain her.  Hitomi moved in also to help and managed to grab onto her arm, then suddenly the world disappeared and she saw raging flames burning up a countryside.

There were numerous guymelefs moving about, most of them in formation for an attack.  She saw the Escaflowne, and the Scherazade, brandishing their swords for combat; other guymelefs were behind them, preparing to defend…defend Fanelia.  A man with striking features that looked a lot like the late Folken de Fanel was commanding the enemy guymelefs.  She saw East, diving into a ravine to save someone, her bluish-white wings flared out above her, making her look like and angel.

She snapped out of her vision as Van grabbed her shoulders and was shouting her name frantically.  She forced herself to slow down her frantic breathing as she nodded slightly, "I'm…all right Van."  She avoided his concern gaze as she contemplated on what she saw.  Was the vision something East had seen?  Was East also a psychic like her?

"…Are you sure Hitomi?" Van asked gently, and she glanced up into his eyes; those warm loving red eyes that looked down at her.

"Van…" she hesitated then glanced at Allen who nodded, "I need to talk to you alone."

"Now?" Van asked, not harshly, but Hitomi had a feeling that Van wanted to question East after what just happened.

"Don't worry, Van.  I'll ask…Lieutenant-"

"Just East.  East Rali," East's frightened voice broke through what Allen was about to say.  Hitomi turned her head slightly to see Merle comforting the girl who had subsided into silent tears and occasionally hyper breaths.

She looked back at Van who was nodding an ok.  She felt his arms wrap around her and led her away from her room.  They walked slowly down a few corridors until they arrived at the hanger bay which was empty save for the two Camose that Van and his Knight, Gyei, rode on from Perid.

They stood in silence for a few minutes, Van waiting patiently for what his love was going to say.  Hitomi glanced at the trees and stars that were flying backwards from the Crusade flying at top speed towards Fanelia.  It was so tranquil, so peaceful that for a moment, she didn't believe in her visions, but reality then snapped back as she knew that after a few years of not having visions, and having them now, those visions were real enough that if they continued on their supposed course, it would lead to the ultimate doom for Gaia.

"Van…the Wandering Earth…" Hitomi took a deep breath, trying to suppress the urge to cry her eyes out.  She had to be strong now, she couldn't be the innocent girl she was the first time she came to Gaia.  She knew the consequences of her visions and how she was connected to the fate of the planet through those visions.  "They are the evil source…they…are alive in some way."

"Guymelefs?" Van asked gently, one hand rubbing her back as he tried to comfort her.

Hitomi nodded, unable to speak for a moment.  She took another deep breath then turned to face Van, her eyes trying to hold back the tears.  "I…I…saw you die.  Not once, but twice.  I saw you fighting in Escaflowne, fighting for Fanelia, but the darkness was too much.  I saw two different conquerors, one a female, one a male.  They were trying to overthrow your kingdom."

Then she couldn't hold it any longer.  The anguish, the pain, and the fear for the death of her loved one came out in tears.  She cried into Van's shoulder, the rock of her life, the one that truly understood her.

                                    *                      *                      *

Van felt Hitomi's tears soak through his red shirt, but he didn't care.  He pulled her close to him and held her close.  She was going through a rough time, rougher than what she had been through the first time she was here.  He was slightly unnerved that Hitomi saw his death and the destruction of Fanelia, but he let that pass.  He had to concentrate hard on how to deal with Chambers who had betrayed his trust.  And he had to keep a sharp eye out on Perid because of their unusual actions.  Lastly, he had to watch the Wandering Earth very carefully.

Those dark creatures, no, those dark guymelefs, were the evil source his men had found.  If what Hitomi said was true, Gaia was in deep peril.  Then there was the issue of the Draconian warrior named East.  She was part of the bloodline to the throne of Atlantis, and something else.

"The Peridians are evil," Hitomi's muffled voice said as she sniffled the last of her tears then lifted her head up to look at him.

"I know," Van replied hesitantly, wondering if he should tell how he felt during his time in Perid, "I felt something evil while I was in Perid.  The King didn't have that much of an evil aura around him, but the Princess-"

"She had the raven black hair and golden-eyes; she almost tried to kill you," Hitomi interrupted him softly and he looked down at her, shocked.  "I saw it in a vision, she's probably is the female conqueror of Fanelia."

"Hnn.  Then the other conqueror must be Chambers," Van muttered mostly to himself as he pieced all the information he had together to form an intricate and deadly puzzle.  The Wandering Earth was part of the two conqueror's plans, they obviously knew about it and he was just a pawn in their game.  They wanted to distract him and Chambers had advised him to send Gyei along the outskirts to where the Wandering Earth collected and retrieve information.  Which meant that Perid was in it all along to conquer Fanelia and all the other kingdoms.

"That's why they started the war with Asturia," Allen's low voice brought his head around to see the knight leaning heavily on the leg of his Scherazade.

Van was slightly irritated that Allen had intruded on his private moment with Hitomi, but he also knew that Allen would only intrude if there was something very important.  "It was all a distraction to leave us off guard," he replied then glanced towards where the trees were flying by fast as the Crusade sped along and saw black dots flying at a rapid rate towards them.

"Damn!" Allen cursed then grabbed a communications tube and yelled into it, "Gaddes!  Take us up and get the men to their posts!  The Peridians have sent a task force to eliminate us!  Get an emergency message to Asturia!  Tell them to bring all their Guymelefs to the Wandering Earth and hold there until I give them the word!"

"Roger that boss!  Good luck!" Gaddes' replied and Van saw Allen giving him a look then nodded.

"I'll hold them off.  Can you reactivate Escaflowne?" Allen asked, hints of hope in his voice.

Van shook his head no, "I sent the drag-energist that was part of Escaflowne to be buried in the cliffs near Freid."  He hung his head in shame, "I'm sorry Allen…"

"Wait!  Lord Van!  What about this?" Merle's voice brought his head back up and he saw Merle holding up a pinkish-white drag-energist, glowing with intensive power.

"Hey!  That's the drag-energist I found in the armory at the castle!" Hitomi cried out beside him as Merle gave him the drag-energist.

The energist pulsated with power, glowing as if it recognized him, glowing with happiness at being reunited with its master.  Van felt something familiar about this energist, almost as if it was Escaflowne's drag-energist.  "Could it be…Escaflowne's?" he wondered out loud then glanced back up at Allen with a grim determination.  "Hold them off as long as you can, I'll be back," Van replied then glanced at Hitomi.

"Don't die on me," he whispered to her as he took off his favorite red shirt and handed it to her.

"Van…be careful with Escaflowne," Hitomi replied cautiously before giving him a brief hug then stepped away from him, clutching his shirt to her.

Van nodded then concentrated and felt his wings spring from his back, growing to their full length, sending bits of feathers all over the hanger bay.  He then walked over to the lip of the hanger bay and jumped off, letting his wings do their natural work as he flew off to where he hid his Escaflowne, next to his parents' grave.  His right hand clutched the drag-energist, determination flowed through him.

Hopefully when he got Escaflowne back on its feet again, he would be on time to help Allen out, if time was on his side.  Hold on Allen, Hitomi, I won't fail you, he thought as he flew towards the resting-place of Escaflowne.

                                    *                      *                      *

Allen watched as Van flew off, his wings so brightly white that he thought it would be a beacon in the night.  Then his attention flew back to where the dark enemy guymelefs were rapidly gaining onto the Crusade.  He saw with dismay as two of them peeled off from the group and headed towards where Van flew off.

"No!  Van!" Hitomi cried out and he saw that she was reeling from panic.

"Hitomi!  Merle!  Get to somewhere safe!  We can't do anything about Van, but I'm sure he'll take cover!" Allen shouted at the two of them as he bounded up a flight of stairs to where his Scherazade was waiting, the cockpit open and ready for him.  He hopped in and closed the cockpit around him, the systems of his Scherazade coming to life.

Out of his eyes he saw Hitomi run towards the inner part of the Crusade, dragging Merle along and he sighed with relief.  He didn't have to worry about the two, especially Hitomi since he knew that both of them were smart and could cope with the situation thrown at them.

"Hey boss!" Gaddes' voice filtered into the communication filtering he had on the Scherazade.

"Ready for drop," Allen replied then felt his guymelef move and suddenly he felt light, a pure free-fall to the ground of the cliff.  Well it wasn't going to happen anytime soon, he thought wiry as he activated his newly installed levistone that enabled his guymelef to fly like Zaibach's guymelefs.

Allen soared through the air, past the Crusade and headed towards the enemy guymelefs, which looked to be Zaibach's guymelefs, but he knew that they were Perid's own creations, custom made for the battle against Asturia.

He knew the tricks to the guymelefs Perid had sent out against them, he had fought them before when Perid had come so close to destroying the capital of Astoria.  Allen brought his sword up in a punishing swipe and sliced off the heads of two guymelefs, sending them crashing down into the deep canyon.

Perid's guymelefs weren't incapacitated like Zaibach's guymelefs when in flight, they were just like his Scherazade, deadly and efficient.  Allen glanced behind him to see a few of the Peridian force fly towards the unprotected Crusade and cursed silently to himself.  He turned around and flew at top speed towards the Crusade, coming upon one of the Peridian guymelefs with so much speed that he just didn't cut the head off of the guymelef, he cut right through the guymelef.

Allen landed onto one of the levistones of the Crusade, rocking his ship for a moment then the ship regained its balance.  He cut a wide arc towards one of the guymelefs enticing the enemy guymelef to retreat a few steps.  Allen suddenly lurched forward as he felt the sword of one of the Peridian guymelefs cut into his armor.  Not deep enough to destroy the eternal systems of his Scherazade, but nonetheless he was angry.

He spun around and stabbed at the chest of the enemy guymelef, destroying it completely.  Turning back around, he set a grim smile on his face and waved his sword, telling them to make the first move.  Van, don't take too long, he thought inwardly as he prepared himself for the next wave of guymelefs.

                                    *                      *                      *

Merle could see that Hitomi was worried as they hid out in East's room, the innermost area of the Crusade.  She also knew that Hitomi wanted to be on the bridge where she could see if Van was fighting in his Escaflowne.  But it was herself that convinced Hitomi to stay where it was safe.  "It's for the best, Hitomi.  Van doesn't want to see you hurt or anything," Merle reassured the girl as the three of them sat in silence, hearing the occasional bump or clash of swords as Allen fought their attackers off.

"I know, but I can't get that bad feeling away," Hitomi murmured, drawing her legs up to her chest and resting her chin on her knees.

"Me neither," East added softly and Merle glanced at her.  She had suspicious about the girl, but she felt that East was telling the truth about her lineage.  Did that mean that Van wasn't the only one of his race left?  Were there others also?

"Would you guys stop that, it's giving me the creeps.  I mean both of you have weird abilities and its freaking me out," Merle hissed at them, her fur ruffling a bit.

She watched as both girls said nothing, both of them wallowing in their own past histories or whatever they were thinking of.  Great, they're talkative, Merle thought sarcastically as she sighed then was thrown off the edge of East's bed as the ship rocked to one side then stabled itself.

"What the…" she started and realized that Allen must have landed on one of the levistones of the ship.  But then how…was he in the air all this time? She wrinkled her nose at the thought.  Allen must've done a few improvements to his guymelef in the idle years.

"Lord Van…hurry…" she whispered as she felt the ship shift a bit, throwing a few light things around in the room that wasn't secured to the walls or floor.  "Anymore and I think I'll throw up," she commented as one particular jolt threw her to the ground violently then she rolled underneath the bed.

She grabbed onto to the bedposts from her place underneath the bed to prevent herself from sliding towards the open door, which would promptly send her flying into walls and pipes.  She let loose a small snarl as she dug her hidden claws into the bedpost, then suddenly froze as a liquid metal spear shot up next to her left arm, the force of the metal taking a few bits of her fur along with it as it plowed up through the bed and into the ceiling.

She heard Hitomi and East yelp in surprise then watched as the liquid metal staff retreated, leaving a good size hole that went through the whole ship.  Merle unhooked her claws from the bedpost and crawled back up to the bed where East wasexamining a flesh wound she received on her right arm.  The liquid metal had cut through her black body suit, leaving a red blister that was surrounded by her pale skin.

"How is it?" Hitomi asked, coming over to where East was and lightly touching the wound.

"Not bad," East replied curtly and Merle heard a change in the tone of the girl's voice.  She seemed more militaristic, more precise than the shy, meek girl she had seen.  This was very peculiar, in her opinion.

Merle opened her mouth to say something when a sudden creaking brought their heads around and she felt her mouth drop open as she saw the wall where pipes and a small refresher was bend outward…then the whole thing collapsed on itself and Merle meowed loudly as she saw that the whole wall where the refresher was ripped away leaving the (literally) open air and the swift passing of trees as the Crusade flew on.

Winds blew with great force as she felt herself slipping from the bed, the wind pushing against her, threatening to send her out into the great open where an intense battle was occurring and down into the deep canyon which the Crusade was flying in.  "Ahhh!" she let loose a cat cry as she felt her claws loose their grip on the edge of East's bed and she went flying towards the opening.  She frantically clawed at anything at came her way, trying desperately to find a perch.  Finally she sunk her claws deep into the metal floor of the room, the wooden boards stripped away by the wind, and held on for dear life.

"Merle!" she heard Hitomi's cry and looked up to see her flying towards her, her soft human hands unable to hold anything.  She'll die if I don't do something, Merle realized as she reached out with one hand and caught Hitomi's outstretched arm; the force of her flight swung her behind her and she gave a small whimper of pain as she felt a terrible stretch within her muscles.  She gritted her teeth and hung on for dear life with one of her clawed hands still dug into the metal floor of the Crusade.

"Merle!  Try to drag her in!" East's voice boomed over the howling wind of the battle and the loss of air reduction.

"I can't!" Merle managed to get out through her pain and concentration.  She could see that East had managed to grab onto one of the pipes still intact from the rip.  Looking behind her Merle saw the Scherazade battling furiously with two of the Peridian guymelefs.  They had taken to the air and Merle concluded that one of the guymelefs had taken up Allen's distraction and dealt a blow to the Crusade; straight to the heart of the ship.

"Look!  What's that white object!" East's frantic call alerted her to a distant object that was flying at rapid speed towards them.

"Escaflowne!" Merle cried out with joy as she grinned.  Now that Lord Van was here, everything was going to be okay, she hoped.