Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Beyond the Moon ❯ Slow Advancements ( Chapter 15 )

I am aware that this chapter is shorter than some of the others, but I got to where I wanted to go. I know my language has been changing, but it's all due to reading "Wuthering Heights" by Emile Brontë for school. My trip to Florida was not entirely profitable, but it was a nice break from the bleak, dusty place I live in. I wrote a bit on the beach and a bit on my granpapa's laptop, so it may be a bit choppy. Anyway, enjoy.

Beyond the Moon

Fifteen

The sun had long since sunk behind the tall, overbearing mountains that skirted their route. Van rocked back and forth to the horse's slow, monotonous gait, his head lolling about like a limp doll's. He had no idea how Allen could still be awake and navigating, especially through the warm, sleep-inducing darkness around them. Even now, Van had no idea how the knight had any idea where he was going. He had relayed - well, most, not all - of the information that had been provided to him by his brief interlude with Hitomi.

No matter that it had been only in his mind, the feeling of his arms wrapped protectively around her, the scent of her hair, the sight of her glorious body, were all very real. Allen hadn't believed him at first, until Van decided going into more detail would be the only way to convince him. The knight had stopped him after his first sentence, saying that he had no need for the "gruesome details" and relented that it was the only thing they had to work with.

"How the hell do you know where you're going?" Van asked skeptically, his voice breaking the silence that had been reigning between them for the past few hours. They had turned off the main road when they came across the fallen carriage. Van had not even bothered to dismount, but the road was now clear. He didn't even bother to think about what had happened to the two horses and one coachman.

Allen remained silent for some moments. "My horse," he began, "these are her bar-shoe prints. This is the horse Dilandau stole." Van furrowed his brow.

"Dilandau? Why would he be heading this direction?" he asked. Allen paused again. The knight's reluctance to speak was beginning to aggravate Van.

"I saw the same footprints overlapping past us on the road. Meaning, he rode back in the direction of my estate, then came back before resuming his walk. While you were in la-la land, I also noticed what he was following." Van blinked, then growled and prodded Allen to continue. The knight ignored his insistence, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "I did not recognize the prints, but they were two pairs of feet. Some ways back, they turned into a pair of benza prints."

Van nodded slowly, processing the information. "Back to your house…" he contemplated. "Celena?" Allen let free a confirming nod. "Why would he kidnap her, then go off on some crazy mission like this?" Van was becoming irritated at not being to able to understand the situation like Allen obviously did. The knight was not letting something on, and it was vexing him beyond reason.

"I highly doubt he kidnapped her," he said, his voice becoming lower. "As much of a devil as he is, I believe she came with him voluntarily. She would." Allen's voice had become husky, whether with anger or sadness - or any other emotion, for that matter, since Van had perceived him to be on the verge of bipolarity.

Suddenly, something clicked in Van's head. "There were footprints leading away from the carriage when I woke up, those were what I was following!" he announced, the pieces slowly beginning to fit together. Allen merely nodded, indicating he had made that assumption already. "But why would he be following them? With Celena with him, he surely wouldn't be hunting her to kill her…" Van trailed off, his thoughts once more becoming a jumbled mess.

"That I do not know, but I'm going to follow the mare's tracks for now," Allen replied coolly. Van nodded and sat back, the two slipping into an uneasy, monotonous silence once more.

"When you saw Hitomi," Allen said suddenly, his voice low and bordering on worry. Van's ears immediately perked to attention. "How.. how was she?" Van almost stuttered as a wave of possession overcame him.

He couldn't blame the knight. Van had seen before how in love with Hitomi he was, but had not been confronted with it since the incident at the Schezar estate. The king supposed it was only natural for Allen to worry about her, being that he was going through the whole tiresome charade to find her.

"She was well," Van replied, his voice twittering slightly. "She was beautiful." He regretted the last three words as soon as he uttered them. Allen flinched visibly, but the king was even further surprised, when the horse was halted and a hand landed firmly on his shoulder.

"Van," Allen began, turning back to face the road ahead, the horse remaining still. "You know how I feel about her, but… I've come to realize. She is only really, truly happy when she is with you. I can't compete with that." Van merely stared, a blink bringing him out of his stunned gaze.

Van merely nodded, relaxing tiredly. "On that note, let's rest a bit," Allen said, swiftly changing the subject. At Van's reluctant huff, the knight waved one hand. "For an hour, at most. Just for half an hour of shut eye."

Van sighed, as it was no use arguing, and deep down he really wanted nothing more than to close his tired eyes. He consented, the two climbing off the equally exhausted gray stallion. Tying it loosely to a tree, Allen lay down on the grass, followed by Van some distance away.

"I'll keep watch for the first half hour," Allen called. Van merely nodded, already drifting into sleep. The stars twinkled overhead, the moon casting a warm glow over them. The air was warm, welcoming Van into its embraces as he swiftly found a dreamless sleep.

The rider stopped, staying some good distance away from the two. They had moving for the past eight hours at least, and his horse had forced him into an even trot some time before. The two had been too caught up in something he couldn't see to notice, but either way, he had been decently stealthy. What Munos wanted with the obviously haggard knight and his raven-haired friend, he didn't know.

The rider climbed off his horse, watching the two rest. The shorter, black-haired man, who wore a regal - albeit as haggard looking as he was - coat, had slept first. The knight had kept watch for some time, before falling over in exhaustion. They would be out for some hours yet.

***

I sat in my room, my fingers running the soft, silken material of the quilt about my palm. I had grown tired of waiting, and the watch I relied on for time telling was in my yet-to-be-brought bag. I had attempted to contact Van again, but had found only a sleepy darkness.

I was irritated and excited, the minutes slowly passing as my brain counted off the seconds. At first, I would not have thought the room I resigned in to be so boring; but upon closer examination, there was, in effect, nothing better to do beside ogling myself in the mirror. I must have been some sight to see for Van, if his worldly appearance was any clue as to my own. I sighed, running a hand through my hair.

It was then that I heard the knob of my door slowly being unbolted, the obstacle creaking open to reveal a meek servant woman.

"Excuse my tardiness," she amended, holding out my bag as an offering of recompense. I accepted it willingly, tucking it close to my chest. She bowed slightly. "It is the wish of the master that I get you to bed. He requested your audience tomorrow morning early, and insisted that you dine for breakfast without him and meet him in the garden." I nodded slowly, mentally preparing a list of questions for when I next saw Prince... No, I had to stop calling him that. King Chid.

The servant woman lit two more candles, placing them on small lamp-tables on either side of the bed. She capped the rest of the lights in the room, bowing to me and bidding me goodnight.

The moment my head touched the pillow, I was no longer sleep famished. I tossed and turned, exhaling deeply.

One question still plagued me. In my first stay - and only residence since - in the Duchy of Freid, I had encountered a man who was known as Plaktu. He had hazed me with his hypnotic abilities to gain information from me about Van's, Allen's, and my "treason" of Asturia. The beast I had unconsciously discovered beneath the monk-like exterior had plagued my dreams and nightmares long since.

Zongi had apparently come from the same clan as of the manor in which I resided. Everything about them my subconscious remembered and cataloged: the Hudo clan doppelgangers, or doppelgangers in general, had been described as creatures living only to kill. Many a brother killed one another in war, masquerading in the stolen bodies of others.

It would explain a large lack of males, or population in general, of the immense Hudogar castle. I still could not understand King Chid's presence as the master of the manor either, but his involuntary run-in with Zongi may have been a reasonable explanation.

Then there was the entirely different matter of the pendant and the re-emerging power of Atlantis. Just when I had thought that all these thoughts of fate control and the resurgence of the ancient Draconians had finally come to an end, I was drawn in the fight once more.

I rolled over, burying my face into the pillow and breathing rapidly into the soft silk pillow cover. I clutched the satiny edges in my fingers, squeezing my eyes closed. I pictured my swinging pendant in my mind, hoping against all hope to find a comforting presence in the cloudy darkness of my mind.

It's alright, Hitomi. I'll be there soon. I smiled, opening my eyes as I was held in a pair of strong arms.

You're asleep? I asked, looking up at Van's grinning, unshaven face. He looked like a beast of the forest, and I felt the urge to kiss him almost immediately.

And, since I was not one to deny my urges, I kissed him. He responded in like manner, bringing me back into an embrace.

Yes, and you must be too. I sighed, looking down at my hands.

I must have just dozed off while dowsing for you. I have too much on my mind to stay awake, I replied with a chuckle.

Allen let me fall asleep, the bastard. You won't mind us being a bit late? Van asked, running a hand through my hair. I let the absurd question fall.

Just get here... I'm afraid that I am lost without you, Van, I sighed, leaning my head against his chest.

It was at that moment that I heard the agonizing ringing of the morning bell and my wonderful excursion was shattered.

***

"Dilandau-uuu-uuu.." came a sing-song voice, invading Dilandau's pleasant dreams, which involved spearing Van as a kabob and having a keg party of fresh Gaean vino with his resurrected Dragonslayers.

He mumbled an indecipherable "hnn..", rolling over and pulling his blanket further over him. It didn't budge.

Tugging harder, Dilandau let out an irritated moan, turning back over and finding another warm body. His eyes shot open, his fingers releasing the cloth dress he now realized he had been clutching like a lifeline.

"Does this mean you're awake?" the voice inquired, still merry and bright. Dilandau stared for a moment, absorbing the image before him.

Celena lay on her back, allowing him most of the black Zaibach jacket that he now had childishly pulled halfway over his chest. Whether she was aware or not, the skirt of her dress had bunched up high around her thighs, and her neckline had gotten caught in the warm burst of her cleavage. Dilandau blinked, merely staring at her. Celena's white hair seemed alive with the early morning sun, her bright blue eyes sparkling with good humor.

"I guess," Dilandau muttered, his perturbed voice masking his underlying emotion. Celena seemed no less for it, and merely planted a tiny, chaste kiss on his cheek.

"Good morning, then," she mused, snuggling up to him. Shaken into another shock at her forwardness, Dilandau took a moment to return her affections. He wrapped his arms carefully around her, as if afraid of breaking her fragile form. He was encouraged as Celena burrowed into his embrace, sighing.

"I don't want to get up," she whined, plucking at his coat with one finger. Dilandau remained silent, his brain working overtime to digest the new emotions that had been flooding him as of late. Nothing, it seemed, would deter Celena from her affectionate occupations, and he was glad of it.

"Then don't," Dilandau replied gruffly. She merely giggled, her face brightening as she looked up, touching his face abashedly with one hand. He jerked back at first, but her continued efforts allowed him to relax. He watched her every movement, her grinning face slowly dropping into a thoughtful gaze as she traced the contours of his face. It was then that Dilandau encountered a completely new emotion, different and unlike any he had ever entertained before.

He wondered at what it would be like to awaken every morning to Celena's smiling, radiant face, her pearl white hair, or her sky blue eyes.

Then things would be good and happy, Dilandau mused. When that happened, he would know for sure that he had cracked for real.

"We should be departing presently," Dilandau huffed, sitting up abruptly. Celena did not look flustered at all, but merely smiled and stood up, stretching her arms and letting out a loud yawn.

"Did you save any of that meat from last night?" she inquired, helping him up to his feet without any heed from him. Dilandau glanced at the fire, where a crowd of buzzing, hovering flies had gathered.

"It's rotten by now," he replied with morose, only annoyed at the lack of provisions they would have. Celena merely shrugged.

"I ate so much," she said, patting her belly, "I'll be able to last another week! And I have this feeling we're getting nearer," Celena added. Dilandau raised one eyebrow.

"Nearer to what?" he asked skeptically. She responded quite mysteriously with, "our destination." And that happened to be the end of that conversation.

Finding the horse wandering some fifty yards away from the campsite - the beast had not dared leave the protection still lightly smoldering fire - Dilandau and Celena promptly mounted. They continued skirting the mountains, rising up the hillock that separated them from a clear view of the plateau, an item that may have been remedied by skirting the mountains closer to the roaring falls.

If Dilandau had thought the entire excursion silly and childish before, he had no more doubts. They cleared the final landmark, the horse stopping automatically when they arrived on an immense grass plain. It extended off in every direction facing the ocean, slipping down the hillsides. To the mountainous side, there was a clutter of trees that retreated up the various cliff faces.

The most intriguing sight, of course, was the castle resting at the far side of the plateau. It overlooked everything, but still retained some defense from the small forest and the overshadowing hills.

At first sight of the immense stone structure, Celena let out an excited squeal. Dilandau shot her an irritated but inquiring look, earning himself another rock of the smaller passenger in the saddle. "That's where she is!" Celena cried again, pointing at the castle. The albino raised one eyebrow. "I'm sure of it!"

Deciding against an argument, Dilandau steered the refreshed sorrel to the structure, the two companions retreating across the open grass expanse under the light of the early sun.

***

By the time she had risen from bed and had advanced to rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Hitomi was greeted with a knock at her door. "Your breakfast," came the servant woman's voice. Hitomi let out a little sound of acknowledgment as the door opened.

"I was instructed to bring it straight to you," Zuga continued, slowly pushing Hitomi back to the bed and setting the tray on her lap.

Zuga took the tired silence as a means of escape, and exited with haste. Hitomi poked around the strange food, sleepily plopping one of the bacon-like pieces of cooked meat in her mouth.

It was very, very close to it. The food was salted in the same fashion, but had a much more appealing taste, and seemed less fatty. Hitomi then set about to drinking the fruit juice provided to her, along with the watery-milk like substance in a small pouring jar. She ignored the vegetable items lining the plate, setting the tray on the bed-table.

Zuga did not waste time in returning, taking the tray without question. She also delved into the wardrobe once more, providing Hitomi with a less fancy, shorter, more casual cream-colored gown. Waiting until the servant woman had exited, Hitomi slipped on the dress, twirling about before proceeding to the door.

Opening it and closing it silently behind her, Hitomi walked down the hall, ignoring her hair as she brushed out some of the major knots with one hand. Zuga rushed up to her, making an entire commotion about going out to meet the master in such a fashion, but Hitomi ignored it and interrupted with an inquiry about the location of the garden.

Zuga, with a softer temperament restored, led her down the immense hallway and out the back double doors.

Hitomi blinked, using her hand to shield her sensitive eyes from the bright, early morning light filtering through the overhanging lattices. The forested area of the plain lay within a point blank walking distance, but the expanse was covered by the most immense garden Hitomi had ever laid eyes upon.

Trees rose in every direction, richly ornamented with symbolic birdhouses and hanging flowers. Bushes and shrubs of all kinds lined the various pathways, complete with small, refined grasses and large flower beds of a tropical array of colors.

As Hitomi was bombarded by the image before her, she was caught unaware by a voice behind her. "Joining me so soon," King Chid commented, striding up beside her. Hitomi nodded, turning to face him. She opened her mouth, ready to unleash her first question-

"Later," he said authoritatively. Shocked into submission, Hitomi took a moment to process when Chid extended one elbow out to her.

Tentatively she linked her arm with his, taking the gentlemanly offer as they began a stroll about the garden perimeter.