Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Beyond the Moon ❯ Reading the Cards ( Chapter 21 )

Getting closer by the day... It's good people like swift updates. ^_^ Just to answer a few questions... Eries will be addressed in the next chapter. I am aware of Denongo's name change: it is intentional. Dengo is his nickname. I know Dilandau is OOC... But think about it. He's had 8 years to do nothing but repent and think... Love changes people. *shrug* I also fixed the Jerin/Jeno error. Chid may seem a bit OOC too, but think Theoden and Wormtongue for this.

Beyond the Moon

Twenty-One

How I had failed to notice Chid's presence, I wasn't sure. He had just walked around the wall from the doorway, and now stood facing us. His arms were crossed, his blonde hair was pushed back in its usual ponytail, and his clear blue eyes were narrowed. I couldn't tell if he was angry, anxious, or just irritated.

Allen and Van stood up in the same moment, hands on their swords. The Duke tapped his foot, completely ignoring them and keeping his gaze fixed on me.

"It's wonderful you have guests, Hitomi," he said blandly, never leaving my stunned face for a moment. "But don't you think it's a little inappropriate to be in the company of two men without supervision?"

At this, I sprung to my feet. How dare he! "What exactly do you have against Van and Allen?" I replied ferociously, earning shocked looks from all three men in the room. "Maybe I wouldn't have to sneak them around if you weren't being so dictatorial! I can associate with whom I wish!" I declared. I glared at Chid, daring him to object.

"My motives are my own," he replied calmly, never leaving my gaze for a moment. Abruptly, he turned away from me and focused on the two other occupants of the room. "And you, trespassers. Anything to say for yourselves?" he snarled, reaching for a sword I had not previously seen. I assumed that he had heard us talking and came prepared. Allen remained silent, while I could almost hear Van growling in his throat.

"Just why are you keeping Hitomi here? You're going to deny her from seeing her friends?" Allen demanded, glaring, keeping one hand on his hilt. Chid stared back, an anger I had never seen before building in his eyes.

"And just who are you to order me around?!" he countered. If only he knew, I thought. Allen relaxed suddenly, releasing the sheath at his side.

"Do you really want to know?" the knight replied, his blue eyes burning with... I furrowed my brow. It couldn't be. He looked almost vengeful.

Chid trembled for a moment. He was still only a teenager; no matter how grown up he was or appeared to be, he was still much younger than the man he was currently the opponent of. Taking the bait, Chid straightened up. "You are more than you say, knight of Caeli?"

"Don't do it, Allen!" I interrupted suddenly. "It would only hurt him!" Allen watched me for a moment, then shook his head.

"I should have done it a long time ago," he replied calmly, looking back at the now confused-looking Duke.

"Just what are you talking about?!" he demanded, giving us both glares. I saw the uneasiness in his eyes, and begrudgingly sat back down. Van watched the whole exchange with interest, but now carried much less animosity.

"Chid, you aren't the late Duke's real son," Allen said, sounding fully at ease. Chid furrowed his brow, before objecting vehemently. The knight raised one hand to silence him. "Do you know why your mother spoke so fondly of me?"

Chid raised his eyebrows in surprise. "She always said you were a hero," he replied. Allen nodded slowly.

"She would. When she lived in Asturia, she and I were very much in love," the knight said, relaxing visibly. "You are the result of that love." Sitting back suddenly in his chair, Allen looked as if he had just lifted an immense weight from his shoulders.

The Duke merely stood frozen in shock, his eyes plastered to the knight sitting in front of him. He grabbed his sword suddenly, and in a lightning-fast movement, had its blade pressed against the knight's throat. I jumped to my feet, when I felt Van's hand on my shoulder. I looked over at him, and he merely shook his head. They would have to work it out themselves.

"You're lying, knight," Chid spat, turning on his heel. "I should charge you all for trespassing, or even treason for saying such a thing about my father, but this isn't Freid. We will have a proper audience," he said with authority, turning back towards the door. He turned his eyes on me. "I'm ashamed of you, Hitomi."

With that, he left the room. I slowly sat back in my chair, watching Allen. He had his eyes closed and his head was bent, his hands on his face. I let out a sigh, looking hopelessly at Van. He reached over, lightly placing his hand on mine.

"It'll be all right," he assured me. I looked up, beholding his deep, chocolate eyes with fervor for the first time in two days. I put both my hands over his, nodding slowly.

"He's believed that Mahad dal Freid is his father for the past eighteen years. You can't expect him to embrace you," I said quietly, addressing Allen. The knight merely nodded mutely, keeping his head down. I stood up, Van doing the same beside me. "He'll be expecting us in the dining hall. If we want to get through this, we're going to have to talk to him. We don't have much time," I said. "We can't let the power spread any further. I... I am going to do a reading."

Allen raised his gaze to mine, sighing. He nodded reluctantly and got up, moving towards the door. With a kiss on the cheek, I released Van's hands and picked my duffel bag up off the floor beside my bed. Ruffling through its contents, I withdrew my rubberband-bound cards and followed the retreating knight.

"He hasn't done anything to you, has he, Hitomi?" Van asked, coming up beside me as we left the room. I shook my head.

"He has been very hospitable, both to me and to... his other visitors," I replied, smiling at him weakly. Van sighed, stopping me by putting both hands on my shoulders. Allen stopped ahead on the balcony, looking down the wide stairs below.

I looked up at Van, sighing. "I know you trust him, Hitomi, but it's been eight long years," he pointed out. I nodded slowly.

"I know, Van. He's a good man, but he has doubts about something," I replied. Van touched my cheek with one hand, his eyes softening as he looked at me. He leaned down; I stood up on my toes, closing my eyes to welcome his lips...

"Come on, lovebirds," Allen said lowly, watching us with distaste. I blushed a bright red, and Van reluctantly pulled away. We continued on down the stairs so I could lead them to the dining hall.

When we arrived, the room looked the same as it had an hour or so before during lunch. Chid sat at the head of the table, arms crossed, face impassive. I sat on the far end of the table; Allen took the seat at the other far end of the table, immediately locking eyes with... his son. It was a strange thought, but I had long come to realize that the truth was often painful.

"Duke Chid, I present to you Allen Schezar, Knight of Caeli," I indicated to Allen, keeping my formalities, "and Van Fanel, King of Fanelia." Chid let out a snort of distaste, still watching me. I sat down beside Allen, and Van took his seat across from me.

"Before you say anything," I interposed suddenly, "I have some news for you." Chid raised his eyebrows, still looking scornfully at Allen. The knight remained calm and composed, while I could see Van carefully analyzing the situation out of the corner of my eye.

I continued, not receiving a response from the man I addressed. "I... I had a vision," I began, setting my tarot cards on the table. "It was my anxiety that brought this about." Chid's eyes widened considerably.

Before I could go on, the door opened suddenly. I looked up and instantly recognized Denongo. He bowed. "Excuse my lateness, milord," the doppelganger amended, taking a seat at the middle of the table. Allen and Van instantly fixed suspicious gazes on the newcomer, until I kicked them both in the shins. They immediately scowled at me.

"Denongo, I was just explaining the situation to the Duke," I said. Then the doppelganger did something I didn't expect; he glared vehemently at all three of us. He looked over at Chid.

"Just what are they doing here? What have you told them?" he demanded with annoyance. Chid, despite his anger towards us, looked at the doppelganger in surprise.

"Sir Denongo, please calm down. They are guests here," the Duke replied evenly. Denongo hissed, putting his hands on the table.

"Milord, may I please speak to you privately?" he requested, barely restraining his anger. I carefully noted Allen's grip on his sword.

"I am in the middle of an audience," Chid replied, watching the doppelganger calmly. Denongo - for I decided he wasn't worthy of the shorter nickname Dengo - sat back in his chair, turning his angry gaze on the three of us. He looked fit to kill. So much had my attitude towards him changed in the past few seconds, that I, with barely hidden contempt, smiled at him. The doppelganger looked shocked for a second, before scowling specifically at me even worse than before.

"As you were saying," the Duke prodded, looking back at me. He no longer looked so angry, but still seemed relatively sour. I nodded.

"When I was on Earth, I began to miss Gaea. I did not have the pendant, which before had allowed me to travel freely, nor any kind of Drag-energist in which to transport myself here with. I was informed - by this vision - that the power of Atlantis had reawakened itself for the purpose of transporting me here." Denongo stared at me, now open-mouthed, then stood up suddenly.

"What lies! This measly human woman thinks she is that omnipotent?!" he demanded loudly, glaring at me quite openly. Refusing to rise to his bait, I merely watched Chid for a response.

Much to my surprise, the Duke jumped to his feet as well. "You will speak to her with respect! Sit down and keep proper audience, Lord Denongo!" he boomed. I stared at him in surprise. Never before had I heard his voice that way; he sounded... like the late Duke. Chid watched condescendingly as Denongo reluctantly took his seat, still glaring heatedly at me.

"What did you glean from this... vision?" Chid asked, taking his seat and recomposing himself. I blinked for a moment before I realized I was supposed to respond.

"I believe that when I unconsciously summoned the power of Atlantis, it had no outlet for which to harness itself, and is thus spreading with a greatly negative effect," I replied, surprising myself with the wisdom and intelligence that my words carried. The Duke nodded slowly, his animosity at me completely dissipated in his blue eyes. I sighed inwardly in relief, but he still carried fire at the two obviously unwelcome visitors. I saw Van shift uncomfortably in his seat.

"I brought my tarot cards," I continued. "I wish to do a reading free of anxiety. I believe that, if my heart is doing the real thinking, that I can make a wish great enough and pure enough to push back the power of Atlantis permanently." Chid watched me, assessing the power of my statement. Looking at the cards sitting on the table before me, he nodded.

"This is witchcraft!" Denongo announced, standing up again.

"Leave." The doppelganger raised his eyebrows in surprise, looking at where the Duke sat. Just as he opened his mouth to object, Chid raised his hand without even glancing up. "Either you sit and conference politely, or you leave my presence." Growling, Denongo took his seat. I felt his cold glare on me, but I chose to ignore it.

Taking out my cards, I shuffled them briefly. They felt strange in my hands; they felt warm, and a few of the cards which briefly touched my hands seemed to burn. Instead of wondering, I began my reading.

Drawing the first card, I set it at the beginning of my pattern. The world card. "Il Monde," I said, indicating to the card, "the world." I set out my next card, the Warrior of Serpents. I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "Perception." Moving on in my pattern, I set down the next card. "The Ace of Birds; life, air," I said, looking at the set so far.

I felt all the eyes in the room trained on me, and I could almost sense the varying positive and negative feelings directed towards me. There were more positive thoughts than negative, and I felt encouraged to continue. I raised my eyebrows as I set down the next card. "The Devil," I read off. Guardian? I furrowed my brow as I set down my fifth card. "La Ambizione. Ambition." I sat back, inspecting the array.

"I will need support in my endeavor," I said, reading off the guardian and ambition combination. "I will need understanding and room to breathe. What I do will concern everyone and everything on Gaea." I raised my eyes, watching the faces around me. Van looked deep in concentration, contemplating my words. Allen seemed distant, looking between Chid and I. The Duke was nodding slowly, while Denongo had disappeared into the overhang of his hood.

I examined the five-card pattern before continuing. "The three of Serpents. There is tension building," I noted. I changed the pattern, moving from myself to the event I was now dealing with. I drew the next card. "Il Papa: innocence." I raised one eyebrow. Purity. Next, I drew Il Pazzo. "The fool," I said, laying the card beside the Three of Serpents. "Misjudgment and instability," I interpreted, drawing the next card: La Forza, followed by its twin couplet card, La Luna. "Strength, moon." I raised my eyes from the table, where my pattern now lay complete.

"Faith," I said quietly. "Have faith in events to follow; do not be hasty. We all must come to understand one another, and not be quick to judge. There is impurity among us." I looked around the room. Allen was performing a similar action, while Van kept his eyes on me. My eyes landed on Denongo, and I looked back down at the cards.

"Hitomi, what exactly does all of this mean?" Chid asked, breaking the silence. I let out a sigh. I wasn't sure, but I had to answer.

"The cards tell me I have to be pure in thought; I cannot stray or be distracted. I'm going to need help; everyone's help. I cannot be suffocated; I have to be free to do what I must. The power of Atlantis is as it has always been... A natural force, a force which does not exist with reason, because it is only a thing. It was a powerful weapon that was put in the wrong hands," I said, watching the Duke with unwavering eyes. I knew now; the cards were trying to send him a message. He was corrupted, and by whom, I now had some idea.

Denongo stood up abruptly, glaring at me. "That's foolish! That could apply to anything!" he shouted, on the verge of ripping off his hood. Allen leaped to his feet, one hand on his sword, the other on his belt.

"Many a time have we relied on Hitomi and her cards, and they have never led us astray. I suggest you sit down and make use of what information we can get," the knight snarled, trying with admirable restraint to not lash out at the doppelganger with means besides his words. The Duke nodded slowly in response.

"Hitomi, I pledged my aid and hospitality to you eight years ago; I do so again, and in the same spirit," Chid announced. Denongo sat down dejectedly, crossing his arms and huffing. I smiled at him, gathering up my cards and binding them.

"I feel sure of my decisions, and the cards have been positive in fortune-telling," I said. "Believing is all we can do."

"You're going to entrust everything to a hocus-pocus fortune and some witch from the Mystic Moon?!" Denongo demanded, rising to his feet once more. Chid slowly turned to him.

"My Lord Denongo, leave my kingdom." The doppelganger blinked. "You have been corrupted. You are the impurity; you have been feeding me lies," the Duke told him evenly. Denongo stared at him in disbelief, before springing into a rage.

"Never have I done such a thing! I have been loyal to you!" he shouted, throwing off his hood. "Always have I been here as your advisor, Duke Chid!" The Duke shook his head, and smiled lightly.

"All those years ago, I trusted these people with my kingdom. You, Allen Schezar: I cannot say I can accept you as more than a trusted knight. King Fanel, you and Hitomi fulfilled your promise all those years ago. I again trust you, but with two kingdoms," he announced, rising to his feet. Denongo stuttered, but was silenced by Chid's harsh glare. "Leave my kingdom. You are a disgrace, as much of one, if not more, than Zongi ever was. You have deceived me." Denongo hissed.

And suddenly, he sprang. The doppelganger launched himself at Chid, mouth open wide.

Just as quickly, he fell to the ground unconscious. I stared, looking for the culprit. Allen stood a foot away, sword hilt aimed out. He had slammed the creature in the head, rendering it harmless on the ground. The Duke stood up, unfazed.

"And now I owe you my life," he said, extending his hand. Allen took the peace offering, shaking it.

"It is my duty as a knight," he replied, nodding respectfully. As much as I enjoyed the reconciliation, I felt a sudden urge pounding in me.

"We have to get moving," I said. All three men raised their eyebrows at me.

"...moving? But we just got here," Van noted, scratching his head. I nodded; I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but I knew I had to do something. I had to get out of the castle.

"I have to make my wish," I replied. "Last time I was here, I didn't know I was wishing. But now, now... I know. I can almost feel the presence of Atlantis: it's becoming stronger. I can wish without fear." Van nodded. Chid stood up.

"I shall escort you wherever you wish to go," he announced. I smiled at him.

"When I came here, we passed a grove of waterfalls. I would like to go there."

***

"What's all that commotion?" Celena wondered aloud, putting her ear to the door. Dilandau sat on the bed, his sword on his lap. He was shirtless, using the missing garment to shine his blade. He glanced up, shrugging his shoulders.

"I don't know. Sounds like shouting," he noted. Celena raised her eyebrows.

"You can hear that?" Dilandau nodded. He stood up, coming up behind her and carefully wrapping his arms around her waist. Celena let out a small giggle, thoroughly enjoying his gentle boldness. This was the side of Dilandau she liked so much, the side she wanted to be with her forever. She let her body lean against his, and she let out another giggle as he sniffed her hair.

Suddenly, they heard another shout, followed by more. "It sounds like they're arguing," Dilandau commented. "Fools."

"Who's arguing?" Celena asked. Dilandau shrugged, then paused to listen.

"Sounds like three men," he replied. "Why worry about it?" Before Celena could respond, he had hoisted her up in his arms and now paraded towards the bed. She let out a laugh, kissing him. Dilandau sputtered. "Don't get mushy on me," he groaned as he set her down on the pillows.

Another shout lifted Dilandau from his occupation. Spouting off a string of curses, he walked back to the door and flung it open, stepping into the hallway.

"Servant woman!" he hollered. Zuga looked up from the polishing she was doing on the handrail. "What is that damn sound?"

"The Duke is having a conference with Lady Hitomi and two young men," she replied calmly. Dilandau's eyes widened.

"Two young men...?"

"Yes. They appear to be friends of Lady Hitomi's. One was a very handsome man... a blonde knight. The other seemed more angry... he had black hair and looked like a ruffian," she described, going back to her work. Zuga barely lifted her eyes as the door slammed.

"Get up, Celena," Dilandau commanded. The woman in question sat up, giving him a questioning look. "I'm going dragon hunting."