Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Beyond the Moon ❯ Cliffs of Destiny ( Chapter 22 )

Getting closer by the day...

Beyond the Moon

Twenty-Two

It was middle afternoon when Merle and Gaddess arrived at the front gates of Palas. There were two sentries posted to either side of the gate, but there appeared to be no life anywhere near the city walls beside them.

Gaddess climbed off his horse, giving it to Merle as he walked towards the silent sentries. He raised his eyebrows; they wore green coats and bizarre, out-of-place helmets which covered their eyes. The guards, appearing to have just finished lunch, walked towards him.

One lifted his helmet, and Gaddess raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Kio? What are you doing out here?" he asked, looking at his large-nosed friend. Kio looked at him for a moment, and his normally brown eyes seemed to go blank.

"What is your business?" he asked in a dull monotone. Gaddess took a step back, looking at him in confusion.

"Kio, it's me, Gaddess! What are you doing out posted sentry? Shouldn't you be doing something useful like polishing Scheherezade's sword?" Gaddess asked, chuckling a bit. Rio lifted his spade, jamming the bottom into the ground. Gaddess jumped a bit, and Merle began to look around nervously. Sighing, the teal-haired man looked at the gate.

"Kio, I don't know what your deal is, but we're just here to visit. Come on, I'm your sergeant!" Gaddess reasoned. Kio raised his eyes, and they seemed to focus for a second before going blank once more.

"Open the gates," he said dully, turning back to his station and lowering his helmet. Gaddess looked at Merle for an explanation, but she shrugged her shoulders.

The entire city was eerily quiet; not even a stray animal crossed their path. "Merle," Gaddess asked, having remounted his horse, "do you find this all just a little bit weird?" Merle nodded, putting her long, pink curls behind her refined cat-like ears.

"Something is definitely wrong. Do you remember that carriage we saw on the way?" Gaddess nodded. "Didn't that look a bit like Lord Van's carriage?"

"I wouldn't know. I can't tell one from another," he replied, scratching his stubbly chin. "And I wouldn't know anyway. The thing was completely destroyed," he added.

As they approached the castle, two men in similar green jackets approached them. These men wore no helmets, and took their horses without a word. Merle shot Gaddess a suspicious look as another man approached, this one wearing a long, red coat. Gaddess recognized him instantly, but decided not to say anything if the man didn't notice him first.

"We're here to see King Fanel and the Lady Hitomi," Merle announced, stepping forward. Gaddess hid a prideful smile; she was always the first to speak. The guard huffed.

"They departed three days ago," he replied, glaring at the both of them. Gaddess moved up to stand beside his wife, putting a hand on her shoulder as she was about to respond with her fiery temper.

"I would like to request an audience with King Fassa," Gaddess said. Merle raised an eyebrow at him, and he nodded his head in assurance. The guard, whom Gaddess had identified as the old captain Munos, inspected them both carefully before nodding.

He turned, walking back up the stairs and opening the main castle gates. He ushered them inside, then disappeared to leave the two standing in the middle of the entrance hall.

Another guard - dressed in green - arrived not long after. He motioned for them to follow him, and he turned down the main hall towards the throne room. Merle looked up as Gaddess wound his arm around hers, her face grateful but a little questioning.

"Don't look so nervous," he whispered, "I'm sure that Van is fine. There must be a reason Munos lied." Merle nodded her head reluctantly in response.

The throne room seemed to be much darker than Merle remembered. There were no advisors bustling about or court ladies fanning themselves. All was eerily quiet, and the light sounds of crying could be heard. The wide doors closed with a slam behind them, and Merle felt the sudden urge to bolt. She held fast, her arm tightening around Gaddess'.

"What is so important that you request my presence?" Dryden boomed, drawing their attention to the dark throne sitting on the far end of the immense gallery. Gaddess cleared his throat, but Merle stepped ahead of him.

"Your presence? You make it sound like a privilege!" she responded loudly. Gaddess tried to stop her by placing a hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off and walked closer to where Dryden sat, shadows playing across his dark glasses and hiding his face. "What have you done with them?!" Merle cried.

"I have no idea of what you speak," Dryden replied coolly. Merle fumed, putting her hands on her hips and stalking down the red carpet towards the throne. "And I shall have you removed from my court for such insolence."

Gaddess winced as he saw Merle lose it; he could almost see steam rising from her ears. "What the HELL is wrong with you?! Where is Lord Van?!" she practically screamed, her fists clenched so hard that her knuckles turned white. She snarled through her nose, and her eyes seemed to be turning a blood red.

"Please, Dryden!" a voice said. Dryden flinched suddenly, and from the shadows reigning in the far end of the throne room, Millerna emerged. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her face was red and tear-streaked. Her hair was in a muss, and her lips were puffy.

"Millerna..." Merle mumbled, watching as the queen approached the throne. Dryden's face was at first the way it had been earlier; stone cold and rough. As Millerna approached, his expression changed: his eyes widened, and it looked as if tears were gathering in his eyes. Merle and Gaddess watched in wide-eyed amazement as Millerna suddenly collapsed to her knees, her hand trembling as it reached towards the throne's arm. She placed her hand on top of his, suddenly collapsing.

Gaddess ran forward, when Merle raised her hand to stop him. Giving her a confused - albeit frustrated - look, Merle shook her head. Dryden blinked for some moments, when his chin started trembling. He carefully took her hand in both of his and lifted it, standing up off the throne and moving around to the side where Millerna lay in a heap. He gently hoisted her up, cradling her pale form close to him.

"Please accept my apologies," Dryden muttered quietly. "I... I have not been myself as of late. It seems Millerna has suffered because of it." Taking off his glasses, he held his wife closer and looked at them.

"Where... Where is Lord Van?" Merle asked, her voice strained and nervous. Dryden stared at her, his brown eyes glistening with moistness.

"That I do not know, Lady Narano. The castle has been closed off for the last few days, since I started feeling... ill," he replied calmly. "Please excuse me. You may stay here as long as you like, but I'm relatively sure that King Fanel returned to Fanelia." With that, he stepped down from his elevated throne and crossed the room, disappearing into a back door.

Merle blinked for a moment and turned, exchanging skeptical looks with Gaddess. Just as they approached the gallery gates to leave, they were thrust open.

"Princess Eries?" Gaddess asked in disbelief. The princess smiled at them and nodded. She had long since abandoned her golden earcuffs and veil; she now wore her hair in a much more lady-like fashion, and wore a much less strangling and much more revealing gown.

"I came to see my brother-in-law, but he seems to be absent. I have been traveling abroad for some days," Eries said with a smile. Merle nodded slowly.

"Strange things are happening everywhere," she muttered. "First the entire Schezar household disappears, along with Lord Van and Hitomi. Now Dryden is acting extremely strange, and Millerna looks as if she spent two days locked in a room crying." Eries furrowed her brow.

"What are you talking about?" she asked in confusion. Gaddess sighed.

"We were just going to take some rooms to stay in while we figure that out for ourselves. Care to join us?" he asked. Eries nodded, and the three departed from the immense throne room, heads full of questions.

***

Hitomi clung to Van for dear life as they galloped away from the castle. Chid had ordered that Denongo be taken away; to where, she didn't know. One of the guards outside Hudogar had found Allen's horse, and he now rode beside them. Chid was in possession of two horses, and had provided one to Van and Hitomi. The Duke himself traveled some distance behind them, claiming to be taking in the scenery.

Hitomi had declined when Chid volunteered to inform Dilandau and Celena of their destination so the two might come along. "That would be very dangerous," she had told him, and then refused to comment further. Her last encounter with Dilandau had not been pretty; and he didn't even have a life vendetta against her.

The four companions now traveled across the vast, grassy plain. The sun was already beginning to wane in the sky; it cast amber rays through the jagged cliffs above. The emerald waves of tall, rippling grass seemed to catch on fire in the light, sending foamy flames towards us as we began to ascend. The mountain was high and slick, rearing a minimal number of large sharp rocks and jagged cliffs. The waterfalls hailed a good distance from the castle, but bordered the main hill onto the wide plain at the farthest north end of the peninsula. A wide, grassy slope rose up to their tops; the water that fueled them seemed to pool off invisible rivers and creeks that channeled from mountainous valley lakes.

The horses climbed steadily up the hill, which molded faithfully along the mountain's cliffside. Their previously feverish pace had calmed to a powerful trot, carrying the load of Van and Hitomi closer to their destination. The roar of the waterfalls had sprung on them, now howling in a deafening rush around their ears. As they came closer to the high peak ahead, Hitomi had finally gained the courage to look out over the vast expanse of land below.

The ocean rippled in golden waves, their foamy tips forming amber curls in the steady motion of the sea. Hitomi could see in every direction beside that of the mountains: to the north lay Hudogar and the tip of the peninsula, where the plateau barricaded my view of the beach. Southward, the direction in which they traveled, lay even more vast expanses; grass continued down the peninsula to the mainland, where it disappeared into the forest beyond. From where she was, the Schezar estate did not seem that far off; the small clearing that consisted of the entire fifty-acre residence could be seen in the trees some thirty miles east.

Hitomi reached into her shirt - she had exchanged her gown for it and a pair of riding pants, reminding herself of when she had first seen Millerna - and withdrew the pendant. There was no avoiding it; no matter what it cost her, she would have to make the wish. Hitomi could feel the difference between herself and the person she had been eight years ago. She was not blinded by her shifting feelings for Allen and Van, by her frustrations over the war, or her own internal struggles. She had one goal in mind, and it was to disperse the power of Atlantis and restore Gaea once more.

These thoughts in mind, she shifted her focus to the task at hand. The silent parade had almost reached the peak; sure enough, a large river dripped down the rocky cliffs and into a rivulet. Lush plant life sprouted all about the bubbling creek, which seemed to magnify as it cascaded off the sharp precipice into the pool below. Just opposite where they stood, another waterfall seemed to be a mirror, its own water source trickling off the mountain beside it. The two fell into a shimmering pond, which was surrounded on three sides by its feeder-falls and a cavernous limestone wall. It then turned into a river that Hitomi had not quite noticed before; it seemed to disappear in the grass expanses.

The sky was beginning to darken when the four dismounted. All were silent; Chid, though some ways behind, soon joined their gathering at the cliff edge. Van kept everyone at least ten feet from the thousand foot drop, where numerous nasty, jagged rocks emerged from beneath the roaring water.

It was Hitomi's turn.

***

"Just where are we going?" Celena demanded as Dilandau hastily saddled up their sorrel mare. She had faithfully waited for them when a guard had caught her, bringing her into the indoor stable just in time to be their continuing mount.

"Van's here. I'm going to finally exact my revenge," Dilandau responded in a clenched voice, turning his burning red eyes onto her. Celena shrunk back for a moment, fearing the fire inside him would burn her.

"Why?!" she cried suddenly, springing at him. Before Dilandau could react, she had her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, her face buried in his shoulder. He reluctantly released the horse's rein, putting one arm stonily around Celena. He drew her away, keeping his gaze trained on her. Taking her hand on his, Dilandau ran her trembling fingers along the pink scar on his cheek.

"Because he deserves to die," he said in a deep, husky voice. Celena drew back, watching him with wide, blue eyes. "You'll have to stop being so skittish and weak if you're going to be with me."

Celena stared at him for a moment, before blinking her gaze away. She drew her hands back suddenly, as if he were dirty, and straightened her back. "I'll go with you, then," she announced. She stepped closer, raising her head to look directly into his eyes. "To stop you."

Dilandau let out a chuckle and turned, springing onto the surprised mare. He watched the stony Celena for a moment before offering one hand to her. She stared back at him, and - ignoring his hand completely - grasped the saddle and hauled herself up behind him. Dilandau furrowed his brow for a moment, before roughly turning the horse and walking out of the stable.

By the time the two had crossed the plain, traveling in an uncomfortable silence, the sun had waned considerably. Celena had gradually moved her hands up from holding the back of the saddle to clinging tightly around Dilandau's waist, an action which he had seemed completely oblivious to. The albino was playing agitatedly with his sword, flicking the hilt as he guided the horse towards the base of the mountain.

Celena was torn; she had all but pledged herself eternally to Dilandau, but he now held himself to an old grudge against one of her brother's friends.

"Dilandau," she said quietly, instantly gaining the attention of the driver. "Please don't do it, Dilly." Dilandau let out a snort, dropping his hand from the hilt at his side.

"You can't stop me, Celena." Celena lowered her head, lightly pressing her forehead into his back. He had replaced his clothing, and now wore his heavy black Zaibach jacket.

Celena looked up as she felt Dilandau's hand lightly touch hers around his waist. "It won't be your fault. You can go back now."

"I can't say I won't try to stop you, because I will," Celena replied, "but... I just know that I have to go with you." Dilandau let out a sigh and turned around, sitting backwards on the horse. It didn't seem to mind in the least, coming to a complete stop.

The two light-haired companions locked eyes. Celena tried to prevent the moisture which built in her pale blue orbs, but failed miserably. Dilandau's usually blood-red irises had become a soft, dull maroon, his gaze never once faltering.

Without warning, Dilandau gathered Celena up in his arms. He pressed her closely to his body, clutching the back of her neck in one hand, the other - it seemed to have become his fetish as of late - gathering up the back of her gown and holding it tightly. He breathed in the smell of her hair, of her skin, and anything he could. Celena resisted for a moment in confusion, before relaxing into his embrace.

"Dilandau," she said quietly. Dilandau shook his head, holding her face closer into his chest to silence her. He had never cried; he would never cry. He closed his eyes, leaning his forehead into the top of her head. Van and Allen were traveling together; the albino was very aware of how rusty he was in swordfighting, and would easily be overcome after achieving his means - if he achieved them at all. If Allen had his way, he would kill Dilandau instantly.

No question.

"Celena," he addressed her at last. His voice was low and quiet, nothing near the dangerous tone it had been earlier. "I'm going to try to come back to you." Without warning, he heaved her into his arms and slid off the horse, landing unsteadily. He set the stunned Celena down, and before she could argue, he remounted.

Celena grabbed his foot, tripping as she tried to hold him back. "Dilandau!" Carefully pushing her off, he grabbed the horse's reins forcefully and took off at a gallop.

Celena clenched her hands together, sinking to her knees and watching the sorrel horse disappear in a cloud of dust.

***

I was at my destination. The only problem was... where did I start? I held my pendant in my hand, watching as it glowed a bright red. Allen and Chid stood behind me, watching me intently. Van stood beside me, and just when I felt myself mentally backing down from the challenge, I felt him link his hand with mine.

Fingers intertwined, he gave me an encouraging squeeze. From our high point, the bright, vanishing sun was clearly visible. It glowed a bright orange, trembling and shimmering in its own heat. The immense roar of the falls below me rang in my ears, causing the blood to pound in my head as I raised my pendant.

Without anxiety, I breathed, the glow from the red jewel beginning to grow. Red light began to filter through the spaces between my fingers. With a true heart and purpose. I raised my gaze, where the two moons of Gaea floated above me. The Mystic Moon. Earth. My home. Home... I felt Van's hand squeeze tighter, and a wave of excitement suddenly flowed through my body. My heart began to beat faster, ringing like a drum in my throat. Draconian... Here, with me.

"Atlantis!" I cried suddenly, the pendant becoming a burning coal in my hand. I felt my hair begin to stand on end, goosebumps running down my neck and to my arms and legs. My eyes became cloudy and unfocused, but I still kept my gaze pinned to the hazing sky above me. "I beseech you, Atlantis!"

"Return home!"