Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Dragon's Future ❯ Failed Magic ( Chapter 7 )

Happy New Year everyone!

o-o-o-o-o

Chapter 6: Failed Magic

Merle blamed Hitomi for Darvi's disappearance.  "He went to look for your wretched brat!" she yowled.

"Don't worry, Merle," Hitomi tried to placate her.  "Darvi can take care of himself.  He'll be all right."

"What if he runs into another dragon?" Merle's ears flattened.  "What about wild animals?"

Hitomi knew Merle was just worried.  Darvi was more than a match for anything he was likely to meet in the woods.  "I can look for him with my pendant, Merle."

"What if it doesn't work?  What if you can't find him like you couldn't find Yukari?"  Merle's tail lashed back and forth.

"He doesn't have the drag-energist," Hitomi said.  She put a comforting hand on Merle's arm.  "Let's go to Van's study.  We can at least try."

Merle nodded, but she still looked unhappy.  "All right."

The map Hitomi had used before was still lying unrolled on the desk.  She sat down in front of it and lifted the pendant off over her head.  Giving Merle an encouraging nod, she dangled the pendant over the map and closed her eyes.  She pictured Darvi in her mind.  He nearly had his adult height, but his slender, sinewy build still showed his youth.  She envisioned the silky mane of his auburn hair hanging loose down his back, the black tufts of fur at the tip of his tail and the tops of his ears, the dark stripes that were forming in the fur on either side of his face as he matured.  Darvi was an attractive boy and he was growing into a handsome young man.  She could see his self-confident stance and impish smile as he let Yukari lead him into yet another misadventure.  They had always been close, those two.  Even before Yukari was born, Darvi's purring voice had been the only thing that could make the restless Yukari sit still in Hitomi's womb.

Their closeness did cause Hitomi some concern, but for the moment, she put it aside and focused on her desire to know where Darvi was.  As she moved the pendant over the map, odd images popped into her head: small animals rustling under bushes; birds singing overhead.  But when she held the pendant briefly over a spot far to the south, a full vision possessed her.

Hitomi saw Darvi standing on the sandy floor of a stone-walled arena.  As she watched in horror, a dog-man leaped into the arena to attack him.  A brief but terrible fight ensued and she cried out involuntarily.

"What?! What is it?" Merle cried.

Hitomi couldn't answer.  She shuddered at the horrible sight as Darvi rose, alive but drenched in blood, to stand over his dying opponent.  Hitomi could hear the cheers of the people watching and she wanted to weep.

Merle gripped her shoulders and shook her until she broke free of the vision.  "What's happening, Hitomi?  What did you see?"

"He's alive," Hitomi gasped out, "but he's in danger."  She clutched Merle's hand.  "We must get word to Van.  Darvi needs him!"

"I'll go," Merle exclaimed at once.  "I can track him."

Hitomi grabbed her arm before Merle could dart away.  "Get Van!  Don't go after Darvi!  We need Escaflowne!"

Merle stared at her for a moment and then nodded once, sharply.  Hitomi released her and she dashed out the door.  Hitomi sank back in the chair, clutching the pendant in both hands.  If Darvi had been captured by these terrible people while tracking Yukari, what about Yukari herself?  Was she also being held by these bloodthirsty people?

- - - - - - - -

Van was frustrated and angry.  They had searched the forests around Fanelia for three days without success.  They had not even found any signs that they were looking in the right direction.  How far had Yukari flown?  He had obviously underestimated her.  He alternated between being furious with her for putting them through all this, and being frightened that they would not find her.  He sat on his horse in an open meadow, studying his map, trying to decide where to go next.  He'd received reports from the other parties about their progress, or lack of it, and they were waiting for further guidance.

"King Van, look!  Merle is approaching."

Van looked up, shielding his eyes against the setting sun, to see Merle bounding toward them through a gap in the trees.

"King Van!" she shouted as soon as she was close enough.  "King Van, we need you!"  She raced right up to his horse and grabbed his knee.  "Darvi's in trouble!  He went to look for Yukari and Hitomi says he's in danger!"

"She had a vision?"

"Yes!"

Van thrust the map in front of her face.  "Where?"

"It was here," she pointed at a spot on the map, "but Hitomi says you need Escaflowne."  Merle tugged at his bridle.  "You gotta come talk to her!"

Without a word, Van reached down and hauled her up behind him.  Riding hard, it would still take them till dawn to get back to Fanelia.  "How long ago?"  he asked as he studied the map again.

"Yesterday morning.  I ran all day and all night and all day again to reach you."

"Good girl, Merle."  Van leaned over to show the spot she'd indicated to Sesston.  "Isn't there a village near there?"

"Yes, sire.  Wild men control that whole area."

"That's what I thought."  He frowned.  "Send riders to take word to the rest of the samurai to meet us here."  He pointed at a spot just north of the village.  "I'll ride back to Fanelia with Merle and get Escaflowne.  What really worries me is if Darvi is there, Yukari must be there, too."

"Could she really have gotten that far south that quickly?"

"Apparently so."  Van folded the map and tucked it into the saddlebag.  "We'd better get moving.  I'll meet you at the rendezvous by noon tomorrow.  We'll take as many men with us as can make it there by then."

"Very well, sire." 

Sesston started issuing orders as Van turned his horse and kicked it to a gallop, heading back toward Fanelia.  He was not surprised when three samurai came after him as an escort.  Sesston never took chances, if he could help it.

"Do you think we'll be in time?" Merle asked.  Her voice sounded small and frightened.

"Have I ever let you down Merle?"  Van tried to sound confident, to cover his own fear.  He didn't want to think about losing either child, much less both.

- - - - - - - -

The man with the voice like a snake was named Surk.  The woman elder was called Shanar.  Yukari did not know if the chieftain had a name, because no one addressed him as anything other than 'honored chieftain'.  Yukari herself addressed everyone as Sir or Madam, depending on their sex, and no one seemed to mind that.  Fortunately, she was not often called upon to address anyone.  Her part in whatever ceremony they had planned apparently did not call for any practice on her part, because they left her sitting to one side, more or less ignored, while workmen constructed an elaborate wooden stage to support a large stone statue. 

Since she had nothing else to do, Yukari studied the statue, which rested not too far from her while it waited for the stage to be completed.  She could not figure out what it was supposed to be.  It looked like two or three different creatures merged together into an uneasy whole.  The most recognizable part was the eagle head at the top.  Beneath that was what looked like a bear's body, with possibly the legs of a ram on the bottom.  But she wasn't sure. 

Surk had fetched her from her hut shortly after midday to bring her back to the center of the village, where the stage was being built.  Yukari had desperately wanted to ask him what was going on.  She'd heard cheering earlier that day and wondered what was happening.  But she was afraid to talk to him.  And he didn't seem particularly interested in talking to her.  He had said only for her to bring the power stone with her.  So now she sat cross-legged on the ground with the drag-energist resting in her lap, watching the workmen finish up.

After the stage was completed, several men carefully lifted the statue and moved it onto the stage under Shanar's stern direction.  When it was positioned to her satisfaction, she gestured for Yukari to join her on the stage. 

"This is the representation of our patron spirit," she intoned.  "But for the last eighty years, it has also been its prison."  She looked sharply at Yukari.  "Your power stone will enable us to free the Horval so we may invoke it to protect our village and help us prosper."

Yukari blinked uncertainly at the ugly statue.  She strongly doubted that any kind of good spirit would be represented by such a hideous apparition.  "I don't know how to do that, madam."

"I will guide you, child," Shanar replied gravely.  "You have only to do as I instruct you."

"Yes, madam."

People began filing into the village center, surrounding the stage.  They were excited and spoke eagerly about the upcoming ceremony.  But some also talked about a match that had taken place that morning.  Yukari moved to the edge of the stage and tried to listen without looking like she was listening.

"Can you believe how high that cat jumped?  And from a standstill, too!  He caught that dog by surprise, that's for certain."

"No kidding!  I almost put my money on the dog, too.  Am I glad I listened to Tepin.  He said the cat would win."

"I wish I'd heard that.  I lost a bundle on that dog.  He won his last three matches.  And one was against a cat."

"Well, I don't know if we'll ever make as much money on this one again.  No one's going to give long odds against him, now that everyone's seen him fight."

"Maybe on the next match.  They might decide this one was a fluke."

"Could be.  He did look pretty young."

Yukari stopped listening.  Her heart was pounding.  She had not understood what they were talking about at first, but suddenly it began to make sense.  They were talking about a fighting match between beast-men.  Yukari had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.  If Darvi followed her, he might have been captured, too.  She stared off over the crowd, toward the beast huts on the edge of the village.

"Come here, girl!" Shanar called irritably.

Yukari obediently returned to Shanar's side, but she continued to stare back toward the huts.  Shanar smacked her on the shoulder.

"Pay attention!"  When Yukari looked at her, Shanar continued.  "You will stand here, in front of the Horval."  She gripped Yukari's shoulder and moved her into position.  "The power of the Horval is great.  You must not let your attention waver.  When we begin, I shall call up spirits of air to break the spell holding the Horval in its prison.  You must hold the power stone up to draw the Horval to you.  Then I can bind it with a different spell so it will answer to us.  Do you understand?"

"Yes, madam."  It sounded simple enough.  Stand still, pay attention, and hold the drag-energist in the air.  How hard could that be?

"Good.  We shall begin."  Shanar stood behind Yukari, also facing the statue.  She lifted her arms up in the air and began to intone a spell in a deep voice.  A gust of wind swirled Yukari's skirt, and then another.  Then a steady breeze began to blow, turning rapidly to a substantial wind that pressed her dress against her body.  In front of her, the statue began to vibrate.  Yukari stared in growing alarm.  Great billowing clouds began to build up in the sky above them.  People watched with excitement, but Yukari saw concern on a few faces that mirrored her own.

"Hold up the power stone!" Shanar cried.

Yukari immediately stuck her right fist up above her head, the energist clutched tight between her fingers.  It glowed a fiery red and she could feel its heat burning into her palm.  The eyes of the statue began to glow red also and the eagle head appeared to move, turning slightly to look down at Yukari.  Yukari yelped in alarm and took a step backward.

She stepped firmly onto Shanar's bare toes.

Shanar squealed in surprise and jerked backward.  Yukari lost her balance and fell forward.  Her right hand, holding the drag-energist, smacked firmly against the bear-like torso of the Horval's statue.  A shock like lightning lanced up her arm and Yukari screamed.  A thunderous crack rent the air and the statue split apart like a ripe melon.

The sky went black and hailstones began to rain down.  Screaming wind drove the frozen pellets sideways, making it hard to take shelter from the pelting onslaught.  Yukari curled up around her numb right arm, her face tucked under her left arm.  Incongruously, she found the heat of the energist comforting.  She could barely hear the screams of panic over the sound of the wind and hailstones as the villagers scattered.  A flash of lightning was accompanied instantaneously by a deafening crack of thunder and a loud explosion as the lightning hit the ground.  A second flash so bright it blinded Yukari through her closed eyelids was followed by an explosion that shook the stage.  A third explosion sent her flying through the air as the stage itself was struck and blown to pieces.  She landed in a heap against the wall of a hut, still clutching the energist. 

Blow after pounding blow of lightning hit the ground, shattering huts and rending great gashes in the earth.  Feeling dazed, her arms over her head to protect herself from flying debris, Yukari huddled against the wall and prayed for the storm to stop.  As if in answer to her prayers, the wind began to die and the hailstones stopped.  She looked up to see the clouds lifting and breaking, and a moment later the sun shone through.

The village was a shambles.  Crushed and damaged huts were more prevalent than untouched ones.  The stage was completely obliterated.  There was nothing left of the Horval's statue but chunks of stone.  And one of those was lying next to Shanar's body where her head should have been.

Yukari shuddered.  The ceremony could not have gone any worse.  And it was her fault.  She staggered to her feet.  In every direction, eyes turned toward her accusingly.  From across the splintered remains of the stage, Surk pointed a trembling finger at her.

"That creature!" he hissed.  "Bind her!  She will pay for this disaster!"