Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Dragon's Future ❯ An Evil Star ( Chapter 9 )

Interlude: Seven years have passed. Relative peace has reigned in the Fanel household. Maturity, it seems, finally caught up with Princess Yukari. Her close friend and constant companion Darvi joined King Van's samurai, and his new duties forced a change in their relationship. No longer free to spend all their time together, they had to find comfort in the few hours a day they were allotted. And Yukari had to learn to enjoy the modest and ladylike pursuits deemed suitable for a princess of the blood. But she still occasionally climbs onto the roof above her bedroom, barefoot, to watch the sunset.

Chapter 8: An Evil Star

Brevan Ramone looked up at the night sky and smiled. The Earth and her Moon hung above him, shimmering in blue, green and silver. He stood in a rocky canyon. It was a chilly night and smelled of the fall, but it also smelled of burning oil and wood smoke. There was a settlement nearby. Brevan frowned slightly. A wood-burning culture was not what he had envisioned for the mysterious world in the heavens that his mystic vision had shown him. But then, a simple society might suit him better. The society of Earth, to his mind, had become slaves to the technology they lived by. But Brevan did not believe technology was the ultimate answer. He had studied all of the mystic arts, read all of the ancient spiritual texts, and ultimately his vision had shown him a world hanging in the heavens, hidden from mortal eyes. A man of his vision, he believed, belonged in such a world and tonight his prayers had been answered. He smiled as he walked down the canyon, in the direction of the smoke.

It was dawn before Brevan found the village. The stony canyons where he had first found himself had given way to shallow ravines choked with dense underbrush and short scraggly trees. He'd had to struggle through, back-tracking several times, before he found what looked like a man-made path that wound down to the shallower valleys below. The village was nestled on the far slope of a valley split by a small stream. Cultivated fields and pastures divided the valley into a patchwork on either side. Brevan stopped to survey the sight. People were already working in the fields and smoke curled from the stone chimneys of the wood and thatch huts. It was idyllic. He smiled.

The sun was getting hot by the time Brevan reached the first occupied field. The two men and three women diligently hoeing up weeds between the neat rows of crops stopped their work to watch him approach.

“Good day to you, sir!” one man called as Brevan neared them. “Where are you bound?”

“I have no fixed destination,” he replied as he stopped. He wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. “I was hoping to appeal to your charity for a bit of food.”

One of the women frowned. “You did not lose your supplies to the wolves, did you?” she asked.

“I saw no wolves,” Brevan answered, a little alarmed. “I just arrived in the hills last night, from the world in the sky.” He lowered his voice slightly, to make it sound more portentous.

The five villagers stared at him, wide-eyed. “From the Mystic Moon?” said the woman. She sounded awed and a little frightened. The others looked a little frightened as well.

“Yes.” Brevan guessed that was their name for the Earth. “I have come, guided by my prayers, to seek ultimate knowledge in this place.”

“In our village?” another man asked incredulously.

“In all villages,” Brevan replied sagely.

“You must be a holy man,” the first woman said, “else the wolves would have troubled you for certain. I am Zatia and this is my husband Clave.” She pointed to the man who had first greeted Brevan. “You are welcome in our home.”

“Thank you, madam. I am humbled by your hospitality. I am Brevan Ramone, a priest of the Mystic Arts.” That was a stretch, but there was no reason for these people to know that. They seemed more likely to treat an itinerant priest well than a wandering beggar.

“A priest?!” They exclaimed, bearing out his assumption.

Zatia smiled. “Come, Father Ramone. I have bread and goat cheese to share, and my children will wash your feet.”

Brevan smiled with satisfaction as he followed her across the stream on stepping stones and into the village. This was going exactly as he believed it should. These simple people would be easy to control.

He munched on dark bread and soft white cheese while Zatia told him the entire life story of the village, and all about their troubles.

“It's done nothing but get worse since I was a girl,” she declared, “ever since the war with Zybach, when most of the old Duke Freid's soldiers were killed. The young Duke never replaced them and now folks do pretty much as they please.” It was clear from her tone that allowing people to do as they pleased was a bad thing. Brevan smiled to himself.

“Those wolves you spoke of…” he prompted.

“The bane of our lives, in truth!” she exclaimed bitterly. “They steal our goats! We're a poor village and can ill afford such losses.”

“Perhaps more goatherds would frighten the wolves away.”

“Grown men are not going to fear young boys.”

Brevan was confused. “You mean the wolves are men?”

“Of course,” she said. “They are beast-men. But these creatures live more like their wild ancestors than the men they aspire to be.” She shook her head angrily. “They are too clever for traps and too strong for our boys to fight. But now that winter is over, we must use the upper pastures for grazing, and then they kill our goats to feed their bellies, as if we've no need of them!”

“Beast-men?” Brevan exclaimed in soft surprise. “But surely such creatures are an abomination?”

“When I was young, I didn't think so. But these days?” She sighed. “How will I care for my children if there is no goat milk, nor cheese, nor goat hair to spin for weaving?” She shook her head again, but sadly this time. “These are dark times.”

Brevan let a wise smile soften his face. “My child, surely I've come to be a light in your darkness. I will guide you, so that you may drive out these beast-men, for the good of your children.”

Zatia smiled. “The gods be praised! Your coming is a good omen, Father.”

“So I believe also, my child.” He lifted his eyes to the heavens. “The light of the Mystic Moon shall guide my steps.”

She clasped her hands together with a rapt expression and Brevan allowed his thoughts to brush against the fringes of her mind. Her simple thoughts were transparent. If she was typical of her people, and he thought it likely that she was, they would be easy to control, especially with a threat like these wolf-men to focus their hatred. Brevan could shape this world to suit himself. He would no longer be the outcast, the madman. He would become their ruler.

- - - - - - - -

Chid sat cross-legged on the cushion at the front of the dais, which he favored over the imposingly carved seat further back that his father had used. A row of ministers knelt on the floor in front of him, waiting for him to speak. Chid frowned as he read the latest report. Another village had driven all the beast-men out, causing several deaths. This strange new cult was spreading and the violence was escalating. Already, many beast-men refugees had flocked into the city, begging for help. But Chid wasn't sure what to do. He did not have enough soldiers to combat a civil uprising. Freid had been peaceful for decades. Poor, yes, but peaceful. He looked up at the waiting ministers.

“How many villages does this make?”

“Fourteen, my lord. And there are rumors now of beast-men being denied trade in some of the larger towns. I fear this disturbance will continue to spread.”

“So do I.” Chid looked down at the report in his hand, and at the others spread out on the floor in front of him. “I think we must ask for help.” He reached for pen, ink and parchment and began to write. “Have messengers carry these letters to Asturia and Fanelia with all possible haste. I am sure our old friends will come to our aid.”

The ministers bowed in unison, touching their heads to the floor. “Yes, my lord,” they said.

- - - - - - - -

Yukari could hear the samurai training in the courtyard outside, and she strained to hear Darvi's voice. He'd been so busy lately that they'd barely had time to say hello, much less sit down and talk like they used to do. She missed him. It felt like part of her was missing.

“Your Highness! Pay attention to your embroidery.” Yukari started. Her chaperone, Lady Deistor, was regarding her with a slight frown. “Your flowers are starting to look like cat's ears.”

The other young ladies in the room snickered.

“That's no surprise!” one girl, Elaine Turoth, whispered loudly.

“That's enough from you, Miss Turoth!” Lady Deistor said firmly.

Yukari flushed as the other girls continued to giggle and whisper among themselves. Her affection for Darvi was no secret, but the older she got, the more amusing people seemed to find it. It was as if they somehow magically expected her to get over it just because she had developed a bust and hips. But if anything, it only made her feelings for him stronger. Growing into his full adult muscularity had certainly made him no less attractive. Physically, he was stronger than most of her father's samurai, and he was faster and more agile. He was also incredibly handsome. Yukari knew she was not the only one who thought so.

But seeing other girls flirting with him did not make her jealous, really. Envious perhaps. She just wanted to spend more time with him, that was all. But she did not want to jeopardize his standing among the samurai. So she obeyed Lady Deistor and worked hard at her sewing, embroidery, music and whatever else Lady Deistor seemed to think, as a princess, she ought to know. But she wasn't really happy. She hadn't been happy for a long time.

She focused her attention on the row of daisies she was embroidering. The last few did look a little cat's ears. She sighed. I miss you, Darvi, she thought. Sometimes I think it would have been better if we'd never grown up.

Darvi was not at dinner that night, and only painful practice kept Yukari from breaking down in tears. She had not spoken to Darvi in six days. She couldn't remember the last time they had gone that long without seeing each other. She picked at her food sadly.

“Are you all right, Yukari?” Bethany, seated next to her older sister, spoke quietly.

“I'm fine, Beth,” Yukari lied. “I'm just not hungry.”

“I saw Darvi on sentry duty at the main gate,” Bethany said. She smiled encouragingly at Yukari. “The duty shift changes right after dinner.”

“I know.” Yukari said. “He'll probably eat in the barracks with the other samurai.”

“But he doesn't sleep in the barracks,” Bethany pointed out with a knowing smile.

Yukari smiled back at her. Bethany was mighty precocious for a seven-year-old. She patted the younger girl on the hand and leaned close so she could whisper in her ear. “If mother caught me visiting Darvi alone in his room at night, she'd have my hide. You know how she feels about the appearance of impropriety.”

“I could go with you.” Bethany grinned.

Yukari smiled gratefully at her little sister. “Thank you, Beth. We can't stay long, though. He has training again in the morning.”

“I don't know why,” Beth said seriously. “He's better than everybody else already.”

“That's how he stays that way.”

“I suppose.”

They looked for Darvi in his room later that evening. Yukari was surprised at how nervous she felt waiting to see if he was there. Then he opened the door and her heart started racing. He was not wearing a tunic, just his trousers. The soft, downy fur covering his skin did not hide the powerful muscles of his chest and arms. His long auburn hair was pulled over one shoulder and flowed past the scars from the bear fight seven years ago. He looked tired, but he smiled at the sight of her.

“Yukari! I was just thinking about you.” He opened the door wider and stepped back. “Come in.” His eyes dropped to Bethany. “You too, kitten.”

She wrinkled her nose at him. “I'm not a kitten!”

“No? Then what's all this fur then?” He ruffled her hair playfully.

She swatted his hand away with a grin and scampered into the room. Yukari followed more slowly, trying to maintain some kind of dignity. But walking past Darvi took a lot of willpower. What she wanted to do was snuggle into his arms and bury her face in his hair. How she missed the easy intimacy of childhood!

Darvi closed the door behind her. “How was dinner?”

“Boring. It's never any fun when you're not there.”

Darvi chuckled. “You're a princess. I don't think you're supposed to be having fun.”

“You've got that right,” she exclaimed. She flopped down on the floor next to Bethany, who was diligently setting up a game of Stones. “Do you know what I had to do today? Embroidery! For practically the entire day, it felt like. How many daisies does one dress need?”

“Daisies?” Bethany said absently. “I heard you were embroidering cat's ears.”

Yukari flushed bright red. “Who told you that?”

Bethany shrugged. “I just heard some girls talking.”

Yukari muttered a curse under her breath. “Those stupid cows think they're so funny. I was distracted for just a moment and a couple of my daisies came out a little lopsided.”

Darvi sat down cross-legged on his bed and resumed brushing his hair. “What's wrong with embroidering cat's ears?”

“Nothing,” Bethany said brightly. “I think your ears are quite handsome. Don't you think they're handsome, Yukari?”

“Of course. I think all of Darvi is handsome.”

Bethany raised an eyebrow. “You've seen all of Darvi?”

Yukari flushed again. “Not since we were young. Now quit asking such impertinent questions. Are you going first?”

“Yes.” Bethany studied the stones for a moment and then moved one of her pieces carefully.

Yukari made an answering move. “We aren't going to play the whole game,” she said to Darvi. “When you're ready to go to bed, just tell us to get out.”

“That's all right, I'm not that tired.” He stretched out on his belly. “I miss spending time with you.”

“Me, too.”

They smiled at each other and Yukari felt happy for the first time in months. They didn't talk about anything in particular. They just talked, like they used to do when they were children, when the colors on a butterfly's wings could occupy them for hours. Bethany didn't say a word. She kept her eyes focused on the game board and let them behave as if they were alone. They stayed until none of them could ignore Darvi's yawns, or Bethany's.

“We'd better go,” Yukari said finally. “Mother will have my head for keeping Beth up this late. And you look like you're ready to sleep, too.”

Darvi rolled off the bed and walked them to the door. “I have sentry duty at the city gate tomorrow,” he said as he opened the door. “But I get off before dinner.”

Yukari smiled. “Good. We can eat together.” She squeezed his hand. “We can sit too close together and cause some talk.”

Darvi rolled his eyes. “I'm putting Bethany between us.”

“Wretch.” Yukari kissed him on the cheek. “Good night.”

“Good night, Yukari.” He ruffled Bethany's hair again. “Good night, kitten.” Then he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “And thanks.”

She made a face at him, but smiled as she did it. “You're welcome.”

Yukari put her arm around Bethany's shoulders as they walked up the hall to the younger girl's room. “Thanks, Bethany. You're a great little sister.”

Bethany beamed, but her smile was split by a huge yawn.

“I'd better get you in bed quick,” Yukari said apologetically. “It's way past your bed time.”

“I'm all right,” Bethany said sleepily. She rubbed a hand across her eyes.

“I can see that,” Yukari said. She helped Bethany change into her nightdress, poured a cup of water for her and settled her under her blankets. Then she kissed Bethany on the forehead as the little girl's eyes drooped. Yukari wondered if she would ever be putting her own daughter to bed like this. She stroked Bethany's hair as her sister fell asleep.

The door opened slowly and Hitomi poked her head in. She smiled at the sight of her two daughters. Yukari rose carefully off the bed and left her sister to sleep.

“I wondered if she was with you,” Hitomi said when the door was closed.

“We visited with Darvi for a little while and played Stones.”

“Oh.” Hitomi looped her arm through Yukari's and walked her down the hall toward her room. “I know you miss spending time with Darvi. But now that you've grown up, it's more appropriate for you to spend your time with other young ladies. And Darvi has his own responsibilities now.”

“I know.” Yukari sighed. “I just wish appropriate occupations for young ladies weren't so boring.”

Hitomi laughed. “I won't argue with that.” She squeezed Yukari's arm. “But I am pleased with the effort you've made for me. And I don't mind if you spend time with Darvi, as long as there's a chaperone. For appearances sake.” They stopped outside Yukari's door. “Good night, dear.”

“Good night, Mother.”

They kissed each other good night, and Yukari watched her mother walk away. She wondered if Hitomi knew how strong her feelings for Darvi were. Somehow, she doubted it, or she suspected Hitomi would be much more strict about the time she allowed them to spend together. Yukari entered her room with a sigh. Sometimes, she really wished she had not been born a princess.