Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Mystic Wings ❯ The Tarot Cards ( Chapter 18 )

Chapter Eighteen

The Tarot Cards

 

The Explanation

 

“You see,” Dryden started his explanation to a dazzled Hitomi, “Remember that when you had your vision I was already a Tarot user, so I saw your vision. Not only you, but I received my power before Folken, or Van, so I've been powerful long enough to know all your symbols and your titles. Poor Van! Balgus probably thought that Folken would be the one to inherit the ability of a Tarot, so he didn't teach Van anything even though they lived together for so long, and he wouldn't have taught Folken anything because Folken was off pretending to be a syndicate boss by age sixteen. It's such a pity that Van wasn't trained properly. You see, that's what I'm doing here. I don't usually come to this house, though it is one of my properties. I have been living in a villa off the coast of Italy for the past few years. I wouldn't have come back to this country at all if it hadn't been for you and Van, but someone had to intervene. You two just can't continue burning buildings and causing a ruckus, or Van will never be able to hold his head up in company.”

 

“What are you talking about?” Hitomi asked him, her eyes as large and buggy as balloons. “A Tarot? I've never heard that term before and what do you mean you're The Lover and I'm a Goddess? What are you talking about?”

 

Dryden's eyebrows went up. “You've never heard the name for what we are? You were never even told that much? Oh dear! Kanzaki, we have got a lot of work to do. Where to start? Let me see. You've seen a tarot card deck before, haven't you?”

 

“Of course.”

 

“Well, the idea for a tarot deck isn't from nothing. The basis for the characters on the cards is our race of people. Do you understand?”

 

She shook her head, “Not exactly.”

 

“Well maybe we'll do better if I explain some of these portraits in more detail. I just have to go get a book and get our drinks. Then we can camp out here until dawn. Don't worry about school in the morning. School isn't important compared to this, and you need to learn about us as quickly as possible. Okay?”

 

“I don't know if I trust you,” Hitomi blurted, not sure if she should commit to allowing Dryden to tell her these things. Van was her guide.

 

“Give me a chance,” he said blithely. “Besides, I know you have a protection pendant around your neck. If it's not icing you to oblivion then you're safe. Okay?”

 

She felt the jewel and she realized that she did indeed feel safe, but it wasn't in her nature to trust anyone anymore. “You're not going to try to seduce me, are you?” she asked cautiously.

 

“Not likely. No offense to The Goddess of the Moon, but I have … more appealing prospects. Besides, I couldn't hit on The Dragon's wife seriously - he'd probably kill me!”

 

Hitomi took in a deep intake of breath. “How did you know?”

 

Dryden chuckled. “I'm The Lover. It comes with my talents. I know just by looking at you that you are married - a virtuous young woman who married The Dragon and encircled her arm in his symbol. I have no intentions to overstep my bounds with you, Kanzaki. I just want to explain the truth to you and help you out. Van too. I've never met him, but there's no way things can continue the way they are. I'll explain more about that after I explain who we are. You look like you badly need an explanation; so let's get to work.”

 

The Psychic

 

After Dryden had gotten the drinks and the book he was looking for, he took Hitomi to a specific portrait further down the gallery. The image was of a pair of two yellow eyes. It took Hitomi a moment to figure out what kind of eyes, because the rest of the animal was dim, but she finally figured out that it was the body of a wolf. Van had said that the wolf was his uncle Balgus' symbol. The words were `The Wolf' followed by the title, `The Psychic'.

 

“Now you see,” Dryden said, beginning his account with his book propped up on one arm. “This is the portrait for Balgus Fanel. A wolf does not necessarily fight with speed and strength alone. Wolves are known to stare down their opponents instead of actually participating in combat. So, Balgus became The Psychic because he could read people's minds. Kind of creepy, eh?”

 

“Yeah,” Hitomi agreed.

 

“He was a famous fencer when he was young, and extremely talented. He went to world competitions and was extremely successful, but he earned himself a very bad name among Tarot users because he wasn't winning the fights fairly, and it was starting to become very noticeable.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“He was able to read the mind of his opponent, so he knew where they would strike and block. Likewise, he also knew when they would leave themselves open and he would attack. Finally, it got quite bad. Even the judges were starting to notice that something was wrong. He was disqualified from several tournaments, and he earned himself a horrible reputation among us. It's very important that we aren't revealed to the general public. We have to keep our abilities secret. By the time Balgus finally stopped competing, no woman Tarot user would have him as a mate - which is horribly insulting - considering that we all mostly want to be with people who are like us. Lots of us will accept nothing less.”

 

“Why is that?” Hitomi asked, thinking of Van and Folken.

 

“One reason is that it's impossible for us to reproduce with a regular human,” he said.

 

“What?”

 

“That's why Balgus and Flo never had any children. They couldn't.”

 

“How do you know all this?” Hitomi asked, dumbfounded.

 

“Oh, it's all written down. The history of our people is very important - especially the personal details. Another reason for us to seek mates who are also Tarot users is that some of us tend to be pretty powerful, and we find it impossible to find a kindred spirit among normal humans. Some of us get so involved in our culture that even talking to a normal human is painful.”

 

“Are you like that Dryden?”

 

“No. I like all kinds of women. I think of that kind of attitude as a form of racism. Anyway, Balgus did not inherit his power from his parents, but from an aunt. I won't bore you with all the details of their story just now, but I wanted to let you know that when two Tarot users mate, they always have at least one child with the abilities - always. It's usually the oldest. Sometimes, younger children will get it too,” Dryden paused. “The power will lie dormant in certain members of our clan, usually the children who do not inherit the power and then it will generally be passed onto their oldest child, like in the case of Folken. It's weird that Van inherited the ability as well, but stranger things have happened, and those sorts of things seem to run in the Fanel family. Balgus was the younger child in his family and he inherited the abilities while Goau, the older son, did not. I have to point out that it was very weird. I don't know if Goau, Van's father, was trained or not, but anyway, things like that are very out of the ordinary. Like I said, normally, the ability goes to the younger sibling's oldest child. That also explains how you inherited your ability from your aunt Akira. Make sense?”

 

Hitomi blushed and nodded sheepishly, “You may need to explain it to me again.”

 

“It's a lot to take in. Even I think it's complicated, so don't be afraid and ask me if you have any questions about that, okay?”

 

“Okay,” she agreed, and forced herself not to feel stupid.

 

“Let me see if there is anything else I can tell you about Balgus before we move on,” he said scanning the page. “Generally, no matter what other abilities a person has, they will have one element at their command. Balgus' was air. Other than those two abilities, not a whole lot is known about him. After the fiasco about fencing, he kind of went into hiding with Flo and broke off contact with all of us. From what I remember about the story, he was pretty pissed off. So, needless to say he wouldn't consent to an interview. Yup, that's about it. Let's move on.”

 

The Changeling

 

“This is one I know you're going to want to see,” Dryden said, taking her to the other side of the gallery and showing her a painting of a brilliant butterfly.

 

The words were `The Butterfly' and the title was `The Changeling', but underneath that official title two words were carved roughly into the heavy wood frame. Those two words were `The Hermit'.

 

“Naturally, this is your aunt Akira's,” Dryden said.

 

Hitomi gulped. “Tell me about her,” she asked in a small voice.

 

“Well, a lot more is known about her than Balgus. Apparently, The Historian managed to get an interview with her before her death. There is a clear list of her discovered abilities. Let's see. The explanation her of symbol says that a butterfly has close ties to the spirit world. She was able to see and talk to ghosts,” Dryden exclaimed excitedly. “She also had the ability to make herself any age she chose, which was why she was called The Changeling. Her element was lightning.”

 

Suddenly, Hitomi realized something important. The Voltage Room was named for her aunt! That was why there was a picture of a butterfly behind the sign. At least Folken hadn't lied to her about one thing. He really had loved her aunt.

 

“And she had the uncanny ability to raise herself from the dead if she so chose,” Dryden continued.

 

“What? Then why did she die?”

 

Dryden looked at Hitomi and continued with the notes as if she hadn't spoken. “The age she chose to appear most of the time was around the age of twenty-three. When asked why, she said that all ghosts, even the ghosts of children and people who lived into their old age, all appear to be in their early twenties. The ghosts were her friends and she wanted to fit in with them.”

 

Hitomi didn't say anything at first. This was getting weirder and weirder. “So, why did she have to die?”

 

Dryden raised his eyes from the book and looked at Hitomi. “She probably didn't have to die. She probably chose to die. Do you see those words carved into the frame? Akira was very beautiful and very much desired by those of our clan. We're not inbred because of our contract laws, but I know for a fact that Akira had at least six Tarot users who would have loved to set up house with her - including Folken. She would have none of any of them. An angry suitor carved these words into the frame. From what is written here in the history, she chose to live in the land of the dead rather than here with us. Dying was probably just like going home for her. Plus, it's not known if she ever did raise herself from the dead. She could have done it countless times before the last time.”

 

Hitomi thought about the pictures she had seen of Akira and what her mother had said about her. Her mother thought Akira had been abused because she was so aloof.

 

“Perhaps we should move on,” Dryden suggested, interrupting her thoughts. “You can learn more about your aunt later.”

 

The Merchant

 

“This one is my father's. The Fassas are pure blood all the way and actually so are my mother's people.”

 

Dryden's father's picture was of a stack of golden coins.

 

“I don't really want to go into detail about him, if you don't mind, but I'll tell you about his abilities. He's dead now, and has been for many years. I inherited my ability from him when I was seven. He had the ability to stockpile money, to arrange amazing business deals and to rake in more cash and keep it; probably more so than any other person who has ever lived. He was cold and warm by turns and always made money with whatever he did.”

 

“So, that's why you're so rich?” Hitomi asked.

 

“That's why. He really wasn't a very exciting guy. He didn't marry my mother until he was in his sixties, and was an old man when I was born. Anyway, let's move onto my mother.”

 

“Wait! What was his element?”

 

“Earth - the most useless one,” Dryden said condemningly.

 

The Wanderer

 

Dryden's mother's picture was of a map, and the title was `The Wanderer'.

 

“She can't live in one place for longer than a month. I think, sometimes, that she married my father because she knew that he would be able to afford for her to move like she had wheels. She was young when she married my father, so she's not quite fifty, and she still has plenty of energy. I think she's trekking through the Amazon right now, probably looking for a place to rest for the night. She hauled me all over the world with her from the death of my father until I could take it no more and settled down a little. After having spent so much time with her, I can only think of her abilities with gratitude in my heart. Since she's going to live her life the way she is, at least she's equipped for it.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“She has an incredible sense of smell and direction. She's so accurate with the direction thing that she's almost better than a satellite. She also has extreme physical prowess and agility. Meaning of course, that she's ripped to the nines. I would have died at least a hundred times if it hadn't been for her being a Tarot user.”

 

“And her element?”

 

“Air - the most common one.”

 

“Correct me if I'm wrong, but was Akira more powerful than most Tarot users?” Hitomi asked quietly. She didn't want to offend Dryden by implying that her family was stronger, but she was stupid about this, so she had to ask obvious questions.

 

“Don't be embarrassed,” Dryden reassured her. “There's no need to be. Let me explain. There are different levels of power. For instance, if a person's symbol is an inanimate object, then their powers will be lower than someone with a living being as their symbol. A mythical creature is more powerful than a real animal, and a plant is lower than both, but still better than an object. For instance, when my father lay dying my mother locked me in a room full of dolphins. Not real dolphins!” he explained hastily at Hitomi's expression. “But full of pictures and sculptures of dolphins so that I would inherit the dolphin as my symbol. You have to understand; she wanted me to inherit that specific set of abilities. Unfortunately, my father's condition improved and they thought that he wouldn't die, so she let me out of the room. He died quietly one night and when I opened my eyes in the morning the first thing I saw was the red rose on my breakfast tray, hence the rose. My mother was furious, but from my point of view it could have been much worse, so I don't let her complain. Besides, I like the way I am.”

 

“Did you want your symbol to be a dolphin?”

 

“At the time, I did. You see, my mother and I chose it together. A dolphin would have the symbol of water, a more powerful and unique element. Dolphins also have close ties to the spirit world and especially the underworld, but have an essence of joy equated by only them. They are extremely wise and practically made for dealing with crisis. Perhaps they might even see prophetic visions. Yeah, I wanted it to be my symbol, but try to remember that I was a child. She and I had chosen what we hoped my symbol would be by the time I was five. But, I got the best end of the deal anyway.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Well,” he said, suddenly straightening himself up so he stood a little taller. “Most people with plants as their symbol get earth or air as their element. I was lucky and I got water, so I got what I wanted out of being a dolphin.”

 

“But what can you do with a symbol like water? I understand how fire and air are used but water?”

 

“On the smaller scale, you'll never go thirsty, and on the larger scale, you can call storms, which, let me tell you, is a lot more than you can do with air, unless you've got an extremely powerful symbol to back you.”

 

“Okay,” Hitomi said, understanding what he was talking about a lot more clearly now that he had explained so many people's powers.

 

“Now, let's go talk about your brother-in-law,” Dryden suggested, and they went back to the front of the hall.

 

The Sorcerer

 

“I'm such a bad boy,” Dryden said, sucking in his breath and not sounding the least bit sorry. “But my mother and I have been spying on poor Folken.”

 

“You have?” Hitomi questioned, surprised.

 

“Don't look so shocked. We all spy on each other a little bit,” he winked. “But to be honest, so you don't get freaked out, we knew who you were, but we weren't going to interfere until you were an adult, and then you went missing. We weren't spying on you though. So, I came back here as soon as you turned up again in the papers and arranged to go to your high school.”

 

“So, that's what happened … but what about Van? Have you been watching him? Do you know where he is right now?” Hitomi asked urgently, wondering why it hadn't occurred to her to ask before.

 

“No, I'm sorry. He dropped off the face of the earth to us when he was eighteen and I have had no idea where he has been since he left home, which was when we were supposed to talk to him, too.”

 

Hitomi scrunched her eyebrows together and managed to take a sip from her drink. “Why does everyone want to wait until I'm an adult before pouncing all this information on me? I could have handled it when I was fifteen and inherited my power from Akira.”

 

“True,” Dryden said. “It's just that it's complicated with children who inherit the Tarot from relatives, instead of from their parents. Your family was funny. It was a perfect line of females for over thirty generations. Your people usually married within the Tarot or didn't marry at all, but always through the females did the gift go, until … a guy named Minami inherited the power. The sisterhood was totally smashed. I don't know why but whoever Minami was going to inherit the Tarot from wouldn't help him to adjust, when he was clearly the heir. Then it went back to the female line with Akira, but it was a tragedy for your family.”

 

“Why? It wasn't his fault he was a boy.”

 

“Sometimes, it's hard to explain why Tarot users get so pissed off about things like that, but if they could see you now, I don't think they'd be so angry. Anyway, I'm getting massively off topic. I have to tell you about the things we've seen Folken do. It's out of this world, even from my perspective.”

 

“Go on,” Hitomi urged.

 

“One of his elements is air, obviously, but he has another one - appears to be darkness or night. It's hard to explain unless you've seen him turn day into night, but that's not the real problem. He sings you see, and everything that comes out of his mouth is like a spell. He can make illusions, and in doing so, trick people into doing things they wouldn't normally do. He can make someone look and act like someone else entirely.”

 

“I've seen that!” Hitomi said, thinking of the Vans she had seen at The Voltage Room. It was Folken who made that happen!

 

Dryden raised his eyes. “You've met Folken?”

 

“You don't know him? You haven't seen him lately?”

 

“Should I have?” Dryden asked, looking puzzled.

 

“He's the Guidance Counselor at our school!” Hitomi blurted.

 

Dryden barked a laugh. “Oh, so he had the same idea I did, huh? That's hilarious! I had heard some of the girls talking about him, but I hadn't met him myself.”

 

“Was he staying clear of you?”

 

“I don't know. Maybe. That also explains why you wouldn't take counseling instead of detention.”

 

Hitomi gawked. “How did you know about that?”

 

Dryden smiled broadly. “Well, I didn't want you to have detention, so I went and talked to the Principal about how you were really a good kid, just messed up, and tried to convince him to let you off. He said he'd think about it. On Tuesday, I went and asked him how it went. He said you turned down counseling and would still have detention, so I toddled in late for my class to get detention with you.”

 

“Really? That explains why he was so pissed about you calling him a bureaucrat,” Hitomi laughed.

 

“Doesn't it?” Dryden said, laughing too, until they were both grabbing their sides in amusement. “Okay, okay, okay,” he said wiping a tear of mirth from his eye. “Okay, we've seriously got to move. Okay!” he cleared his throat and looking at her like she was really something adorable. “I really like you, Hitomi. I hope we can be friends even though I can't be your lover.”

 

Hitomi suddenly felt the same way about him, so she hugged him, and she felt like … she had found her long lost brother; someone she had never met but loved instantly. It was really magical. The moment was really special, and Hitomi knew, the way that we just sometimes know things, that she and Dryden really were going to be best friends … possibly for the rest of their lives.

 

When the moment ended, and after a proper pause as respect for those life altering seconds, Dryden continued. “So, Folken is a master of illusion, and he has a killer singing voice that can be used to convince nearly anyone of anything. He has unusual ties with light and darkness, so it seems that when he's good, he's really good and when he's bad, he's supremely evil. There are rumours that he killed his parents, or had a strong hand in it. I wasn't sure if you'd heard that.”

 

“Van told me,” Hitomi admitted.

 

“Not a lot else has been discovered about him, but it's almost limitless what he can do with his song. So in conclusion, he's very intelligent, and very dangerous. That's about it.”

 

“Is there anything you can tell me about Van's abilities?”

 

Dryden smiled, “Oh yes.”

 

Ace of Serpents

 

“I said before that mythical creatures tend to be more powerful than real animals, and a dragon is a very powerful symbol. Actually, I lied, I don't have any real information about Van, but I can tell you what our guesses are.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“We can't know what he can do until he actually does it, but because of what other people have had for their symbol and the power they've gotten, then we can make an educated guess. The same goes for you. Okay?”

 

Hitomi nodded and waited for him to go on.

 

“It's believed that he probably has all the elemental abilities.” Then Dryden proceeded to list them, “Light, darkness, earth, water, ice, fire, air, and lightning. Also, it's expected that he'll probably live far beyond the age of a normal human - probably for four of five hundred years.”

 

Hitomi started at this declaration, “Is that normal?”

 

“For someone with a symbol as powerful as a dragon? Oh yes. The only thing about it is that Van's power will probably die with him and that he'll never pass it off onto someone else. By the time he dies, his blood will be so diluted that no one will get it and all his descendants will be normal humans. But, normally, Folken's power would go to Van's oldest child. However, since Van is a Tarot, the same rules don't apply. So, unless Folken finds a woman to bind to a contract, the Fanel Tarot line dies with this generation. Van, of course, can have children with you since you're also a Tarot, but … anyway, we'll talk about you when we get to your picture. A dragon is also a symbol for great prosperity. Nothing could really go wrong for him since he got his symbol, so fate is constantly on his side. He's also probably possessing of a great intellect … and that's about it for guesses. After that, it's hard to say.”

 

Hitomi noticed that Dryden didn't know that Van could heal, but she supposed that he could because he was going to live for so long. But what about her? Would she die in sixty years and leave Van alone, to do what? Van obviously didn't know this about himself. If he did, maybe he wouldn't have wanted to marry her, knowing he would outlive her by hundreds of years.

 

“Can you tell me the `guesses' surrounding my symbol?” Hitomi asked, quietly. This might be more of a revelation than she was ready for.

 

The Sun God

 

“Kanzaki,” Dryden said quietly as they stepped back towards her portrait. “I don't want to hold out on you. I've been trying to think of how to tell you about yourself, but I haven't exactly been able to think of the words. I don't know how I'd take what I'm about to tell you if I'd been brought up as a normal person. I don't want you to freak out on me.”

 

“Is it that bad?” Her heart was thudding against her rib cage with uncommon force, and her breath was shallow. Her palms were clammy too, but she thought she was ready.

 

“I wouldn't describe it as bad, but when my mother and I were choosing what symbol we hoped I'd get, you'll notice that we did not choose a mythical creature … or anything else more powerful.”

 

“What do you mean by `more powerful'?”

 

“It's just that I didn't want to live for hundreds of years while everyone around me died like some of us do, and I didn't want to be so powerful that I might hurt someone I loved with my talents. Those things have been known to happen, but I guess Van wouldn't have either of those problems with a wife like you. I wanted power at a level that I could manage instead of the other way around.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I'm sorry to be the one to tell you, Kanzaki. You'll forgive me, won't you? They are just theories after all,” he said, looking at her with sorrowful eyes, like he really did feel sorry for what he was about to say.

 

Hitomi narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

 

“Maybe we should rest, and I should explain later,” he said moving for the door.

 

Hitomi grabbed his sleeve. “Don't put me off! Van always made me wait for information, and it turns out that he didn't really know anything. He even told me himself that he didn't know a lot and that he was stuck discovering things on his own. He thought that everyone's abilities were elemental and that's all. It's obviously because his abilities run along those lines, but I can't stand to wait any longer for the truth. If you leave this room without telling me the theory or whatever, I'll never forgive you. You will have let me down in the biggest way.”

 

Dryden turned around and straightened his glasses. “I'm glad to hear that. I just wanted to make sure you were prepared.”

 

“I am,” she said, bracing herself.

 

“Then here goes. In our world, there are three symbols that are the most powerful - the sun, the moon and the earth. There has never been a Tarot user who had the symbol of the earth, and you are the first one who has had the symbol of the moon, but there was one who was born who has the symbol of the sun.”

 

“The sun? How did they happen to be looking at the sun?”

 

“The Sun God was sold into slavery when he was a child. I think he was about eleven or twelve. The texts say that his caravan was traveling in the desert during the hottest part of the day, and he fainted from exhaustion. Needless to say, he was blinded by the sun when he awoke. I must specify though - not sunlight - the actual sun. If sunlight was all it took then most of us would have it as our symbol. They say that from that moment on he stopped aging and remained a child forever.”

 

“What?” Hitomi gasped.

 

“It's true. This happened around the meridian of time, so he has been alive for around two thousand years.”

 

“Have you ever seen him?”

 

Dryden shook his head, “No, I haven't, but he's not dead and he pops up from time to time to organize us and set things straight when we've all gone crazy, which happens sometimes. Everyone who's ever seen him says it's weird to be ordered around by a child, and to know that they must obey. Anyway, here's the list of known attributes. He has the power of light, darkness and fire, so almost half of the elements. Fire to a huge extent - he could probably turn any mountain into a volcano. He also takes no injury to his person, so he does not scar. He's also unreasonably cheerful, which is lucky for him, considering that he's going to live forever. He can heal any wound on any person or animal. They say that when he chooses, he looks exactly like an angel, but unlike Akira, he cannot change his age. He is a child forever.”

 

“Wouldn't you recognize him if you saw him, then?”

 

“Not necessarily. He likes to go undercover and appear as a normal human. However, there are many who believe that he can see into a man's soul, so that would make him good at observing and repairing damage in our clan. It is said that if you were to meet him, he would know your thoughts and the colour of your heart. They say there is no way to hide from him - he knows the truth - no matter how much we would try to lie to him. A little scary, eh?” Dryden said looking at her intently. “In any case,” he proceeded more casually. “He's extremely powerful, and we're all very lucky that he's good, but he couldn't be anything else with the sun as his symbol. I don't know what else he can do - probably more. Now, I hope I've done my best to prepare you for your list of attributes. Remember, they are only theories.”

 

The Goddess of the Moon

 

Dryden cleared his throat, “It's said that a person with the moon as their symbol would have the elements of ice, water, and darkness. It's believed that you could be a mirror for any person you have ever seen and be their doppelganger if you chose. Remember that the moon is a symbol that is in direct relation with the sun - so you are naturally of a goodly orientation. That's part of the reason you could be left on your own for so long. It's not like you were going to turn into a monster if you were left alone. Your levels at controlling water would be stronger than anyone's … ever. You could control the tides, but I don't recommend trying it. You could kill a lot of people if you weren't careful. So, don't go experimenting with that - got it?”

 

Hitomi nodded seriously.

 

“Dreams … dreams are key with you. You would be able to see visions of all kinds, whether you were awake or asleep.”

 

“I've had one!” Hitomi said, remembering the dream she had of Dilandau and Celena and how it had turned out to be real.

 

“Good! That's a very good sign that you're coming into your own. I mentioned prophetic visions before, and you should be able to have those too.”

 

“What else?” Hitomi asked excitedly.

 

“There is one more thing, but you may have already guessed it from what I said about Van and The Sun God,” Dryden said, taking off his glasses and looking at her with deep concern.

 

Then suddenly, out of nowhere, a lump formed in her throat. “The moon doesn't die … does it?”

 

“No, it doesn't,” Dryden said slowly.

 

Hitomi was trembling. What was he saying?

 

Dryden let the book in his hands fall to the floor. It landed on the tile with a soft thud. He pulled Hitomi into his arms. She was shaking and she couldn't seem to stop. He rubbed her back with his palm like he was trying to comfort her and then he whispered in her ear, “Hitomi.” He had never called her by her first name before. This was the first time. “I have grieved and wrestled with myself over how I would tell you about yourself. I know I should have given you some hint while we were at school, so that you would come here and I would be able to explain things to you, but I couldn't. I'm a coward, and having to be the one to explain this to you has been breaking my heart since I saw you introduce yourself in our homeroom. You are so slight, so like a little girl, that I wanted to hold off as long as possible. I'm sorry. I should just say it. I should just tell you. Please forgive me,” he said drawing her head into his chest and holding her closer and more desperately to him than any other person besides Van. Then he opened his mouth and said the words like his mouth was dry as a desert, and the silence in the room was just as deep as if they were standing in the middle of the Sahara. “You are possibly the second most powerful Tarot user who has ever been born. The moon has been lovely since the beginning, and will be lovely until the end of time. I don't know how long I'll live, but as long as I do live, I will help you, to become the Goddess.”