Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Return to Fanelia ❯ Twenty-one ( Chapter 21 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

"I'm sorry, Hitomi," replied Gaddes, "we probably couldn't have made it in time. And the wizard probably banned us from the desert all together. And if not, then who knows what he will do when we go back? It's simply too dangerous."

"We can't just leave them! What kind of a person are you???" Hitomi stormed out of there, very upset.

* * *

"The dragons are coming; I can sense them," Van declared. "Let's go this way!" The both started running, but it was futile. Soon they were surrounded. Van knew from the dragon that he fought long ago, as well as the many dragons in Fanelia that one time with Folken, that this would be difficult.

These were desert dragons, unlike the dragons in Fanelia they won't leave if you sheath your sword and get rid of the rage in your heart, they were of the worst variety. They sensed blood and were attracted to anything that had blood (yes, even more bloodthirsty than Dilandau had been… which many would have never thought possible.) Their scales were like titanium, their breath the equivalent of a thousand suns, but they had one weakness… they were slow. But that weakness was more than compensated when in groups, they attacked rapid-fire.

"Damn it!" exclaimed Van as his sword struck the dragon's scales and clanked off. The, now enraged, dragon knocked Van over with a massive claw. Allen had no more luck than Van. Soon they were surrounded.

* * *

"Oh Van," cried Hitomi, clutching her pendant. "Please come back safely… please…" She looked up at the stars. 'The power of the stars,' she thought. Up in the night sky a star began to nova, and Hitomi's pendant began to shine a bright red.

* * *

The dragon now used its sharp tail to come down on Van's head. This time there was no Hitomi to warn him of it. "Van!" screamed Allen. Van looked up, he knew there was no time to avoid it. Suddenly Van disappeared. Allen was now alone to face seven very hungry dragons.

* * *

"Van!" Hitomi exclaimed as she ran up and hugged him. He was finally back, and safe. Hitomi noticed the cut across Van's face. "Maybe we had better go inside."

Once inside Van got the typical greeting from Merle. She ran and jumped into his arms. "I was so worried, Lord Van! Thank goodness you're all right, thank goodness!"

"Yes, I'm glad to be back, Merle," Van replied, stroking her pink hair.

"Let me help you with that nasty cut, Van," Millerna offered.

She stitched him up, as Dryden had taught her, and placed a bandage over it. "There, good as new," she declared, proud of her work.

"Thank you, Millerna," Van said with much gratitude.

"Where's my brother," asked Celena, not meaning to put a damper on the celebration.

"He was… um… surrounded by a pack of enraged desert dragons when I left," Van said, trying not to worry her, but he didn't want to lie.

Celena started sobbing. It turned into hysterics. "OH, BROTHER!" she screamed. Her sobbing would not stop and only got worse.

"Are you okay? Celena?" asked Hitomi.

"Celena?" questioned Dilandau, who had once again emerged.