Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ You said you would never forget! ❯ Back to the Mid Way Point ( Chapter 6 )

Disclaimer: Santa did not get me Escaflowne or any of the characters for Christmas ::pouts::shakes piggy bank:: still not enough!! Hmmph.

---------------

Orito sat in the front seat of his brand new buggy. He had to admit that it was far better that old tatty one that he used before. He had to admit that it was not the first time it had fallen apart, when he was on his back from Westonia. He still could not believe that he had Hitomi `pupil of the eye' Kanzaki. Hitomi literally translates to `pupil of the eye.' Made sense he thought, seeing as how she was a seer, and a famous one at that.

They road along the pebbled country path, Orito was admiring his surroundings as they went. They were beautiful, yes, but he could not stop himself from thinking that everything looked the same to him. Every tree, every rose bush, every patch of grass. He let his mind wander; it was hard not to do, driving down a long country road. You passed nothing different or exciting, everything looked the same. “I wonder if Hitomi still has visions even though she has lost her memory of Gaea. Shame, I can't exactly ask her, it would arouse too much suspicion if she didn't”

Hitomi sat in the back of the buggy. She looked back, watching the tracks being made by the wooden tyres. She let out a long low sigh. How had she let herself be landed in this situation? All she wanted to do was go back home. But she didn't know how. How are you supposed to get home, if you don't know how you got here in the first place? But, even if she was given the chance to go home… would she take it? “If I was not in this situation… about to be sold… I don't think I would go back home. Aya… Yukari… Amano…”

Orito sat there, staring at the endless track ahead. Gods how he hated awkward silences. He had never had any trouble speaking out to one of his girls. Why this one? Was there a pang of guilt there? Orito was a horrible, cold - hearted man, but he could not help but feel for the poor girl, “is that what this feeling is… guilt? Strange… I have never come across this emotion before”. The only difference between her and all the other girls was that she was famous and she has lost some of her memory. Now he came to think about it… those were big differences. “I am getting soft in my old age”

“So…” Hitomi turned around from the sudden noises that came from Orito. Surprise filer her eyes as she looked intently at the back of his head. “So… what did you want to do with your life… before you came here?” Orito asked

Hitomi was infuriated. How dare he talk to her like they were… like they were friends, after everything he had done to her? Thanks to him, her life was hell. Thanks to him she had no free will. She could not have control over her own life. He was the one who decided what she did and when she did it… not her.

“What! Do you mean what I wanted to do with my own life, before you took it away from me?” She said, anger was dangerously flaring up in her voice. She did not know how long she could remain calm. She ferociously glared at the back of his head. Her eyes could burn scorching holes in to his balding skull if she wanted.

Orito was surprised by her outburst. Not daring to look back at her he continued to speak, not wanting to loose the on going battle against her. “You know the law of Akina, Hitomi. A merchant who specializes in selling females can take in any woman who is homeless. He will provide them with shelter, food and water and in return he can then sell the woman to any man of his choosing. But the law also states that the merchant can sell her along, in the condition that man is not abusive. And I am glad to say that the man you are getting sold to is not violent. I actually think that you two would get along quite well” He had a smug look on his face, and he was very thankful that Hitomi could not see it.

“You didn't even give me a chance to find a home. I landed here in the Akinan Forest. I walked endlessly to find a path or a road… just to find someone to help me. A came across a small country road. I recall seeing you washed down horse and buggy, and then I passed out. Next thing I know… I am in your excuse for a house. I had no chance at all.”

His horse was busy trotting away. She had noticed that while they had been talking their speed had slowed down considerably. She stood up in the carriage. She moved to the side and placed one leg over the side. She turned he body and lowered her self down. Her feet landed safely on the ground. The slight wind blew her hair gracefully and the rag that she was wearing, which was supposed to be a dress, flapped aimlessly at her knees. “Impulsive decisions ate the best kind of decisions that can be made” she thought to her self.

“Goodbye Orito,” she turned on her heels and began to walk down the country lane.

-------------

He stared hard at the letter in his hands. His onyx eyes not daring to look away. Had he finally reached his goal? His black raven hair shadowed his well defined features of his face.

The glass doors that led out to the balcony from his office were opened. Sunlight streamed through lighting up the room. The cool breeze crossed the threshold into the room. The white translucent curtain fluttered at every touch. His unruly hair began to sway in rhythm with the wind as did the loose red t - shirt which carelessly covered his now broad chest and muscled torso.

“Are you okay Van?” A woman asked him kindly. He loved up from the latter that lay delicately in his rough hands. He looked at the woman that stood elegantly before him. Her long blonde tresses ran down her back, held together with a pink bow. Her soft blue eyes were fixed on him intently. She wore he usual short pink dress with a blank belt around her slim middle. Long black legging went down her legs, stopping just below her knee. He could see the sincerity on her face.

“Yeah, I'm fine Millerna…honestly,” he added after he received a sceptical look from the Princess. He fiddled with the paper in his hands. He sighed heavily and ran his fingers. “I just received a note from Allen. He is staying at an inn at the halfway point. He said that he will be he in a day… two at the most.”

“Oh that's good to hear. It has taken a while for him to get there. What was the hold up?” Millerna's face lit up in hearing Allen's name. She was married to Dryden, but she and Allen were almost like best friends. She trusted him implicitly. Allen acted as a bodyguard to her. But he had some unfinished business to attend to and said that he would come to Fanelia as soon as he was done.

Van didn't look at her… but returned his gaze to the not in his hands. Could it be true? “He also said that she is in Gaea.” He sat in his chair and waited for her to reply.

“Who is in Fanelia…? Hitomi?” she asked

“Yes.” He answered with a hint of depression in his tone.

“I - I thought that you would be happy that she was in Fanelia,” she said while she moved across the room to take a seat opposite Van.

Silence took over them. Anger came over Van. His hand curled tightly into a fist. He pounded the table as hard as he could, trying to relieve himself of the fury that raged wildly within him. Millerna jumped with surprise and let out a soft squeal.

“She - She is in the care of a merchant,” it took all of his will power to summon the words. “Apparently, she is going to be sold to King Sai. Allen said that she should be passing through the mid - way point any day now.”

“Surely she will return to Fanelia with Allen. She will see him at the mid - way point and come here with him. You can protect her under your laws can't you?” she pleaded with him. She could not believe that this was happening. But her emotions were nothing compared to Van's.

“No, I am afraid I can't. The arranged marriage has nothing to do with Fanelia. If she ran away, then she would probably apply to the laws of Akina. Allen won't bring her back. He knows as well as I do what will happen if she ran away from her merchant.” Gods, this was stressful. “This is quite a situation that Hitomi has landed in. An extremely complicated one at that.” He thought.

“However,” Van continued, “In two weeks time, Westonia and I are going to Akina. We are trying to enforce the law that Austuria set up two years ago. We are trying to ban the selling of women...” Van gave an exasperated look. “No wonder the merchant is in a hurry, with the law about to change. He needs Hitomi at Westonia and married within two weeks”

“Two weeks: two weeks. That's too long… she could be married to him by then. Cant you change the date of the meeting to make it sooner?” Millerna was distraught. She was dumbstruck. How could this have happened?

“No, I can't. The Queen of Akina is away, and Westonia will only come to the meeting after King Sai has married Hitomi.”

“So - So there is nothing that we can do?” Millerna asked as a trickle ran down her cheek.

“I'll think of something.” Van replied. He was determined. He was not going to let himself sit there and let Hitomi marry King Sai. It was not right. They didn't love each other. Sai could easily find some one of his own. But Van loved Hitomi. “Even if Hitomi doesn't feel that way for me anymore, I still can't let it happen… it's wrong.”

------------

“Goodbye Orito,” she turned on her heels and began to walk down the country lane.

“You don't want to be doing that. Get back in the buggy Hitomi… it's for your own good.” Orito warned her, he stopped the horse, and wobbled out of the front seat. But his vast belly made it difficult for him. He watched as Hitomi stopped and turned around to face him. They must have been about six foot away from one another. But Hitomi only wished that they were miles apart.

“So I can be sold of to some random man, who I do not love and who does not love me. So I can fundamentally ruin the rest of my entire life. I don't think so Orito,” she put one hand on her hip and stared at Orito, waiting for his ridiculous reply. She half expected him to start pitifully grovelling at her feet, pleading with her to go with him.

“Nobody has told you the laws of Akina I see. I would have thought Aya would have.” He said as he laughed maliciously. “If you run away, I will report you missing. Akinan soldiers will track you down. You are then sentenced to ten years imprisonment,” he stated simply

“Your kidding right, that's just outrageous, it's in - humane, it's, barbaric!” She couldn't believe this, she wouldn't believe this. “I don't believe you. Your just saying that so I will go with you to - to where ever you were going to take me,” she said with a fluster. Orito had conveniently not told her where they were going, or who she was going to be married to.

“I will make a compromise with you Hitomi. Come with me to the mid - way point. There, you can ask as many people as you want about the laws of Akina. I know you don't want to be sent to prison Hitomi.”

Hitomi walked a few steps towards him. Her hand clenched as she walked. She pulled back her arm, and rammed it as hard as she could into Orito's face. She was not normally a violent person. You could even go as far as calling her a pacifist. But right then and there, Orito had crossed the line. She was sick of his attitude towards her and other women. He was sick. He repulsed her in every way. Just the thought of him made her want to gag.

------------

Allen looked out of his bedroom window of his room at the inn. They should be arriving by now! He had already sent word to Van about Hitomi and that he was going to stay for a while to see if she passed through with the merchant.

He sat on the window pain and rested his head on the glass. He had a glass of ale in his hand. Every so often he would take a swig and then settle in back down in his lap. “Gods this is boring. I could think of way better things that I could be doing with my time right now.”

Once again, he slowly brought the mug up to his lips and took a mouthful of the alcohol. Suddenly the liquid spurted from hi mouth with shock. He wiped his mouth and looked out the window.

Coming down the country lane was a buggy, different to the one Orito had before. He saw him sat in the front seat with a wild grin planted on his face. He watched as the horse and buggy slowly came into focus. He couldn't believe it. His law dropped with shock.

He got up and ran down the stairs and burst through the inn doors into the cold street. She was there, in the back seat of the buggy. They stopped just in front of Allen.

“Hitomi!” Allen called out to her.