Twisted Fortune - An Escaflowne Fanfiction
By Bonnejeanne and Nixers
Contact: bonnejeanne@yahoo.com and nixerchan@aol.com
Warnings: Spoilers for the entire series, (nothing else yet)
Notes: Set a little over one year after Vision of Escaflowne's end.
Chapter One - Fights and Flight - continued
Gaddes loped down the arena's hallways in long strides, trying to catch up with the young man who'd disappeared in Allen's wake.
/For a squirt, he can move fast,/ he though wryly, a bit of humor breaking through his darker mood. Countless red shirts and tousled hair in the crowds had turned out to be dead ends. /There HAS to be a better way of finding him./
Unaware of the man hunting him, Van headed for the baths used by the male members of the court and guests. He was hot, sticky, dusty, and for some obscure reason, angry. He wished he were heading for a cool stream in Fanelia instead of a public bath.
"Van Fanel!" Gaddes called out for what seemed to be the hundredth time today. Approaching the baths, the figure was too far to clearly make out in the steam rising from the heated waters.
Somehow the call reached him and Van turned, spotting the other man in the crowd. Scowling, he waited, but refused to take a step.
"Thank the gods, it must be him," Gaddes breathed, closing the distance. He bowed quickly, more of a duck of his head, as he caught his breath. "Can I talk to you?" He stopped, looking at the unyielding scowl. "It's about Serena."
Van frowned, then nodded. He saw the darkening bruise and the trickle of now drying blood on the man's face. "You're hurt," he said.
Gaddes frowned, his hand involuntarily brushing the wounded cheek. "I've had worse. Can we go somewhere without all the ears?"
"It's your city, you lead," Van said shortly.
The taller man shrugged casually, feeling a little more in place with the king, as long as he tried to forget what he needed to say. Gesturing with a jerk of his head, he led the other man into an unused changing room at the far end of the castle's bathhouse. "Hardly anyone uses these, the posh ones are on the other side," he offered as an explanation.
Van nodded. He sat on a bench and crossed his arms. "You wanted to talk?"
"Yeah I..." Gaddes sigh, raking his hand through his hair in frustration. "I don't know how to start, I hate to bad mouth the little lady in any way, but... Well, you DO remember who she was right?"
Van looked at Gaddes and released a breath. He looked down. "I think... yes," he said. "Allen's sister... is..."
Gaddes nodded. "No need to say it, just in case, them nosey types can hear gossip a mile away." he sighed again. "I just gotta ask, you've got to lay off on Serena a bit. Duck her for a while... She's been a little flighty... you know.. lately, Allen's been worried sick and all.."
Van looked up. "I didn't go looking for h-her," he said, stuttering slightly on the pronoun.
"Heh, yeah, I'll bet. She has a nose for trouble. Like brother like sister. I wasn't implying anything - it's just for the sake of her health. Could you just try and avoid her a bit?"
"My avoiding her will help her health?" Van asked, deadpan.
"Look, I KNOW it sounds stupid, and when Allen first asked me I was... anyways... you didn't see her in the arena, not till after the fight. Whatever she saw set her off and not in a good way. Sometimes, at first she'd get spacey and a little violent at nothing. We don't want her going back to that, ya know?"
Van watched the other man for a moment. He remembered Gaddes as a friend, and had no reason to respond with anything other than acquiescence, but as the man's words clarified the situation, Van felt his own convictions rise.
"It's not going to work," he said shortly. "Allen's too good a warrior to think that running away will solve anything." He focused on Gaddes' cheek. "She did that?"
Gaddes' posture fell into a slump and he leaned back lightly against the thin walls. "Yeah, clocked me a good one," he shook his head. "I'm just the messenger. It's no use arguing with me, and lemme tell you, it's less use arguing with Allen. I don't always agree, but the boss-man's firm when it comes to family."
Van regarded the other man for a moment. "So... Allen protects his family... who will protect Gaea? You're telling me *he's* still in there. Dressing her up in frilly skirts... that's going to stop *him*?"
The color left the other man's face quickly and the tension surged through his posture again, renewed by the young man's words. He hissed at Van under his breath. "Not so loud with that! And yeah... I don't have a say in this whole thing, but the last thing I want to see is two friends coming to blows over this. It's a matter of family not Gaea."
Van looked at the floor. Then he got up. "All right," he said. "I'll try to do what you... what Allen wants. Now answer a question for me, Gaddes, your thoughts, not Allen's. Do you... do you think the peace will last?"
Gaddes blinked, caught off ballance, before dropping his head in thought. After a moment, he replied slowly, "There's rumors... but then, there's ALWAYS rumors. I don't know for certain to tell you honestly, but I'm hoping with every bone I've got that we all don't have to go through it again. Them young bloods fighting out there dream of battle, I guess. I've seen my fill."
Van listened, as much to tone as to the words and did not find any reassurance in it. He moved to leave the alcove. "Tell Allen not to worry. I'm going home tomorrow. I don't belong here anyway. Take care of yourself."
Gaddes nodded. "It's good to see you again Lord Van," he said with heartfelt honesty. "I just wish things were better. You watch yourself too. Rumors of the war just aren't pointed at Zaibach."
Van stopped in his tracks. "What?"
Gaddes blinked and looked up, catching Van's startled gaze. "Nothing, just keep your guard up. I can't tell up from down in this damned place, but I can tell when something's brewing," he shrugged.
Van looked into the man's eyes for a long moment, then left. All thoughts of the bath fled from his mind, but he stumbled in the direction of water anyway, operating on automatic.
Gaddes watched the young man go with a sigh. "Good luck, kid." He rubbed the back of his head and grabbed a towel, figuring he might as well while he was here. He wasn't all that anxious to go back to Allen and report anyway. "I just hope you don't need it," he mumbled to himself.
Serena stepped lightly down the stairway outside of the palace, squinting in the sudden change of light. Something about the view was different this time, lightening her step and making the air, rich with the scents of exotic spices and the markets below, seem that much more enticing.
/It's my destination that's changed./ she thought, almost giddily. With a large grin, she practically leapt down the stairs, bounding down the short steps four at a time. She'd have taken them with less care, but Allen always was a little peevish when her fine clothes came back ripped or muddy when they were back at the country house.
Still, she wished for a simpler set of clothing as she reached the bottom level, letting the tumultuous crowds envelop her. Her natural curiosity distracted her a hundred ways at once, from pretty trinkets, to strange beastmen, to odd languages. There seemed to be more than enough for her appetite.
Letting herself drift with the flow of people, she regretted not bringing much money, while at the same time she was relieved - her sharp eye had caught more than one questing hands in the crowd.
Aimlessly meandering, the distinct outline of an excited mass of people gathered her quicksilver attention. Keeping to the veiling shadows, she moved to investigate what had seemly captured half of the bazaar's interest.
Van walked, not so much to clear his mind as to dampen it. He paid little attention to the people around him, but let the noise and color and movement fuzz his attention, in the opposite way that walking in the quiet woods cleared it.
The sound shouldn't have caught his attention but somehow it penetrated, because it didn't belong here. A miniature, weak version of a sound that had once reverberated through his body. He saw the small crowd ahead, gathered around some kind of circular pit or enclosure. The crowd sounds increased, and then fell just for a moment, allowing the sound to reach him again.
He moved without thinking and pushed through the bodies to look down, seeking the source.
In a pit roughly five or six feet deep and about twelve feet in diameter, crouched a small creature, not too small, about the size of a man or almost-grown boy but tiny compared to the versions Van had seen. It was a baby earth-dragon. Someone had managed to capture it somehow, and now it crouched, glaring with fear and rage at the shouting faces around it.
The "owner" of the beast was busily taking small payments from the crowd, who gaped and occasionally threw things down into the pit, like small stones and sticks.
"Direct from the magical forests of Fanelia!" the owner called. "You won't see another like it - if you do, run for your life!"
Van stared down at the young dragon, almost feeling its fear and rage. His heart hammered in his chest. He grabbed the man who was taking money by the jerkin.
"How did you get this out of Fanelia?" he demanded fiercely.
The man stared back down at the boy. The owner's bearded jowls made him look a touch more ridiculous than offended. "Trade secrets my boy. Now, if you want to see the beast, you have to pay for the honor like everyone else."
The scowl Van turned on the man might have ignited him if he'd been wearing more combustibles. Without answering, Van released the man and went to the edge of the pit, pushing aside several people. Then he dropped down into the pit, landing on his feet.
Startled gasps arose from the crowd, as well as several panicked outcries for help. People crushed in around the lip of the pit, trying to get a better view at the suicidal boy.
The dragon fixed its eye on him and gave a low cry, the same battle sound that would have shaken the ground had it come from a mature dragon's throat.
Heart beating wildly, Van fixed that golden eye with his own, reaching for memories of his brother's voice, his calm words, words that Van had not believed at first. He'd been raised almost from birth to kill dragons. It was his duty as the protector of Fanelia. Folken had taught him something about the incredible beasts that he'd never imagined.
Slowly he calmed his breathing and forced that calm out to the young dragon. Doing this in the forest was one thing. Here, surrounded by the crowd, it would be a miracle if it worked, but he was determined, his heart torn by the sight of the beast here where it should not be.
The dragonling hissed, arching its scaled back. Van could kill it, but without his sword, the beast was large and strong enough to maul him just as easily. And his sword stayed sheathed.
The dragon lunged and Van ducked, slipping to one side in the confines of the pit. He once again fixed his eyes on one of its golden ones, and spoke softly to it.
Above, the crowd cheered as the first pass was completed. The sound of money changing hands and bets being laid was almost audible above the excited exclamations.
The dragonling came up against the wall of the pit and turned, awkwardly, and Van could now see the scarred hind leg. This explained why the powerful creature hadn't jumped from the pit. He scowled. With little idea of what he was doing, he formed a picture of the quiet, dark forests of his homeland and pushed it towards the golden eyes. The dragonling's head lowered and it gave another cry, but this one was less fierce, almost a cry for help.
Van took a slow step towards the beast. It watched him closely. He continued to think of the calm, dark forests of Fanelia as he took another step and another. Reaching forward, he extended a gloved hand to touch the scaled head.
The dragonling hissed and drew back, but did not attack. Van took another step and placed both hands against its neck. The beast stared at him, opened its wide jaws as if to snap, then closed them, after tasting the air with a long, serpentine tongue. It curled into a ball and placed its head on the ground.
Van knelt by the creature and looked up.
Hushed and awestruck faces met his gaze, ripples of murmurs ran through the cluster of people above.
"Is that thing tamed already? I want my money back."
"Nah, it's a miracle, ain't no drag'n bowin' for no one."
The master of the spectacle had finally managed to push himself to the front, huffing loudly from the exertion and followed by a young and nervous looking assistant. He nearly staggered back at the sight below him, but quickly gathered his composure. "You there! What do you think you're doing? That creature will tear you in half the second you turn your back."
Van met the man's gaze. His face remained calm. He lifted his sword out of its sheath with his left hand, by the blade, and turned the hilt towards the man, showing the crest. "You've violated the laws of Fanelia," he said softly.
"Fanelia's crest." The man's eyes opened wide, white rimmed with panic. "M'lord! I didn't know you were in attendance I..." he babbled, a foot kicking the shins of an assistant behind him. "Get a rope," he hissed, "If the king is harmed, we'll all be strung up by the neck, idiot!"
"Hold," Van called clearly. "Give these people their money back and have them leave. I'll pay you..." the words tasted unpleasant, but it was the only way he could think of to stop this.
The pale merchant nodded slowly, turning to the same attendant, "Do as he says. Hurry!"
"But," the younger man stumbled, hard pressed to believe the merchant would give up a gidaru of his earnings. The merchant drew him far enough aside, signaling to the crowd, who were eager to have the show for free, to line up. Carefully out of earshot of the pit his mumbled. "Forget the money, we're lucky to have our lives, he looks like blood."
The apprentice began to match the pallor of the older man as he mechanically gave out the refunds and shooed away the onlookers.
Van turned back to the dragon, letting his gloved fingers brush its hide for a moment. Then he sighed, looking more closely at the wounded hind leg.
He stood slowly, not turning his attention from the beast, and moved slowly, but without fear, back from it. Then he reached up, grabbing the edge of the pit and swinging himself up and over it. He walked over to the merchant.
Reaching down, he took the pouch at his belt and tossed it to the man.
The merchant stared for a moment at the much thinner pouch than his earnings since that pit was dug. Survival won out over greed as he forced an oily smile across his face. "Is there anything we may do to assist you, M'lord?"
"Never let me see your faces again as long as I live," Van said distinctly.
Both the merchant and assistant froze, staring at the sword and the man who had just calmed a raging dragon. Pale to the point of sickly, both ducked their heads in an identical gesture of obedience, backing away carefully.
Once the men were out of range, and the crowd mostly dispersed, Van returned to the pit, sitting cross-legged on the edge of it, looking down. "What the hell do I do now?" he said aloud to the scaled creature.
A shadow silently detached itself from the gloom offered by a nearby wall and walked up behind him. "You could try a ramp," a familiar voice called.
Van jumped to his feet, startled, and the dragonling hissed from the pit.
"Serena!"
"Right in one shot," she said, approaching his side, but eyeing the dragonling below uneasily.
A habitual scowl settled over his features. He looked away. "I'm not supposed to..." he muttered, then managed to get his tongue under control and shut up.
"Supposed to?" she asked rhetorically, before shaking her head. "I'd ask what you've been up to, but it's pretty obvious. Don't you have enough legends to your name, Van?" she teased.
He glanced at her involuntarily, and just as unwillingly found himself noticing the change of dress. The conversation with Gaddes jumped into his mind. Even knowing what he knew, it seemed impossible.
He looked at the young dragon instead. "It's hurt - all but crippled. Even if I could get it back to Fanelia, it wouldn't be strong enough to survive in the forests," he said quietly. "I don't know... what I was thinking."
"... I know the feeling...." she mumbled under her breath. More audibly, "It won't live long here either, I don't think. Still, I think it kinda likes you."
Van shook his head. "Not really. It's frightened and hurt. It wants to go home. So do I." He looked into her eyes, feeling strangely defenseless.
She returned the gaze, strangely quiet and pensive, almost a wistful look on her face. "Yeah, it deserves to have its freedom. Even if it dies, it doesn't belong here."
Van blinked. "I agree," he said quietly. /What am I thinking?/ he thought, not for the first time.
A smile broke her solemn countenance. "I knew you'd understand!" She nodded, turning to look at the dragon and then back to Van. "There's a connection between us, as I figure it."
He looked at her sharply. Then in a tone not unlike the one he used with the dragon, he said, "Tell me about this... connection."
Her brows drew together over her forehead. "I don't know what yet. But I saw you earlier, when I was sneaking out on Gaddes and my studies. You were talking with Allen, and I knew that somehow.... I knew you, and that there was something very strong between us..." she paused, blinking and giving a nervous laugh. "Sounds silly, doesn't it?"
Van shook his head. "Allen will kill me for this," he said matter-of-factly. "It's not silly, but it is dangerous."
"Dangerous," she scowled at the word. "Dangerous! Dangerous! Dangerous! That's all I hear, from Allen and from Gaddes, Millerna, everyone. Tournaments are dangerous, swords are dangerous, crowds of people and not dressing like a *lady* is dangerous. Pretty soon the air won't be fit to breath for my oh-so-delicate lungs."
Van listened, watching her face. "You are dangerous," he said quietly.
"Me?" she asked. Uncertainty passed over her as she thought about blood on Gaddes' face. The mood disappeared as quickly as it came. "Me?" She asked again, dismissively. "No, only when I cook. The poor chef wont even let me into the kitchen anymore at our country house. I tried to tell him it was only a little fire!" she laughed lightly.
Van reached out and took one of her hands, holding it in his own to examine it closely. He couldn't stop himself.
She watched Van with confusion and her heart sinking a little. "I'm not a monster you know." Serena said.
He looked up. His lips curved slightly in an odd expression. "No more than I am," he said. He let the hand fall from his. He took a breath and looked around. "How would you solve this problem?" he said in a different tone.
Serena drew herself up. "Well, I'd treat it like a battle, you've got the dragon here -your troops- that needs to get out of a hostile city...." she tapped her finger thoughtfully against the side of her face. "You'd have to wait for nightfall, less chance of an encounter, particularly with the volatile..." she glanced down at the dragon, "...nature of your forces. Of course we'd have to set up guard now, so our little dragon's antagonist doesn't come back."
He inclined his head slightly. "Take charge," he said, watching her.
She grinned and snapped to mock attention, giving him a quick salute. "You got it."
Serena sat back down at the lip of the pit, staring down at the baby dragon inside. "Too bad we can't get you up now," she said to the dragonling below, "I bet you could guard yourself just fine," she grinned.
"Until the city guards show up," Van muttered. He shrugged. "It's simple. I'll stay here until nightfall."
"Oh, you're staying here then," she got up, brushing off the back of her lavender dress. "Okay, I have to get some supplies anyway. Do you need anything from the palace?"
Van shook his head. He looked at her for a moment. He wasn't sure whether to mention to Serena that he'd been told to stay away from her. The next step after that would be asking her not to mention their meeting and that went against his grain, so he decided to say nothing. At least the inevitable fallout would rest solely on his shoulders in that case.
Waiting a moment more, she rocked back on her heels as flickers of expressions passed over Van's face as he thought. After a moment, she flashed another grin, "I'll see you after sunset... first to find a tailor!" She spun and wandered back into the distant crowd of the bazaar.
Van watched the retreating figure until it was completely out of sight. Would she come back? He didn't consider it a foregone conclusion. Was... Serena Schezar honorable, like her brother? She seemed in every way exactly what one would expect from a well-bred Asturian lady, in most respects. Headstrong, perhaps. But so far, though he'd looked closely, he could not see a hint of anything in her eyes or demeanor that was recognizable as anything other than what she seemed to be. However, he felt, no, he knew there was something else present. Something that would show itself in time. What might happen when it did... that was another complete unknown.
He looked around and noticed a rolled-up tarp off to the side. He pulled it over and used it to partially cover the pit, giving the beast some shade, and screening it from curious onlookers a bit. He looked around on an obscure impulse for some way to give it water, but there was no container that would accommodate the dragon's wide jaws. Giving up, he sat once more by the edge of the pit, settling his sword across his knees and prepared to wait.
Somewhere not far away, Serena stepped out of one of the smaller tailors' shops in the bazaar. The doting old woman had looked at her strangely for a choice of wardrobe, but had quickly conceded when she said that it was for a brother who's sizes were very similar to her own. She felt a little guilty for the white lie, but if she was going to do what she wanted to, a dress would be more hindrance than what it was worth.
"Besides," she muttered under her breath, "If I see another scrap of lace or string of pearls, it will be too soon." Making her way back to the palace, she had one more thing she needed to pick up before the night fell, but getting it out of Allen's room without being seen would be a trick and a half.
Sneaking through the pristine corridors of the palace was easy. She knew the servants' passages perhaps as well as the hired help themselves did. She'd always went out of her way to endear herself to the servants wherever she went. It made her life easier when she needed to get out from under her brother's wing for some much needed air and exercise. For some reason she couldn't define, the idea of her fitness degenerating was highly distasteful.
Nearing the panel that would open into Allen and Serena's joined rooms, she paused in the dark hallway, hearing movement and voices beyond.
"Now tell me what happened to your face..." Serena recognized her brother's voice, tinged with something between a stern command tone, and a hint of dread.
"Che' everyone keeps asking that," Gaddes mumbled more to himself than to his boss. "All right you ain't gonna like this but..."
"Spit it out," Allen said quickly.
"Fine, fine. The little missus was at the arena for the first few fights, I figure. I tried to stop her from getting in but the sprite managed to get me off on some fools errand and disappeared. I swear I looked high and low for her... Well, after a while I found her again. She was running like a dragon was on her heels and not looking too well besides. I was gonna bring her back and she hit me," he paused, scuffling nervously. "She said something about watching Van fight, but she wasn't too distinct at the time.."
There was a moment of silence. Then, "Exactly... what... happened... she was running... what did you do, what did she do?" Allen asked, and his voice was almost devoid of expression, which meant he was feeling something powerful and keeping a tight lid on it.
/What's the big deal?/ Serena thought to herself, her eyes narrowing as she crept closer to listen.
"What did she do? I don't know. I was just retracing my steps, and she just comes flying down the stairs from the audience's seats and heading for the door. When I said she wasn't looking good, I wasn't kidding. Che, I can't describe it, kind of like how she used to be at first. I calmed her down and tried to take her back to the room, but we met up with Van on the way.... and you know what happened from there."
There was an indistinct noise, which might have been a muffled curse of a stronger variety than Serena had heard her brother use in her presence. Then the sound of pacing - the tread was decisive and it was easy to picture her brother doing it, as opposed to Gaddes. The pacing stopped. "You talked to him?"
"Van? Yeah. He said he's leaving tomorrow morning, and he'll stay away from the little lady 'till then." There was a bit of a pause. "That's good, right? He's not likely to stay in the palace knowin' him, and she's not allowed out. Seems fool-proof."
Another muttered curse. "It would have been, if I'd known earlier," Allen growled. Then there was an audibly exhaled breath. "No, it's not your fault... well not that part," he added with the barest hint of gallows humor. "Get some rest, man, or go have a drink, or something. I may need your help later but I can't ask you to give up every waking minute to help me with a problem that's my own."
Gaddes' sigh was clearly audible. "I'll do that boss.... you'll call me if you need us right? All the boys are ready for whatever you need. Heh, and bored stiff with all the posh people around."
"I'll call. I can dare to hope she'll come back quickly, or at the least come back without any further episodes. Damned if I could chain her to the furniture I would," Allen swore. "I have no choice now. Even with Fanel gone, there's too much stimulation here. I need to get her back to the country where she isn't so enticed by everything that's like to bring on the worst."
"As you say boss," the other man's voice was low if a bit hesitant. A moment passed and Serena could hear footsteps and a door's movement.
/His own problem am I?/ Serena's eyes flashed in the dark, anger boiling up within her. /They talk like I'm a lunatic, a menace. Fine then! If this is how they feel about me./
She grinned, setting her package from the tailors down. She had only intended the outfit to help her with whatever may occur when dealing with the dragon, and her credentials were in Allen's dresser. It would be easy to hire a cart and bribe the owner's silence from there. Now she wondered...perhaps she didn't have to stop her adventure at the gates of the city.
/After all, I'm only a problem./ She snorted softly.
The next sound from the room was footsteps coming towards the door where she was listening. Allen, on his way to the markets, having decided he couldn't simply sit and wait for her to return.
Serena froze solid, and tried to will herself to breathe quietly. Surely Allen would never demean himself to using the servants' passages, would he? She slipped an arm around behind her to grip the package, in case she had to bolt. The whisper of her lace and satin clothing sounded deafening to her in the tense silence.
There was a sound at the door but it was not the opening of that portal. It was the lock being turned. For some reason, Allen did not want to leave any access to their rooms open. After that, his footsteps crossed to follow Gaddes.
After what seemed hours to her mind (though only 30 beats of her heart, she could hear each of them clearly in her panic), she fell back onto her haunches. Getting in through the main halls was out of the question, far too risky. Well, she would have to do what she could without her papers. She hesitated a moment; the idea of leaving behind her identity, as silly as the papers were, stung.
Gathering up her tunic and leggings from the tailors, she slipped back down the passage. It would be dark soon and there probably wasn't much time.
Dusk had come and been past for a good quarter of an hour before Serena managed to find her way back down into what was now an eerily deserted roadway. The stalls, though covered and secured, held no resemblance to the bright and noisy streetways of their daytime glory. Quickening her pace as much as he dress would allow, she ran for the dragon's pit.
Van lay on his back beside the half-covered pit, looking up at the night sky. The Phantom Moon was nearly eclipsed by its smaller brother, and it made stars easier to see with the lesser glow. His ears caught the sound of light footsteps moving in his direction but he didn't take his eyes from the sky.
Serena slowed her gait, seeing the figure sprawled out in what seemed the middle of the roadway. Relief made her smile and put a slight bounce in her step. She had been worried that the boy would have taken matters into his own hands without her.
"Van," she called out softly. Her low voice carried across the silent road easily.
He sat up and then got gracefully to his feet. "You came back."
She laughed. "Of course I did. I promised you didn't I?"
Something flickered in his eyes. He inclined his head slightly.
Fidgeting a bit under the scrutiny, she brushed past him to look down at the dragonling, feigning interest in the large reptile. "So! When do we get started?"
Van looked at her, and his mouth pulled slightly to one side. "Now, I suppose," he said. "I did leave it in your charge."
"Right! Hmmmm," Serena looked around, scanning the market place for something workable. "Do you think he'll be able to walk on his own once we get him out?"
"I think so." The dragon had moved fast enough when he'd first dropped down into the pit, just didn't have the power in those back leg muscles to jump out.
"That will make things easier..." Her eyes lit upon a large signboard propped up against one of the stalls. Maybe it was a bit too lightweight, but if the dragon moved fast... "Can you get that and bring it over?" She pointed at the board in question. "In the meanwhile, I'm going to get some pants on," she grinned lopsidedly.
That remark got his attention, Van looked over quickly, but his expression was not one of shock at the unconventional mode of dress. It was simply a watching look. Then he nodded again and went over to the board she'd indicated. He looked it over, then grabbed it and flexed his muscles. Small he might still be, but he had a surprising amount of power in his tensile body. A few moments later he was tipping the board into the pit, as the dragon hissed and backed away.
"Wait for me," she called. From underneath the overhang where she'd hidden herself, she finished hopping into the soft leather pants. Looking at the tunic, she decided that slipping on pants under a dress was one thing, but Allen had succeeded in pounding a bit of modesty into her. Still, the frills would get in the way... Resolute, she gripped the delicate material and ripped carefully, removing the bottom half of the dress at the waistline.
She looked over herself, "I look perfectly ridiculous. Oh well." Enjoying her sudden freedom of movement, she bounded back over to Van's side, and moved to help lower the makeshift ramp.
He acknowledged her appearance with a soft grunt and tipped the board down, bracing it as best they could. The dragon was watching with intent attention, but hadn't decided if this was a threat or not. Probably yes.
Once the ramp was as steady as it was likely to be, Van tested it by stepping carefully, half crouching due to the steep angle.
"Careful," Serena hissed, watching Van with a strange sense of nervousness.
Once down the ramp, he began approaching the young dragon. It was clearly nervous and unsettled, but confined its aggressive reactions to hissing and darting its neck from side to side. Van calmed himself as best he could. He had no idea if what he was going to try and do even had a prayer of working.
Unconsciously, his hand moved up to close around something that hung from his neck, under his shirt. Holding the object seemed to strengthen him and he locked eyes with the beast.
It was beyond unexplainable. The next few moments were very simple. Van backed slowly up the ramp, bracing one hand behind him and the other clutching the object under his shirt. The dragonling hissed a few more times, then tilted its head, and suddenly waddled very quickly after the boy. As it advanced, he speeded his retreat. The board groaned and began to crack but the dragonling scrabbled off of it before it split into two pieces and fell into the pit. At that point it hissed again, and Van stopped, then slowly moved forward until he stood right next to it.
Serena stared up at the mottle-scaled beast. For all its girth, it seemed to tower above the two. "Is... it is going to follow us, right?" she gulped, but refused to back down from its yellow stare.
The creature turned and looked her in the eye and made a cry. Van's whole concentration was on the beast. He kept himself between it and Serena.
"Folken told me that it was the fear and rage in our hearts that makes them attack," he said quietly.
Behind him, Serena's hand twitched unconsciously to where she half expected to find a heavy belt. "Fear, right? Okay, I can do that." She tried to steady herself, "After all it doesn't seem to want to turn you into a midnight snack so it can't be so bad..." /I hope./
"Stay back, Serena," Van said. "Lead the way, make sure no one encounters us. I..." the most unexpected sound came from his throat, a soft laugh. "I have no idea where I am going. We can't walk to Fanelia. A... a wagon...?"
"That's what I was thinking earlier." Slowly, the strength of her voice returned as a bit of her fear drained out of her. Concentrating on Van helped somehow. /If I can just stay focused.../ "The one I know of works for my family, but Allen might have said something to him by now.... maybe if we get it closer to the gate we could find some place? No," she corrected herself. "It would probably be easier to just bring it here."
She moved away, cursing her lack of foresight in not seeing cobbler as well. Boots would have been useful. A thought struck her: she hadn't been able to get to her money, and no one would take credit without her papers. "Do you have any gidaru?"
Van shook his head. He'd given it to the merchant. He reached in a pocket and pulled out a key. "There's a pouch in my guest quarters," he said, tossing it at her.
She caught the key without thinking. "Back to the palace again huh?" she shrugged, although a little stiffness was obvious in her posture. /At least Allen and Gaddes are probably still on the street, I can run in and out. Who cares who sees me? I'll be gone./ With that gleeful thought, she nodded at Van. "I'll be right back!"
He watched her go, feeling just a little like he was somehow doing the same thing with two different dragons.
END OF PART 2!