Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Asturia: Love and Duty ❯ ch 15 ( Chapter 15 )

Unfortunately for Eries,

1. Dryden lost his grip.

2. Her aim was a little off.

At the moment Eries launched the anesthesia, the doppleganger yanked the grappling hook out of Dryden's grasp. Dryden let go so suddenly that both were sent tumbling backwards. The doppleganger went sprawling into the row of crates behind him. Dryden collided into Annette, who had been unable to dodge him. His momentum sent both of them crashing into the rock wall behind them. Before any of them could recover, an eardrum splitting explosion shook the air.

Fully aware of her shortcomings in skill, Eries had aimed between the two dopplegangers. She reasoned that if she made her mark, she could conceivably take out of both of them. If her throw went wide, she still had a chance of injuring at least one of them.

Her throw was high and wide. The canisters flew through the place where, a split-second earlier, Dryden's opponent's head had been...

... and into the silo beyond it.

The cylinders detonated on impact. The silo's metal hull, not having been designed to withstand explosive impacts, burst.

Eries looked up from where she cowered behind a shed. She had retreated for cover immediately after her throw. What she saw stunned her. Several cartloads of grain had erupted from the damaged silo. A veritable flood pushed up against the rock walls. The burnt doppleganger, who had been closest to the silo, was almost completely buried. Only his face was visible beneath a suffocating pile of kernels. Dryden and Annette fared slightly better, but not my much. Dryden's backwards fall had thrown both of them against the wall, and the grain had immobilized them there. Dryden was struggling, mired waist deep. Annette was motionless. And the other doppleganger?

Eries did a panicked survey.

Her jaw went slack. He was picking himself out of a stack of pallets at the edge of the mound. The grain was only up to his ankles.

He blinked and looked around him in bewilderment.

A single impulse took over Eries.

RUN!!!

Eries turned and ran as if all the devils of Hades were after her.

-=-=-=-=-

[Lover's only, track 10, Chain]

"Aniki!" yelled Manoc.

Acrid smoke from the smoldering gash in the silo watered his large eyes as he looked about frantically for his elder brother. In spite of what had just happened, Manoc wasn't too much the worse for wear. Landing on the crates had added some more scrapes and a large bruise to his knee to the relatively minor injuries he sustained from Fassa's rat man, but that was all. But without the guidance of his elder brother, Manoc was completely at a loss.

Manoc was young, still an adolescent. He and his brother Dinoguan were the last of their tribe. Dinoguan had been in need of his assistance for over a year. However, a doppleganger comes into his power at puberty, and it was only recently that Manoc gained the ability to shift shape and destroy souls.

Despite those new and powerful abilities, Manoc lacked experience. He had been keeping abreast of the situation through reports from his brother and their ex-Zaibach military compatriots and training in their hidden camps, but he relied on his brother's instructions for all of his actions: when and by what means to come to Asturia, who his victim was; where, when, and how to attack.

"It's all my fault," thought Manoc, guilt stricken. Everything had been going so smoothly. In an amazing stroke of luck, the ever traveling Dryden Fassa arrived in Palas just two days before Manoc made it to the capitol. Dinoguan had chosen the time and place, reconnoitered the previous night, and devised the strategy. Manoc was to take Fassa's body. They would make it appear as if he had escaped a robbery at the yard. The supposed trauma of the robbery would give Manoc time to settle into his "new persona" and also give him a ready explanation for any lapses in character.

The two of them disposed of the guards easily enough. With Dinoguan in the form of Minister Jorel as a diversion, the two guards never knew what hit them. They then approached the office in the back of the staging area. As Dinoguan had anticipated, Fassa was completely absorbed at his desk, alone. According to the plan, they were to survey the small building to insure no others were around before making their move.

But Manoc deviated from the plan.

Eager to finally do his part after years of watching from the sidelines, Manoc threw caution to the wind. Ignoring Dinoguan's warnings, he sprinted to his victim. After all, who else besides the watchmen would possibly be there so late at night?

He had never been so wrong in his life.

He sped confidently towards his oblivious victim--

--and crashed into the door that was suddenly flung open.

The force of the collision was enough to make him fall back on his rear. Stunned, Manoc looked up to see a rat man and a woman who had been in an inner filing room.

The strengths of dopplegangers are stealth and surprise. When they lose that advantage and are themselves the victims of surprise, they lose their edge. Unnerved by his blunder, Manoc had been unable to recover. Throwing himself onto Manoc, the rat man had reacted first, screaming all the while for his master to escape. Under ideal circumstances, disabling such a rodent would have been child's play. Unfortunately, Manoc had just about every disadvantage as he wrestled with the determined beastman. At length, Manoc managed to get the upper hand and break the rat man's neck.

Rushing outside, he prayed that his brother had been able to intercept the target. What he found was Dinoguan aflame followed by a second confrontation. The bookish merchant was not turning out to be the easy victim he had anticipated. But it was imperative to capture him and do what he could to mend the damage he had caused. Relief had swept over him when he finally unarmed Fassa.

Then everything exploded.

When his vision cleared, grain was everywhere. Fassa and the woman were trapped in the quagmire of kernels. The woman's body was limp. Fassa was imploring her to wake up. But Dinoguan was nowhere to be seen.

Things just kept getting worse and worse.

"Aniki!!!"

If his brother was dead, he could never forgive himself.

A flash of white in the waves of amber grain caught his eye. In a heartbeat, he was at his brother's side. "Aniki, are you all right?"

"I saw ... someone else... here... he caused explosion..." Dinoguan spoke in ragged gasps. The pressure of the grain was crushing him, squeezing the air from his lungs. In his current state, Dinoguan didn't have the strength to morph out of there even if he had been proficient at such an advanced doppleganger skill. It was all he could do just to keep breathing. Manoc would have to dig him out.

"I'll get you out of here," Manoc said, shoveling at the grain with his hands.

"No! You... have to... Where's Fassa?"

Manoc glanced at Dryden Fassa struggling ineffectively by the wall. "He's not going anywhere."

"Find that other... if word gets out... we lose everything..."

Manoc nodded and obeyed immediately. Scouting the perimeter of the clearing, he scanned for traces of his unknown opponent. Behind a stack of crates opposite the silo, he spied a dagger and a cloak. The olefactory faculties of dopplegangers are not nearly as sensitive as those of beastmen. However, the scent, though faint, was fresh. It was enough.

Manoc ran in hot pursuit.

He would redeem himself if it was the last thing he did.

[end music]

;];];];];]];];];;]];];];

[Soundtrack 2, track 8, machine soldier]

A cramp stabbed her in the side. Her lungs burned with every agonizing breath. And still she ran, her exposed limbs pumping like they never had before.

Her life was in jeopardy. Worse than that, her attempt to help Dryden and Annette had put the kingdom at jeopardy. She had to get to the guard station before she was discovered. If the doppleganger caught up to her, she was good as dead. Worse yet...

It was common knowledge that once a doppleganger had someone locked in his viselike grip, it was a simple matter for him to steal the victim's body. Locking his eyes with his prey's, he rendered his victim helpless to escape. The endless depths of a doppleganger's eyes paralyzed his victim's soul, thus enabling him to capture the unfortunate's essence and draw it unto himself.

If the doppleganger caught her and recognized her, he would undoubtedly use her form and the powers she commanded towards his own diabolical ends. Asturia could not afford such a thing to happen.

Pebbles scattered in the wake of her footsteps. The gradually lightning sky made her path easier to see, but it also made her an easier target to spot on the empty road.

Just a little further, she thought. In a few minutes she would reach the end of the road and safety.

Then she heard it. Added to the sound of her hands and footsteps was...

... the sound of someone else running.

Adrenaline surged through Eries' veins. She redoubled her efforts. She did not dare look back. However, a zigzag in the road allowed her a glimpse back up the road without her having to make the effort.

It was the doppleganger. He had seen her. And he was rapidly gaining ground.

Eries sped on, refusing to give up. But she knew it was inevitable. There was no way she could outpace him. He would catch up and it would all be over--

No! She would not, could not let that happen. Too much was at stake.

She rounded another bend and found herself on the stretch leading to the bridge where, not so long ago, she had gazed at Palas with lightness in her heart.

A sudden thought flashed into her mind.

Dopplegangers could only steal the forms of LIVE victims.

He was bearing down on her. 50 paces left.

With a last desperate burst of speed, Eries sprinted to the bridge.

25 paces.

Her life was over, but she could at least ensure that she would be useless to her pursuer even if he were able to recover her body.

10 paces.

Mother, Millerna, Marlene... I'll be with you soon

She reached the bridge and scrambled over the guard railing. Closing her eyes, she flung herself over.

Allen...

Her body jerked to a halt in midair. The sudden stop jarred the wind out of her. Eries' eyes snapped open. She looked up to see the doppleganger holding onto her ankle.

She had not been fast enough. He had grabbed hold of her just as she went over.

Eries screamed.

It was nightmarish. Dangling upside down in midair, the drop of the ravine below and the roar of the falls in her ears, was terrifying and dizzying. Her vision swam. Yet her inner resolve kept her fighting, kicking and writhing, trying to frustrate the doppleganger's efforts.

It was surreal. The predator, striving to pull his prey from the precipice. The prey, fighting to plunge to the depths below.

Despite her valiant efforts, Eries was no match for her opponent. He managed a more secure grip on her and began gamely pulling her back.

This can't be happening, thought Eries. Tears of anger and anguish blinded her as she realized her struggle was in vain.

The doppleganger pulled her up and over, Eries twisting and flailing every bit of the way. Though panicked, she had the presence of mind to squeeze her eyes shut. She wasn't going to let him have his way with her that easily.

Back onto solid ground, Eries continued to resist, but his grip was like steel.

"I have had it with you!"

He struck Eries in the face hard enough to make her ears ring. Dazed, Eries ceased.He shoved her roughly onto the ground and straddled her so that her arms were pinned to her sides. With one hand, he grabbed her throat. With the other, he pushed Eries' disheveled hair from her face.

Please don't, don't recognize me

A gasp of surprise followed by a self-congratulatory chuckle dashed Eries' hopes. "Well, well, what have we here? You might just be enough to get me out of trouble, Princess."

She felt his grip on her throat tighten, choking off her breath. "Now, I just need you to open your eyes." Eries struggled weakly, but she felt herself blacking out. "Be a good little Princess and do as YOU'RE TOLD!!!" He pressed his palm to her forehead to force her eyes open.

No! No, I can't... I won't...

A shriek ripped through the air.

All at once there was the furious sound of wings beating and cries of surprise and pain. The doppleganger released his hold on Eries' face and neck. Eries gasped, her lungs desperate for air. The doppleganger moved suddenly, abruptly thrusting Eries aside.

Eries lay dazed and coughing, too weak to move. Through her oxygen deprived senses, she heard the sounds of another drama unfolding beside her.

Charging footsteps. A challenge sounded. Shouts of anger. A vicious struggle. Then the sickening sound of a blade plunging through flesh, followed by a thud.

Stillness.

A sickening stench overwhelmed Eries' nostrils. If her stomach were not already empty, she surely would have vomited where she lay.

She fainted.

=-=-=-=

"Eries...... please... wake up, please... Eries, love …"

That voice. Soft and pleading. It was so familiar. But it couldn't possibly be...

"Allen--?" she whispered, her eyes fluttering open.

Was it a dream? Or a vision? Or maybe she was dead. There was no way this could be real. She couldn't possibly be lying in his arms... his sword-calloused hand gently caressing her... his face pale with concern in the early light of dawn... his blue eyes looking down at her with anguish...

"Oh Eries, I thought... Heavens, I thought I was going to lose you..."

He pressed her to him, clutching her as if he would never let go. Eries let herself be held, relaxing against his warmth. She sighed, snuggling against his shoulder despite the smarting sensation it caused--

--and noticed the lifeless body on the other side of the bridge. The doppleganger was lying in a pool of his own blood. The vile odor emanating from the mortal wound to his gut had faded into a vague unpleasantness.

Doppleganger--fight--Dryden--

Eries abruptly broke the embrace. "Allen," she croaked, her throat aching from the doppleganger's stranglehold. "Hurry, please. There's another doppleganger. At Dryden's yard. Dryden, Annette, they're in danger."

All the tenderness vanished from Allen's face and was replaced with an expression of businesslike resolve.

Allen quickly helped Eries to her feet. "Can you walk?" he asked urgently. Eries nodded. "Get to the guard station and stay there. Have them send help. I'll make sure Dryden's safe."

Another nod. Allen whistled and began racing up the road. His owl, who had been calmly observing Alan and Eries' reunion from a perch on the bridge railing, flew to join her master.

Eries started towards town for reinforcements. She had just staggered a few steps when it struck her.

' love'... Allen called me ' love'...

[AN: nothing like a dead body to ruin the mood.-Ron]

***********************

About an hour after sunrise, the crew of the Cypress convoy were tramping up the road to their ships. They were not particularly alert, having spent the previous night carousing at the entertainment district. A couple of men nursed sore heads, the product of a tavern brawl. Others nursed hangovers, occasionally growling at the others if they would, for heaven's sake, keep it quiet. Overall, though, the mood was fairly upbeat. Lord Dryden always treated the crew to a night on the town (provided one with nearby) before weighing anchor. It was his way of rewarding his men for putting up with his quirks. Even now, not even the captain had any idea where their next destination was. A few of the crew members, who had a proclivity for laying wagers, had a betting pool going on to see who could guess closest to their unknown destination.

Although they were not at their most observant that morning, it was difficult for them not to notice that something out of the ordinary was happening. There was much more traffic on the road than usual. And it was not commonplace traffic either. They had yet to see a single cargo wagon. However, three squads of mounted palace guards had thundered past them towards the yards. They had also seen a few light carriages going up and coming back down again as well. And that last guy who rode by, headed back towards town--the one with the pretty boy face--didn't he look a lot like that Allen Schezar fellow?

They were full of speculation by the time they reached the dock driveway. But none of them was prepared for the actual sight that met their eyes.

They stood at the entrance to the leviship yard and gaped.

Palace guards, town guards, emergency personnel, and their mounts and transport were all gathered at the southeastern end of the yard. The staging area itself was a hive of activity. As they drew nearer, they saw a line of guards forming a kind of bucket brigade. With a start, they realized that the stuff they were transferring and piling outside of the staging area was grain from the silo, now a charred, twisted remnant of its former self.

One of the crewmen spoke. "Oh no... Cecil... Gerald..."

The rest of the crew followed his line of sight. What they saw sobered even the most inebriated of the lot. Two men lay supine by the guardhouse. A coroner stood nearby, taking notes on a tablet. Cloths covered the faces of the deceased, but their blue uniforms were enough to verify their identities.

"... get the Prince Regent back to the palace as quickly as possible, but have a care, men."

"You really don't have to nursemaid me, Sir Timothy."

"But Lord Dryden--"

At the sound of the all too familiar voice, the entire crew turned as one to see a couple of palace guards bearing Dryden on a stretcher. His face was ashen and haggard. His glasses were missing, and his hair had escaped from its trademark ponytail and was in tangled disarray. A physician and an overprotective Caeli hovered over Dryden as he was carried to a waiting carriage.

"Hey there," Dryden called to his dumbstruck crew. "Where' ve you been? You've missed out on all of the excitement."

****************