Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Captured Prey ❯ Captured Prey ( Chapter 1 )

DISCLAIMER: In no way shape or form does Escaflowne belong to me. If only it did… Oh the money I've spent on this wonderful series. <sigh> This is my first fanfic so please be gentle. Sorry I'm one of those girls who always falls for the sidekick. And when the sidekick is as gorgeous as Gaddes, who wouldn't. Enjoy and let me know what you think and what's needed to pep this up.

Chapter One

Gaddes laid back and looked at the stars. The ship was down for repairs and sleeping in the jungles of Cesario wasn't the safest course of action. Guards were stationed around the encampment but if an attack took place it was unlikely that the attackers would be seen or noticed.

"Still worried about the myth?" Allen stood beside him.

Gaddes gazed up at the tall, lean form that was his leader. "That's the least of my concerns."

"Oh, what would the others be?" Allen sat down beside him.

"Why are we still carrying that Fanelia twerp and the girls?" Gaddes rolled on to his side.

"We were ordered to take them that's all there is to it."

"The girls aren't bad but that selfish brat is a pain. He has no respect for your authority as captain of the ship or as pilot of Scheraza."

"You expect a fallen king to respect others?" Allen looked down on his second in command. "Don't worry. I can stand to be berated so you can put up with it."

"Whatever you say." Gaddes rolled onto his back and closed his eyes.

"Good night, Gaddes."

Gaddes could hear Allen's clothes rustle as he got up. "Good night, sir."

~~~~~~~

The sounds of the fight filtered through Gaddes's dreams. It took a moment for his conscious mind to comprehend what was happening and wake him from the deep sleep he was in. When he was able to open his eyes it was only long enough to see the longhaired form over him. Then a solid pain screamed through his head and he returned to unconsciousness.

~~~~~~~~

"Wake up, kitten," a soft voice purred into his ear when he began to float closer the surface of reality.

Gaddes moaned a sharp pain crashed around his head. His eyes cracked open slightly. The light was harsh and the crust around his eyes seemed blurred.

"It took you long enough to wake up." A shadow cast over him. It took a moment for the full form to register. It was an animal woman her tail swished over her orange thigh. It lay across Gaddes's stomach as she was curled around him his head resting on her ample bosom.

Gaddes tried to gain his bearings and raise himself. She forced him down with one clawed hand.

"No, kitten, stay put. I'm not ready to let you go." Her amber, slitted eyes glowed in the dim light of their makeshift shelter.

"Where am I?" he asked. He placed a hand on his forehead. His fingertips encountered a large cloth bandage. There was dampness to it and his fingers came back red with his blood.

"You are among the Kiterdis clan." The woman slid her body to lie beside him. Her claws slid over his chest causing him to inhale sharply. "Do you like that kitten?"

Gaddes's senses were beginning to become clearer. He was in a brush hut. His clothes were torn; he was surprised to find them on at all. Through the slash in the back of his shirt he could tell that the bed was made of moss and leaves. The jungle was too humid to allow for blankets, which explained their absence.

Sounds began to filter through the thin canopy. Fires were crackling and pots were clanging. Laughter from other cats followed screams.

The cat beside him smiled. "I claimed you kitten, it was not easy." Her fangs flashed as she moved. "You are prime prey I had to fight the Lady Supreme."

"Lady Supreme?" Gaddes asked. He raised himself on his elbows and she allowed him that much movement.

"Our Queen. She already had claim to the blond one. She's taken her anger out on him. He isn't that pretty anymore." She gave a sharp laugh and ran her tongue across her upper lip. "Now, are you hungry?"

"Thirsty." It was all he could say. His head was beginning to swim again and his vision was becoming blurry.

She nodded. Her long black mane falling forward, blocking her face, "Kit!"

A young brown cat girl came into the hut. Remaining crouched in a submissive pose awaiting her order.

"Water."

The kit nodded, turned, and left.

"How is your head?" She ran her hand over the bandage.

"What happened?" he murmured.

"Young warrior got too dependent on a club. You were her victim. She has been punished. The Kiterdis do not need weapons." She unwrapped the bandage and looked at the wound. She squinted as she examined at it closer a frown threatening the corners of her mouth.

"Who are you?"

"Quanda, second to the Lady Supreme."

Gaddes nodded wishing he hadn't. He fell back. Her strong arms helping to support him.

"She hit you harder than I thought. The water will help but you should eat."

"How long have I been here?" Gaddes decided to question her until his strength returned. In his present condition he wouldn't be able to leave and he didn't know who else was left from the ship.

"A few days. We do not keep track of time." Her fingers combed through his black hair.

"My crew?" Gaddes closed his eyes allowing her to massage his throbbing head.

Kit returned with a pitcher of water.

The sound of a cup dipping into the liquid sounded inviting to his ears. The lip of the cup met his. He opened his lips gratefully accepting the cool liquid. She tilted it away allowing him to swallow.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, kitten. Now let me tend to your wound. A poultice has been prepared I wanted to wait for you to be stronger before I applied it."

"Why?"

"It draws. Sometimes it can cause delusions. Not that you aren't strong enough to handle it." She withdrew the cup and placed it beside the pitcher to his right.

"Will it clean as well as heal?"

She nodded. "Are you ready?"

Gaddes relaxed his shoulders resting closer to her. "You didn't answer me about my crew."

"Do they matter?"
"Yes."

"Hmmm…." She pressed a mossy-grainy mixture onto the wound. "Honorable." She continued her administrations.

He reached up and grabbed her wrist, surprised at the softness of the fur around it. "You said you were second in command here."

"Yes."

He opened his eyes and stared into the slits that were her pupils. "Then you know why they are important to me."

"No, I do not." She looked away. "If one of my warriors fall then they don't deserve to be remembered. They were not strong enough." She wrapped a fresh bandage around his head and got up. Her loose halter top shifting as she rose allowing Gaddes to view her well-endowed chest. Her skirt was slit high on her thigh allowing for her to move freely with some modesty.

"Quanda," he started, following her with his green eyes.

"Rest." She left the hut.

Gaddes closed his eyes and drifted into uneasy sleep. The poultice did have a hallucinogenic affect on him and his dreams were twisted and macabre. The faces of the past filtered forward from the hidden corners of his mind to haunt him. Every life he had taken seemed to be multiplied and his body felt every wound he had inflicted. His closed wounds seemed to reopen and his life's blood seemed to be spilling onto the ground. His mouth seemed to open but no sound issued forth as each strike of the blade sliced deeply into his flesh. Rain fell on him trying to cool his suffering but it burned him and blinded his eyes.

Gaddes jerked forward. His eyes opening and his gaze darting around the hut to register where he was. Gentle clawed hands wrapped around his shoulders and drew him close to a fur-covered body. His breathing slowed to match that of the person holding him and his eyes closed as he tried to refocus his mind. A gentle purring issued from the woman beside him and he knew where he was. He reached up and tried to pull away the herbs that had caused the nightmares but he came away with only a damp cloth.

"I removed the poultice when the dreams started." Quanda whispered. She kept him tightly wrapped in her arms. "I did not expect such a horrific effect." She brushed back his hair from his forehead, careful to not get it caught in the encrusted blood.

Gaddes allowed himself to relax. His heart beat held the same rhythm as Quanda's and he granted himself a moment free of worry.

"The wound is healing," she said softly. "In another day you may be well enough."

"Well enough for what?" he mumbled.

"Listen." She fell silent.

Gaddes strained himself to hear the noises of the Kiterdis encampment. The only sounds he heard were the buzzing of insects and the calls of birds.

"Where is everyone?"

"They moved on. I would not leave you." She leaned forward so her face was over his. Deep claw marks marred her feline features.

Slow comprehension started to take over. "They did this to you because of me?" He asked his hand coming up to trace the fine lines that were almost healed. Her perfection would be scarred.

"What do you expect? I disobeyed the Lady Superior because you and several of your companions were unwell."

"What happened to them?"

"The others are dead."

"What?" Gaddes strained trying to sit up.

She placed a hand on his chest and forced him back down. "They are not worth your tears." Quanda traced the lower rim of his eye wiping away the tears starting to form.

"How would you know?" Gaddes pushed her away and forced himself to sit up. His body protested the movement and he had to stop moving before he would swoon.

"I do not understand Man and I certainly don't understand you, kitten. Almost the first thing you asked when you awoke was how your crew was. You weren't concerned about yourself."

"How can you not understand?" Gaddes drew his legs up so he could rest his head on his knees. "You don't see to care for your own clan. How can you understand?"

Quanda shook her head. "We are taught not to care, kitten. You condemn me for not doing something I cannot do."

Gaddes shook his head. "Why did you stay?"
"I could not leave you."

"Why?"

"In the state you were in you would not have survived."

"Yet, your clan killed the others who weren't able to continue."

She looked at him for a moment. "I caused your illness."

"No you didn't the knock on the head caused it."

"Initially. I brought you back from that then by putting the poultice on the wound I made it worse." Her eyes were blank as she spoke.

"You aren't making sense. I want to know why you stayed. There is no reason for you to. You were second in command. Why would you risk your position for a prisoner that you do not know?"

Quanda sat back and stared at him. Her brow furrowed in confusion. Finally, she shook her head and stood. "You need food," she said.

Gaddes watched her leave the hut, trying to understand her feline reasoning. To her he was just another possession. Something she should easily be able to throw away. Yet, she had remained with him while he was hallucinating and risked the wrath of her queen.

She returned with a large fruit in her hand. "This will give you back your strength," she said as she broke the fruit and sliced it with her claws.

"You can't answer me can you?" he asked softly.

"I wanted you," she replied.

He shook his head and accepted a piece of the yellow fruit.

"I am not allowed to want?" She asked.

"You don't make sense. You could waylay any traveler through this jungle and claim them."

Quanda laughed. "You make it sound easy. Travelers avoid our jungle because of use. Keeping those we find is very important."

"Because it isn't easy to replace your playthings." He smiled at her coldly.

"You are the one who doesn't make sense. Now finish eating and rest." She turned from him and left the hut.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Days passed slowly and Gaddes began to regain his strength. Quanda would not allow him to leave the hut. His wounds were completely healed, but tender to touch. He waited impatiently for Quanda to bring him his meals. Every once in a while he tried to sneak out of the hut and stretch his legs, but every time he neared the entrance she would stop him. Eventually he gave up trying to escape.

The hut was low and he couldn't stand to full height. He tried to move some of the brush so he could see out but again his attempt was foiled.

So a frustrated Gaddes accepted his fate of being Quanda's pet.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gaddes was awakened by the sound of fighting. He rolled onto his side and squinted toward the opening of the hut. It wasn't a large fight, but it was near.

He crept to the opening hoping for a chance to see who was engaged. Quanda wasn't present to block the door. Actually, by the sounds of the fight she was one of the players. If t hat were so she was outnumbered.

Gaddes knelt by the opening and listened. The other players weren't cats they were men. And men meant weapons. Gaddes thought quickly and chose. He exited the hut and stopped still.

His eyes widened at the sight before him. The fresh sunlight scarred his eyes that were used to the dim light of the hut but they focused quickly on the surrounding clearing. Suddenly, it made sense why Quanda hadn't wanted him to leave the hut.

The ground was littered with corpses. Think layers of Hewolr branches were spread around them to keep the stench down and it had worked. He hadn't expected such a grisly sight. Bodies of cats and men laid everywhere. Most of the men were his own crewmates.

The sounds of the present battle returned to Gaddes and he looked across the clearing. Quanda was combating two men, both capable swordsmen. One was fairly short with dark hair and a headstrong attitude toward fighting. The other was tall and elegant in his stance, his hair was blond and looked like it had been viciously hacked.

Gaddes's eyes widened. "Allen! Van!" He exclaimed. It wasn't loud enough to rise above the battle din. He took a few steps forward.

Quanda was loosing the battle with the two men. A down sweep from Allen's sword cut deeply into her shoulder. She gave a jaguar howl and lunged for him. Her claws ripped through his shirt and grazed his skin.

Gaddes watched in a daze then found his voice. "Stop!" he shouted.

On cue the three turned to him. "Kitten!" Quanda growled. Her face contorted into an animalistic mask.

"Gaddes!" Allen smiled and repositioned his sword.

"Allen don't," Gaddes said sternly. He finished the walk to the three and placed an arm around Quanda's waist. There were more wounds than the one on her shoulder. "What has happened?"

"Her clan massacred us." Van spit.

Allen placed a hand on the youth's shoulder. "Have you been here the whole time?"

Gaddes nodded. "What happened?"

"A few nights after we were taken a feud broke out in the clan." Allen said and looked suspiciously at Quanda.

"Lady Superior wanted to move on and others did not."

"Which were you?" Gaddes asked.

"I do as the Lady Superior wishes." She answered.

Allen scowled at her. "The cats fought among themselves and soon our men were dragged into it. Finally the queen won and took the few remaining with her."

Gaddes turned to Quanda. "Why are you still here?"

"I was unconscious." She looked down and wrinkled her nose in disgust. "I could not rejoin the clan because to them I was dead."

Allen ran his gaze across the clearing. "You heard nothing?"

"I was unconscious. How did you get here?"

"Zaibach flamed the jungle and the Kiterdis were massacred. The few of us left were lucky."

"Who's left?" Gaddes asked softly.

"Hitomi, Merle, the Moleman, Van and myself."

"That's it? Reeden? Kio? Gone?"

Van and Allen nodded.

"What do we do?"

"The Crusade is operational. We came back to see what supplies may have been left at this camp. We didn't expect to find this cat," Allen pointed to Quanda, "or you here."

Quanda watched the men talk in silence. Her clan was gone. She had nowhere left to go. Seeing the look in the younger man's eyes told her that to him her life meant nothing. She silently begged that her kitten would remember her administrations.

Gaddes looked up at the leave filled canopy. "We should start for the ship before the light is gone."

Allen nodded and started toward the jungle.

"Wait," Van said.

Allen stopped and turned.

"What are we doing with her?" He pointed his sword tip at Quanda.

"She's coming with us." Allen replied.

"What!" Van bellowed.

"She can find her way through the jungle better than we can." Allen looked to Gaddes and nodded. He left the clearing with a fuming Van behind him.

Gaddes returned the nod and pressed Quanda a little closer to him. "Don't worry, kitten." He whispered in her ear and started after the other two.