In the meantime, Dryden the merchant pieces together some clues and discovers that the secret they are looking for is in The Mystic Valley - the hidden home of the Atlanteans on Gaea. With the help of the diary of Allen Schezar's father, Dryden pinpoints the location on the continent of Asgard. This throws Allen into his own conflict - his father deserted Allen and his mother in his quest for the valley and Allen has never forgiven him.

Perhaps the most striking revelation is the nature of Hitomi's powers - that she is quite a bit more than an amateur card reader. Hitomi nearly crumbles when she realizes the extent of her responsibilities. Bringing the third of Escaflowne's main characters face to face with her own crisis. And the Mystic Valley is not necessarily the best place to have an identity crisis.

For a set of episodes where much of the action is internal, there is much to look at and absorb. The viewer will discover the truth of Gaea and get a deeper glimpse into the Zaibach Empire. One such is a bit of the story of Dilandau who has apparently been through brainwashing by the Sorcerers. To what point we have yet to find out, but perhaps he is more than the psychotic we've been let to see him as.

Writer Shoji Kawamori and Director Kazuki Akane have mastered the trick of pulling a new layer of the story out of their creative hats almost at will. Nor are they afraid to shift from romance, to philosophy, to action drama. The result is a story with enough to satisfy and grow with it's innumerable fans. Well worth pursuing.