A/N: So, I'm rewriting the chapters up so far, because going through them I found myself wondering just how I managed to post the chapters with them being so empty and pathetic. Hitomi was totally out of character, and sorta still is right now, but as you read hopefully you'll begin picking up on things…
Disclaimer: I do not own Escaflowne. It is the sole property of its creators and its publishers. Kthx, you jerks…
A pained whimper filled the room as the occupant began to stir. Sleep, the beautiful haze that had drifted over her dreamless mind, was leaving her much too quickly; a sure sign that something was wrong. Hitomi struggled to sort the sudden flurry of thoughts flowing through her mind at warp speed. She couldn't remember much, if really anything, of what had happened to land her with a splitting headache and a painful throbbing on her right cheek. Slowly, as her mind started merging with her body again she realized, after a few failed attempts at shifting her uncomfortable body, that her hands were tied behind her back; she was also, much to her dismay, in a rather uncomfortable position on an equally uncomfortable bed.
Tearing her eyes open her heart began to beat faster and her breath came quicker as she began to panic. The ceiling…the walls…the blue flame lamp by her bed…
This was not her room at the castle!
Closing her eyes, and blocking out the throbbing pain in her shoulder from its poor position, she tried to find the misplaced memories, finally summoning them a few moments later after replaying her day. Things clicked into place quickly after that and she let out a quiet sob, tears welling up and spilling out of her already swollen eyes.
Van had failed to rescue her.
A simple thought, and really she couldn't figure out why it was so important that he hadn't been able to save her from her own folly. She couldn't expect him to save her every time, she reasoned through the panic surging within her; it was her own feet that brought her to this position. After all, she'd been the one that had strayed out of bounds at the castle…
Still, regardless of the knowledge, brought forth thanks to a collapse of mental process, she felt that fear and terror. What would happen to her? Why had Van not rescued her? Any fight against the mad Dilandau, she was certain, would be nowhere near a true classification of 'fair' so, surely, Dilandau must've cheated, right?
'What's going to happen to me…?' She thought quietly, swallowing faintly and trying to calm herself. Her body was shaking and her heart hammering. She was experiencing a panic attack and she was certain she deserved it. What kind of stupid thought prompted her to run outside when the danger was still present? What kind of stupid, childish thought did she suffer from in her lapse of sanity that she even dreamed for a moment that Dilandau, blood thirsty destroyer, would ever be some good knight?
She started a second after a deep, shaky breath, tears fogging her vision before dripping down to the mattress or over the bridge of her nose. Outside the metal door she could hear the faint sound of clicking, the sound of boots walking calmly in her direction, getting louder and louder until what little light that was cast into the dark room from the barred square in the door was covered. Whoever was looking in at her wasn't Dilandau, she knew that much, but the second pair of clicking boots had a strange swagger to it, sounding more laid back and less stiff and formal, and she had a feeling she knew who it was.
The door opened and Hitomi hid her face, trying to get rid of the tears and make sure no one knew she had been crying again. The first person walked in and when she peeked an eye open she realized he was much taller than Dilandau…his shoulders were much broader, lacking the ridiculous shoulder pads or armor, or whatever they were, the Dragonslayers wore. Whoever this man was, she was certain he was of higher position than the red eyed devil.
He also had a strange hair cut, much like the singer/actor David Bowie from the movie 'The Labyrinth'. Interesting enough to catch her attention for just a moment, not interesting enough to hold it too long.
"Dilandau…what have you done?" The voice asked and Hitomi shivered faintly. There was something suppressed in his words and voice; he seemed teetering on the edge of losing his temper and she wasn't sure what would happen. He was, however, older sounding, so he seemed to know how to reign in his temper.
"Why, Folken, I'm surprised! I brought the girl from the Mystic Moon; she is no longer a threat to our purpose…" Dilandau responded, speaking a truth laced in sarcasm and sick, twisted humor.
"Don't lie to me, Dilandau," Folken muttered, casting a glance back to the silhouette in the doorway. "You shouldn't have abused her like this," he continued, walking over to her and leaning down, taking her face in his hand gently. "Why didn't you clean this out properly? It could get infected."
"The bitch would deserve it, after the pain she put me through," Dilandau hissed and Hitomi winced again; the strange tone in his voice scared her.
Folken merely sighed and leaned over her, undoing the rope around her arms and helping her to sit up so he could see the full extent of the damage done to the young female before him. A gentle hand tilted her head this way and that by her chin, narrowed eyes, barely illuminated by the poor lighting, took stock of the damage done to her quickly in a well practiced sweep.
"You can't keep her, Dilandau," he finally said. The tension that followed was incredible, even to Hitomi. She swore she could feel the electricity buzzing through the air, even in her panicked state.
Dilandau was not happy.
"What do you mean by "You can't keep her"?" He replied quietly, leaving signs of danger flashing in Hitomi's mind like the vibrant colors of poisonous snakes.
What an apt thought. Dilandau seemed quite comparable to a pit of poisonous snakes: pretty to look at but once you fall in, you're doomed. She mentally shook the thoughts from her head, incapable of figuring out what would slip past her lips and what would remain in her head. She wasn't going to take even the slightest chance that he would react like a viper.
"I won't allow you to keep this woman as your personal pet. You know the rules, Dilandau, regardless of how many times you like to break them; you will not break this one." Folken was stern and unbreakable in his refusal; he wasn't going to bend for anyone, especially not when her safety was at stake. She wasn't sure why, but he seemed quite intent on keeping her out of Dilandau's clutches. Whether it was for her own safety, or as a manner of keeping Dilandau collared, however, remained to be seen.
"And just what will you do with her then?" Dilandau growled, stepping closer so Hitomi could see the horrid glare gracing the young male's handsome visage.
"I believe the Dilate is ready for battle use…I'll send her there for…safe keeping," Folken offered calmly, holding out his hand for Hitomi to take. "Until then she will remain under constant supervision."
Hitom, already terrified of Dilandau, found the look on his face to be positively lethal. Shaking slightly, she looked between the two males, heart beating erratically in her chest as she swallowed a wave of nervousness. She'd daydreamed about him, about a devil, so often! What kind of fool was she? In the predicament she had gotten herself into, she would give her left arm just to go back and stop herself from thinking so much of him, to stop herself from behaving so foolishly!
Yet that was impossible, she knew, and she quickly took Folken's hand deciding that, for now, he was indeed the lesser of two evils. Her stomach constricted painfully, before letting her know that she was hungry with a painful, sort of gurgling emptiness that usually accompanied the feeling of being ill. She was sure that, the moment she was alone, she would be vomiting.
"We'll get you cleaned up, Hitomi," Folken began, his deep voice comforting her slightly, "and then we'll get you fed." She was sure if she would trust food put on a plate by anyone on the floating fortress.
"Folken…" Dilandau started, eyebrow twitching in aggravation as he watched Folken usher the female out.
"Don't bother arguing, Dilandau," Folken warned, slightly uncharacteristically, Dilandau noted, and then began leading Hitomi away.
It wasn't like she'd be going all that far, Dilandau knew, and even the guards around here weren't as honor bound as one would hope…
So where would Folken put the girl?
A single thought in his mind nearly caused him to yell various profanities at Folken's retreating back: Folken would be guarding the girl himself!
