Sorry for the long wait. Here is the next chapter, so please enjoy and then review!
Chapter 4
Nobody's Listening
Try to give you warning
But everyone ignores me
Told you everything loud and clear
But nobody's listening
Call to you so clearly
But you don't want to hear me
Told you everything loud and clear
But nobody's listening
----Llllllll
It had been three weeks since the favor Dilandau did for Miguel, at least that's what Miguel thought it was. The training was just starting to get tough, no more of the practices. For the next 2 months the training will separate the boys from the men.
Miguel hoped that he had become man enough over the last month to be on Dilandau's elite squad. He wished for nothing more. He had heard great things from some of the others about the elite squad members.
'How do you know if you've been picked?' Miguel asked.
'You just know. Well, Dilandau will let you know.' Gatti said.
'Sama! Its Dilandau Sama, not just Dilandau' Miguel said gently.
'Yea, whatever, he isn't here, so it doesn't matter.' Gatti seemed to shrug it off as if he didn't care if he got kicked out.
There are five squads. First is the elite, which consists of the six very best slayers that serve and protect Dilandau Sama. Second comes the red squad (10 members). These slayers work with the elite. They fight for Dilandau Sama, but their job it to simply wipe out the enemy. In third comes the black squad (20 members) who are in charge of guarding and fighting off enemies around the premises. Folken Sama guides this group and he is second in charge. Forth, comes the blue squad (65 members). This group typically is the run-off of the black squad. Their job is to rid enemies on the inside, if any pass the black squad. The final squad, the white (80 members) aren't fit enough to be in the blue squad, but good enough to stay. This group takes care of the ill, cooks and is usually the janitorial staff. Sometimes if there is a shortage in the blue squad, then the best of the white can fill that shortage.
Miguel felt furious at the people he was competing against. He felt that, with his luck, he'd be the one in the lowest squad and the people who didn't give a shit about Dilandau would get his place in the elite squad.
However, Dilandau did seem to like him, as did Folken. A lot of the time, Miguel would have the privilege to demonstrate what Dilandau had already taught him.
Dilandau had really taken a liking to him. Miguel figured it was because he was so eager to learn. That or just in a few months he actually became a fair match for Dilandau. Yet, he still lost to him.
Ever since that day when Dilandau forgave him for being late, Miguel has given Dilandau all his faith and loyalty. He couldn't see why the others were not doing so. They talked badly behind his back, especially when he had punished one of them, but Miguel understood why. Dilandau was strict, but he had to be. This was the military. One couldn't wonder around, engaging in minute battles expecting that it would get them far.
Miguel sat alone at supper. It was still months ahead before the groups were chosen. Still Miguel was panicking. There wasn't a time that he didn't think about sword fighting. While he ate, slept and even when he was on leisure time, he just wanted to be the best.
'Hey, why are you all alone' Shesta asked, sitting down beside him.
'No one over there really likes me. Don't think I don't know what they say about me.' Miguel was staring at his discolored green peas. Shesta's features distorted and he looked back at the table of unruly comrades.
'Well, don't think they mean it.' He said, trying to comfort him.
'Do you agree with them?'
'Eh?'
Miguel put his fork down and shoved away his partially eaten food. 'Do you agree with them? Do you think that I'm not worthy of Dilandau's respect? That I only got this far because of my father?' his face was flustered and Shesta sat looking at him with innocent eyes.
Miguel closed his and put his head down. Those eyes reminded him of his mothers'.
'Isn't it?' he questioned.
Miguel flared up inside. 'It's my father's fault I'm here in the first place.' He whispered harshly so that only Shesta could hear. All he needed was for the others to hear. It would only be something else that they could make fun of him for.
He stood up and left the table and Shesta sitting there with his half eaten food. Miguel headed towards the training room. If he wanted to loyally serve Dilandau he would have to train more then he was scheduled to.
As he entered the training room a boy was in there, apparently doing the same thing he was going to do. He was one of many that got on Dilandau's nerves. He was 2976.
'I didn't know anyone else would be in here.' The boy said, wiping off his forehead.
'Well, since you're in here I may as well make it worth my while. Want to practice with another soldier, or do you prefer an imaginary one?' Miguel asked solemnly. He knew what it was like just attacking thin air, and was hoping that the younger one would oblige.
The boy nodded eagerly, bowed and then ran straight for Miguel before his sword was even out. Miguel, without hesitation unsheathed his sword and blocked it before the boy's sword could do any damage.
He continued his barrage of attacks and Miguel continuously blocked them. He was really an easy opponent. Miguel shoved him off with his sword and attempted to, as he would in an actual battle, behead him. However, he blocked it, pushed Miguel off and cut his left arm in the process.
Miguel winced in pain and stepped back for a second. Both boys were breathing loudly. His casual shirt was starting to become soaked with blood. The boy gave a smirk worthy of Miguel's father and a spark triggered inside him.
It was a smirk that his father got every time his father sword hit his mother and then he would come for him. Miguel screamed in frustrated anger and charged at him, relentlessly bashing his sword into the boys. His last attack caused the boy to fall. At the height of Miguel's madness he was about to kill the boy but they were interrupted.
It was surely a sight to see. Miguel standing over the boy, sword raised with madness in his eyes ready to destroy him as the boy coward beneath him.
'That will be enough. You, go back to your quarters.' Folken said to the boy who grabbed his sword and rushed off as fast as he could. 'And you, off to the infirmary.' Miguel nodded towards Folken and made his was out, sheathing his sword on the way. He noticed Dilandau off to the side, followed by what looked like every other Dragon Slayer there.
Llllllll
The Infirmary smelt of antiseptics and the old. He sat down on a chair waiting for someone to come out of the back room. His arm was really starting to hurt, but it was also starting to become quite numb.
'You must be 4851…' said a voice, the owner looking down on a paper. It was a young woman about 18. She didn't look like a doctor but Miguel supposed she was.
'Just between you and me, what is your real name?'
'Uh… Miguel' he said at once.
'I'm Clara. I just find it more professional to know a patients name before I do some work on them. Which, by the way, looks like you'll need stitches.
She was beautiful, he couldn't argue. Longish brown hair that curled around her face and neck, fair skin and deep green eyes, her smile was inviting and warming. 'I do?' He asked.
'Yes about 30, maybe more. So take your shirt off and we can get started.' She said and then turned around and began writing again on the clipboard.
'Get started?' he breathed.
'Yes, first I need to clean the wound and then stitch it. That's what I'm here for.'
'Can't I just roll my sleeve up, it's really loose.' He asked, and the girl laughed.
It's ok. I'm not going to be looking. I'm just going to be doing my job.' Miguel hesitated before taking his shirt off. Although he had difficulty and she had to help him when it came to his hurt arm.
'Wow, you seem to have a lot of scars.' She said looking across his chest. Miguel turned him arm towards her.
'Can you just get this over with?'
'Sorry, its just you seem so nervous like this is your first time getting stitches.' She grabbed a warm bowl of water and rigged out a cloth and started to wipe off the blood.
'Ow.' He said quickly.
'Sorry.' She replied.
'It is my first time actually.' He told her.
'Really? But…'
'I always just let them heal naturally, they weren't really in need of stitches.' He said.
'Maybe not all of them, but there are defiantly some of them.' She ran her fingers across one on his back and flinched. 'Sorry.'
'What are they from?' She asked while getting the needle and thread ready. Miguel was really nervous about the way the needle looked. It was crooked and big looking, not like the ones to mend clothing.
'Um…stuff.' He said and she laughed a little.
'Very good.' She said and he shrugged his good shoulder.
'All right, I'm going to start so just calm down and relax. Just talk to me ok?' She told him as she sat down to the level of his arm.
He nodded.
'So how did you get involved with the slayer business?' She questioned when he didn't start any conversation.
'My father forced me.'
'Oh. Well my father made me go into medicine and then my mother made me go with the Zaibach thing. I can tall you I hate working for that smug little brat Dilandau.'
'Hey!' Miguel shouted and pulled, hurting his arm.
'What?' she was taken aback.
'Don't talk about Dilandau Sama that way.'
'I'm sorry, but he doesn't treat women very well.' She said as she calmed him down enough to start again.
'Dilandau Sama is a good soldier and captain. He may be strict but he needs to be.' Miguel said notably.
She sighed. 'Whatever you say.'
Llllllll
Training the next day was hard. He had to use both arms for the activity. Dilandau was standing in the middle of the room circling as usual, explaining how to easily kill someone.
'And once you have them blocking your attack from above you take your dagger and stab it in his gut, and twist.' Dilandau didn't seem phased by that cheep was of fighting but someone certainly did.
'Uh, Dilandau sir,' he piped up. 'Isn't that a little somewhat disloyal?' Dilandau turned to the soldier who chose to speak to him in such a manner as to prove him wrong.
'Soldier 9195, step forward.' Dilandau shouted as he sheathed his sword but still hung onto the dagger. The boy's eyes widened as he stepped forwards. There were some sniggers, but mostly every stood attentive waiting for something to happen.
The loud slap came, that was no surprise. But when the boy stood up to leave, and Dilandau didn't let him, was the surprise.
'I take it that you think your life is worth living do you?' Dilandau questioned playfully.
'Yes Dilandau Sama!' he shouted.
Dilandau became angry in seconds. 'Then WHY' he shouted 'wont you kill a man if he is attacking you?' Dilandau grabbed the man's front uniform and dragged him forward taunting him with the sharp side of the blade.
'He will not take leisure just because you don't kill him. That just gives him more opportunity to kill you. I do not need incompetence in my Dragon Slayers' He threw the soldier on the ground and turned to face everyone else. 'Understand?' he shouted.
'Yes, Dilandau Sama!' the group shouted loudly.
'Get back in line' He ordered to the heap on the floor.
The boy jumped up and ran back in line, a frightened look upon his face. Others were looking at him and then at Dilandau just thinking that it was slightly rash to throw him on the floor.
'Miguel' Dilandau called out over the group. Miguel froze. It was not normal for him to call him by his first name…or any name at all for that matter.
Everyone froze, including Miguel. He was not expecting anyone, especially Dilandau, to call him by his real name. However, Dilandau seemed completely unfazed by this matter and instead looked directly at him.
'I don't like asking you twice.' He said in a sharp tone that made Miguel cringe coming out of line.
The other soldiers were looking at him like he had done something wrong. Perhaps he had…perhaps he thought he had been doing something right, when all along he was making all the mistakes. Maybe Dilandau was going to kick him out of the Dragon Slayers.
'Yes Dilandau Sama?' Miguel said and bowed slightly, then standing in an erect position.
'This is what you should be aiming for.' Dilandau said in a loud, dissatisfying voice. Soldiers looked at each other in wonder and Miguel continued to stare at the floor and swallowed hard.
'All of you are still disrespectful to each other and yourself and me.' He yelled. 'Miguel is the only one with enough apathy with this business to actually show me some respect.'
Miguel was confused. He didn't understand where Dilandau was going with this. Miguel didn't believe that he was unconcerned with the whole Dragon Slayers issue. Although, the only reason he was doing so, was so that he wouldn't have to be on the street and therefore was loyal to Dilandau… Miguel focused hard on the floor trying to weave together Dilandau's words.
'Miguel is ahead of every one of you in his training and could beat a number of you. Although he is not yet able to beat myself, his strength is worthy. I suggest you treat him with more respect since he is now second in command of you incompetents.'
'WHAT?' Miguel shouted.
There was uproar about this and Dilandau went on a frenzy of hitting the closest to him until they were quiet.
'Are you suggesting that I'm wrong? That I should have chosen one of you? Half of you couldn't kill a lamb. Dismissed.' Dilandau shouted at his men and they started to leave.
Another soldier hit Miguel on his way out, but he wants too shocked to care. 'Dilandau Sama…are you sure…'
Dilandau stretched out his hand and smacked Miguel across the face. 'I told you dismissed.' He seethed and then left himself, leaving Miguel in the middle of the training room.
He felt a warm tingling in his arm and looked over to see what it was. His wound had reopened when he was hit and there was blood tricking from under his uniform onto the floor.
Llllllll
'Clara?' Miguel said as he entered the infirmary. He looked around and it was dark. He wondered why she would work in the dark. It reminded him of his house, the dark. It was always dark.
'Miguel what have I told you about wasting candles?'
'I'm sorry! I just wanted to play before I went to bed that's all Dad.' Miguel sat on the floor with a horse in one hand and a knight in the other. The only source of light came from the candle that he was playing in front of.
'You're getting too old for these toys Miguel. You're never going to become a man if you keep playing with them.' His father roughly grabbed the toys out of his hands and threw them across the room. It was took dark to see what happened.
'Please, just let him play. It builds their imagination.' Miguel's mother came in and was trying to reason with her husband.
'It's your fault he's going to turn out a wimp. He's never going to amount to anything if you keep making him those stupid toys' the tall man raised his hand and hit the child in front of him. Miguel coward back towards his bed in fear of his father and it was only seconds before he turned on Miguel's mother instead of him.
'He can't even take punishment without crying.'
'He's only five!' the woman shouted, but the man got angry at her screaming and dragged her out of the small room and slammed the door. Miguel stated crying in hysterics pushed himself father into the wall as if he could escape the yelling in the next room.
He picked up his half broken knight and pretended that he was the knight on a mission to kill his father. Anger engulfed him, but he continued to cry unknowing what to do.
'Miguel! Miguel! Are you alight?' a familiar female voice echoed in his ear.
Miguel blinked. He had been crying and was sitting in the middle of the infirmary.
'Miguel, what's wrong?' Clara looked so concerned as she kneeled over him. The tears continued to fall from his eyes, but he made no movement or said anything. Clara wrapped her arms around him and brought him closer to her.
'Shh…calm down Miguel are you hurt?' she asked seeing the blood on his hand. 'Does it hurt?' Miguel shook his head and grasped onto her shirt. 'Miguel I need to have a look at that.' She said, feeling quite restricted by him. She attempted to pull back his uniform, but he instantaneously started screaming and pushed her away.
'Miguel! MIGUEL!' she shouted at him over his piecing screamed and he stopped and looked directly at her.
'What?' he asked frightfully as if he hadn't remembered what happened.
'What's wrong with you.' She asked looking worried.
'I- uh- I'm hurt again. The wound re-opened.'
'O- oh.' She said exasperated. 'I thought I told you that you were to stay out of activity for a week or at least until it is healed partially.'
'Sorry.' He said.
'You're going to have to take that off.' She said and then waited for him to remove his uniform jacket. He winced in pain attempting to take it off, but Clara was slightly afraid to help him since last time he freaked out at her.
'Let me help you.' She said and cautiously held out her hand to help and with hesitation he let her.
'You know this could have been avoided.'
'You don't even know what happened.' Miguel said in defense as she started to apply pressure to the wound as to stop the bleeding.
'Well then what happened?'
'I don't know really.' Miguel said quietly. 'Dilandau Sama made me second in command.'
'Oh. Really…' Clara moved away to the table and pretended to look for something. 'I suppose I have to call you Miguel Sama now?' she added bitterly.
'I don't know.' He replied gently.
'I suppose Dilandau trusts you then, and he…' she paused, trying to find the right word. 'Essentially respects you.' She finished with a grimace.
'Why do you hate him so much?'
'You'll see one of these days. He's a bloodthirsty mule waiting for something to kill. He can't wait until he has fifteen deadly trained soldiers to go out and kill with him.' She finished by wrapping a cloth around his arm. 'There, now this time don't hit it on anything and don't use it.'
'Will you hate me too?' Miguel asked, putting his uniform back on.
'I don't know.' She said with her back to him. 'I guess that depends on you, doesn't it?'
'Hm?'
'You can leave now.' She said and Miguel waited a second longer before leaving.
Llllllll
'So Miguel, how did you get second in command?' Chesta asked sitting on the end of his bed, staring intently at him. Miguel was trying to ignore the two that he was sharing a room with by reading a book, but it wasn't really working.
'I have a few ideas.' Gatti interrupted. However, Miguel got angry at his comment and threw his book at Gatti, only missing by centimeters. 'Wow! Not friendly tonight,'
Miguel rolled over away from the two and pretended like he was going to sleep. 'I didn't ask to be second in command, but at least I will respect Dilandau Sama's wishes by following his orders. And if you two don't want to be stuck in the kitchens, I suggest you do the same.
'Ah C'mon, Dilandau wont shove us in the kitchen, there's no way! We're almost as good as you. We don't have issues with out families, but we're defiantly almost as good as you.' Gatti said matter-of-factly. Chesta rolled onto his back.
'So what are you supposed to be doing as second in command anyway Miguel? Are you going to be bossing us around like Dilandau Sama does?' Chesta asked.
'Dilandau Sama!' Miguel said absentmindedly, not hearing him say it the first time. 'I—sorry.' He said after. 'I don't know, maybe. Goodnight.' Miguel's arm was throbbing and he almost felt like crying, but somehow the thought of being second in command and being able to repay Dilandau made him feel at ease, almost peaceful.
Llllllll
Okay, tell me what you thought of this chapter. I will update once again sooner or later. I want to finish this fic, I think it will be fairly short. Probably another 5 chapters, not very long!
Please leave me a review and I will love you forever! Ha ha ha!
Yours truly,
Sweet Roses….
(I just finished watching the Escaflowne series so I'm all back into this fic…again…that and I was busy with other fics and school and work and fun fun fun!)
