Chapter Twenty-one
Folken stood in the library, a creeping anxiety forcing him to stand at the window, facing away from Millerna and Dryden. Millerna's attitude toward him had changed of late, for the better. Her knowledge of his and Eries' tryst had initially made him uneasy, but he now found he was at peace with it. It was clear Millerna would not speak a word of her knowledge, and it came with the added bonus of her fear of him melting away. She trusted her sister's judgement, and thus was more comfortable around Folken.
"There are just so many," Dryden said, looking over a map of Palas's borders. "How many fortresses does Zaibach's armada boast?"
"Unfortunately, this is but a fraction," Folken said, looking to the skyline and finding many of the fortresses just waiting. For an entire day, they had simply surrounded Palas, making no moves other than to show off their might.
"This seems like a massive amount, but… there are many more in Zaibach that they can turn to, if needs be."
Dryden groaned at the information, rubbing his temples.
Before he could continue, the door burst open, Allen and Eries entering. Despite Allen's palpable display of anger, Folken's eyes went to Eries. He found himself instantly relaxed to be in her presence, despite her worried eyes.
"Folken!" Allen demanded, stomping closer.
Folken found that he simply wasn't able to muster the ability to be bothered by Allen's hysterical state. He faced him calmly, waiting for an explanation to follow the wrath.
"Dilandau! Celena… is Dilandau?!" Allen yelled. "Did you know about this? How is this possible, how could they even…" Allen trailed off, his anger and confusion overwhelming his words.
This information was a shock to everyone, except Folken. He of course didn't know it, but nothing Zaibach did could shock him anymore. Their dedication to their mission knew no bounds.
"Dilandau?" Folken said calmly, looking back out the window. "I'm very sorry, I don't know much about Lord Dilandau's past…"
The boy had always been a bit mad, especially when he was first assigned to the Vione… to Folken. He was young… only fifteen, but seemed tortured beyond his years. If he was Allen's sibling, then… no doubt he was another of the sorcerer's experiments. It would certainly explain his madness.
"It seems certain the sorcerers are behind him," Folken continued, turning once more to face Allen.
"Sorcerers? Allen asked, his curiosity beginning to calm him.
Folken was unable to keep his own memories of the sorcerers from his mind—their strange, inhuman forms surrounding him as he woke to find his arm replaced with metal, his own panicked screams being slowly drowned by hypnotizing chants, their terrible and agonizing experiments to test the limits of his cybernetic arm, the blood covering Folken's metal hand as he clutched the lifeless sorcerer's corpse.
He blinked them away, feeling Eries' worried eyes on him.
"Zaibach scientists that answer only to Dornkirk," Folken explained, still feeling Eries as she watched him.
"They are a very dangerous group of men," he continued. "Rumor has it that… in order to change a person's fate, they performed experiments on live subjects."
Folken didn't feel it pertinent to tell them how he knew this—his own suffering at the hands of their experiments didn't need to be known.
"They… used kidnapped children," he continued with a sigh. It had been a major doubt of Folken's for his entire stay with Zaibach—he had hated what they did with children, but… had ignored it for the sake of the ideal future he sought for Van. Had ignored it just like he ignored Dornkirk's disregard for Naria and Eriya's lives.
"You mean Celena was…" Allen yelled, stepping forward. His fists balled and he ground his teeth as he stared daggers into Folken. "They experimented on people?"
Folken didn't respond. He knew that no words would make Allen feel any better about it.
"Sir?" a guard asked as he stepped into the library. Folken recognized him as Aros, the young man who had guarded him upon his arrival in Palas.
The boy bowed respectfully to the group, facing Dryden.
"Our scouts saw the Escaflowne leave," he said.
Dread flooded Folken. They were surrounded by Zaibach forces, all of whom had orders to take out the white dragon. Certainly he wouldn't be so foolish…
"Where did he go?" Dryden asked.
"He… he flew into the sky, sir… we think to the Mystic Moon," Aros said.
"What?!" Millerna asked. "Is that… possible? Can a melef even survive a flight to the heavens?"
Folken thought on it. Van was going after the girl. He must truly care for her…
"If any mecha can survive the journey… the Escaflowne can," Folken said quietly. "And any pilot, for that matter… Van can."