Kirei slowly ran her fingers over the long metal chain that was conected to the thick metal collar clamped around her neck. She looked up into Chestas blue eyes and smiled shyly. "I have a name"She whispered. He nodded, watching her as she touched the dark black suit she was wearing. Modeled from Nariya and Eirya's suits, it was almost identical to theirs, exept that the shoulders were bare, and she wore loose fitting bands of red cloth that were attached to the hips of her suit with silver oval pendants that had the symbol of the Ryuugekitai engraved in them. Down the back, one of the strands continued down in an almost skirt, and the top two bands parted to make room for her tail. She looked up again, smiling at Chesta. "I belong to someone"She said quietly.
Chesta nodded again and then patted her head. "You dont belong to anyone, you SERVE someone"He said with finality. Kirei nodded obediently, then on an impulse threw her arms around his neck and soundly hugged him. He gasped in suprize as she kissed his cheek, grinning, then scampered off, out the door and down the hall. "Kirei!"He called after her. He ran out into the hall and she paused to look back at him, grinned micheiviously.
"Come on Lord Chesta!"She called as she ran down the corridor, slid on the smooth floor and burst into the Dragonslayers recreational room. She looked up, through her hair, grinning, as 14 heads turned towards her. She stopped smiling and imediatly bowed. "I am sorry Ryuugetikai!"She said quickly, then Chesta came into the room, out of breath.
"Kirei!"He said beetween gasping breaths. "You dont have to do that!" He laughed.
She looked up at him, then back to the others. Migel smiled stood up from the table he was sitting at and stepped foreward. "Hey, we're your allies now"He said in a warm voice. Kirei looked over the other Dragonslayers, and finally returned Migels smile.
"Sorry"She said quietly as she aquardly stood up.
"Hungry?Migel asked. He smiled and Kirei scampered over to him. "Want something to eat?" He gestured towards the plate of food that was in front of the bench he had been sitting on. Kirei looked up at him, and then nervously back to Chesta.
"Lord Migel?"She said as Migel sat back down at his place. He looked at her. "Am I hungry?" She had a perplexed look on her face. Migel grinned and scruffed her hair.
"Sure"He nodded and she stood up and sat beside him on the bench. Smiling happily.
"So your from Fanelia, huh?"Guimel said beetween bites. He was sitting across the table from Kirei and Migel, and it might have been a good thing because he was spitting food everywhere.
"Guimel! Have you no manners?"Gatti scolded as he came up behind Kirei and put his hands on her bare shoulders. She looked up at him in suprize. "Guimel, we have a lady in our presence, I suggest you act like the gentleman thats burried somewhere in you" Guimel glared at Gatti for a second, then started laughing. Gatti moved to Kirei's left and sat down beside her. She smiled at him shyly.
"Oh Gatti, like YOU have manners"Guimel snorted, but smiled and swallowed first before speaking. "Sorry Kirei-chan!"He said and held out his hand, reaching across the table. "Im Guimel, and I like sheep"He introduced himself and Kirei giggled.
"Im Kirei, and I like..."She paused. And looked around for a second, not knowing what to answer. "... I like whatever Im told to like?"She said and then Guimel laughed and pumped her hand up and down.
"Pleased to meetcha Kirei-chan!"
Chesta pushed Guimel out of the way and sat across from Kirei. Guimel laughed and Chesta playfully punched him. "You know who I am"Chesta said and grinned at her. She smiled and nodded.
"Well thats Migel" Chesta gestured towards Migel.
"Thats Dalet"
"And thats Gatti"
"But Im the only one who matters!"Dalet interupted. He leaned forward and grinned at Kirei who giggled and shook her head. "What? Im not?" Dalet said in a mock offended voice. He flicked his long, dark brown hair out of his face and scowled. Kirei giggled again and blushed, Dalet pretended to be hurt by her lack of remorse, and crossed his arms.
"Give her a break, after lunch Dilandau-sama wants her to come to him IMEDIATLY, so dont go trying to get her in the habit of being silly."Migel said pointedly as he popped a baby-tomatoe in his mouth. Kirei looked at Migel sharply.
"I would not ever disobey Master Dilandau!"She said and nodded her head empatheticly. Migel grinned at her, knowing how she felt. He too was the same way, he to was loyal to Dilandau, loyal to the extreme. "What would he want of me?"She said, looking at the five boys at the table.
"Training"Migel answered as he propped his head up on his hands and blinked a couple times. "He wants you for training. I doubt if he actually LIKES you, hes just using you so he can get to Van. After all, your native Fanelian, which gives HIM the advantage of killing Van Fanel."
"Shut up Migel! Your gonna scare her!"Chesta said in defense of Kirei.
"She should be scared!"Gatti spoke up. "Dilandau-sama is harsh, hes a great leader, but even I have to admit hes ruthless and... blood thirsty."
"Be carefull Kirei"Guimel said as he looked at her. "Be carefull or you wont be around long"
* * *
"No! Insolent FOOL!"
And with that, Kirei fell to the floor, her cheek stinging. She imediatly begged for Dilandaus fogivness, on her knees. "I am sorry Master Dilandau! Please forgive me sire!"
Dilandau stood in front of her. And looked down upon her. "Get up"He ordered and she stood. "When I tell you to do something, you do it imediatly! Dont question me!!"He held Kirei by her collar and yanked on her kneck, hard. "Do you understand?"
"Yes Master Dilandau! Yes I understand!! I am sorry! Please forgive me!" Dilandau stared at her as she pleaded, and nodded. "Please Master Dilandau! I can try again!"She cried.
"Your not big enough to pick up a sword, I shouldnt have over-estimated your abilities"He said, the words stinging Kirei, and making her ashamed for her failure. "But dont worry" He leaned forward, his lips brushing Kireis cheek, his breath hot on her cold skin. "you WILL become strong enough. Or you will DIE trying!" He whispered, Kirei supressed a shiver and closed her eyes tightly.
"Yes Master Dilandau"She felt a lump form in her throught. "Anything to please you"
"Dilandau-sama!"A voice rang out in the hallway. Dilandau stood straight, and turned towards the hallway, pulling Kireis leash towards the ground, she sat imediatly, leaning against his legs lightly. "Dilandau!" Gatti called as he ran into the room. "Theres an intruder in the Floating Fortress! A Fanelian soldier stowed away in a crate on our last stop for provisions, and now he is loose! He killed a Dragonslayer, he has possesion of a sword"
"What!"Dilandau yelled. "How could you allow this?" And with that, he smacked Gatti hard, and Gatti dropped to his knees, apologizing. Dilandau ignored Gattis apologies and turned to Kirei. "This Fanelian Soldier" He paused to glare at Gatti. "Will be your first kill"
Chesta nodded again and then patted her head. "You dont belong to anyone, you SERVE someone"He said with finality. Kirei nodded obediently, then on an impulse threw her arms around his neck and soundly hugged him. He gasped in suprize as she kissed his cheek, grinning, then scampered off, out the door and down the hall. "Kirei!"He called after her. He ran out into the hall and she paused to look back at him, grinned micheiviously.
"Come on Lord Chesta!"She called as she ran down the corridor, slid on the smooth floor and burst into the Dragonslayers recreational room. She looked up, through her hair, grinning, as 14 heads turned towards her. She stopped smiling and imediatly bowed. "I am sorry Ryuugetikai!"She said quickly, then Chesta came into the room, out of breath.
"Kirei!"He said beetween gasping breaths. "You dont have to do that!" He laughed.
She looked up at him, then back to the others. Migel smiled stood up from the table he was sitting at and stepped foreward. "Hey, we're your allies now"He said in a warm voice. Kirei looked over the other Dragonslayers, and finally returned Migels smile.
"Sorry"She said quietly as she aquardly stood up.
"Hungry?Migel asked. He smiled and Kirei scampered over to him. "Want something to eat?" He gestured towards the plate of food that was in front of the bench he had been sitting on. Kirei looked up at him, and then nervously back to Chesta.
"Lord Migel?"She said as Migel sat back down at his place. He looked at her. "Am I hungry?" She had a perplexed look on her face. Migel grinned and scruffed her hair.
"Sure"He nodded and she stood up and sat beside him on the bench. Smiling happily.
"So your from Fanelia, huh?"Guimel said beetween bites. He was sitting across the table from Kirei and Migel, and it might have been a good thing because he was spitting food everywhere.
"Guimel! Have you no manners?"Gatti scolded as he came up behind Kirei and put his hands on her bare shoulders. She looked up at him in suprize. "Guimel, we have a lady in our presence, I suggest you act like the gentleman thats burried somewhere in you" Guimel glared at Gatti for a second, then started laughing. Gatti moved to Kirei's left and sat down beside her. She smiled at him shyly.
"Oh Gatti, like YOU have manners"Guimel snorted, but smiled and swallowed first before speaking. "Sorry Kirei-chan!"He said and held out his hand, reaching across the table. "Im Guimel, and I like sheep"He introduced himself and Kirei giggled.
"Im Kirei, and I like..."She paused. And looked around for a second, not knowing what to answer. "... I like whatever Im told to like?"She said and then Guimel laughed and pumped her hand up and down.
"Pleased to meetcha Kirei-chan!"
Chesta pushed Guimel out of the way and sat across from Kirei. Guimel laughed and Chesta playfully punched him. "You know who I am"Chesta said and grinned at her. She smiled and nodded.
"Well thats Migel" Chesta gestured towards Migel.
"Thats Dalet"
"And thats Gatti"
"But Im the only one who matters!"Dalet interupted. He leaned forward and grinned at Kirei who giggled and shook her head. "What? Im not?" Dalet said in a mock offended voice. He flicked his long, dark brown hair out of his face and scowled. Kirei giggled again and blushed, Dalet pretended to be hurt by her lack of remorse, and crossed his arms.
"Give her a break, after lunch Dilandau-sama wants her to come to him IMEDIATLY, so dont go trying to get her in the habit of being silly."Migel said pointedly as he popped a baby-tomatoe in his mouth. Kirei looked at Migel sharply.
"I would not ever disobey Master Dilandau!"She said and nodded her head empatheticly. Migel grinned at her, knowing how she felt. He too was the same way, he to was loyal to Dilandau, loyal to the extreme. "What would he want of me?"She said, looking at the five boys at the table.
"Training"Migel answered as he propped his head up on his hands and blinked a couple times. "He wants you for training. I doubt if he actually LIKES you, hes just using you so he can get to Van. After all, your native Fanelian, which gives HIM the advantage of killing Van Fanel."
"Shut up Migel! Your gonna scare her!"Chesta said in defense of Kirei.
"She should be scared!"Gatti spoke up. "Dilandau-sama is harsh, hes a great leader, but even I have to admit hes ruthless and... blood thirsty."
"Be carefull Kirei"Guimel said as he looked at her. "Be carefull or you wont be around long"
* * *
"No! Insolent FOOL!"
And with that, Kirei fell to the floor, her cheek stinging. She imediatly begged for Dilandaus fogivness, on her knees. "I am sorry Master Dilandau! Please forgive me sire!"
Dilandau stood in front of her. And looked down upon her. "Get up"He ordered and she stood. "When I tell you to do something, you do it imediatly! Dont question me!!"He held Kirei by her collar and yanked on her kneck, hard. "Do you understand?"
"Yes Master Dilandau! Yes I understand!! I am sorry! Please forgive me!" Dilandau stared at her as she pleaded, and nodded. "Please Master Dilandau! I can try again!"She cried.
"Your not big enough to pick up a sword, I shouldnt have over-estimated your abilities"He said, the words stinging Kirei, and making her ashamed for her failure. "But dont worry" He leaned forward, his lips brushing Kireis cheek, his breath hot on her cold skin. "you WILL become strong enough. Or you will DIE trying!" He whispered, Kirei supressed a shiver and closed her eyes tightly.
"Yes Master Dilandau"She felt a lump form in her throught. "Anything to please you"
"Dilandau-sama!"A voice rang out in the hallway. Dilandau stood straight, and turned towards the hallway, pulling Kireis leash towards the ground, she sat imediatly, leaning against his legs lightly. "Dilandau!" Gatti called as he ran into the room. "Theres an intruder in the Floating Fortress! A Fanelian soldier stowed away in a crate on our last stop for provisions, and now he is loose! He killed a Dragonslayer, he has possesion of a sword"
"What!"Dilandau yelled. "How could you allow this?" And with that, he smacked Gatti hard, and Gatti dropped to his knees, apologizing. Dilandau ignored Gattis apologies and turned to Kirei. "This Fanelian Soldier" He paused to glare at Gatti. "Will be your first kill"