Leviathan's Daughter
GoldenEagle
Author's Note: Hmm... Is this the end...? No, not really. Hehe. Oh well. All of you in this for the romance (which would probably *have* to be all of you, here is a little candy for you guys. Please Review!!! No one did for a long time on my other one and I was afraid no one loved me anymore! *wails* Sorry. *sniff sniff* I'm in an extremely unstable mood right now, which would explain the sad turn the story has taken...
Chapter Twenty-Four
Persephone woke clear headed, as if she had woken up after sleeping in on a Sunday afternoon. She sat up calmly, slightly aware of the strange soreness in her muscles. As if she had just worked out very, very hard. "How do you feel?"
She looked up calmly at Folken, who was busy looking over some papers next to her bed. She stretched, wincing a bit at the soreness in her limbs. "I feel great." She paused, a blank drawing in her mind. "What happened?" She asked, suddenly aware that she couldn't remember what happened after Dillandau had pounced on her.
"What do you remember?" Folken forced his eyes away from his work to look up at her, his composure strong and confident. It comforted Persephone.
"Hmm.... I remember Dillandau running up, saying something about the battle..." She wrinkled her nose. "But after that, it's all gone. I don't remember a thing."
Folken breathed in and let out a calm sigh. "You had a seizure." He said at last. Persephone jerked quietly, muscles complaining in places she didn't even know she had muscles.
"Sei-Seizure? I had a seizure?" She said, blinking slowly, in amazement. Folken nodded, not saying a word. "O... Kay." A pause issued between the two syllables. She shook the thought away for later contemplation and stood, rather shakily, making her way over to Folken's sitting form. "What are you working on?" She asked quietly, looking over his shoulder.
He mumbled out a wordless response, telling of his weariness, and turned back to the sheets before him. Persephone leaned over him to see the information, and found a large map spread out across the table. "I'm supposed to map out where our next battles will take place in. The red x's are the ones we need to hit first."
She stared quizzically at the strand of red x's across the paper. She tried not to think about what they meant, the death they foretold. Her eyes caught on a dark, rigid x not too far on the paper. "What's that one for?" She asked quietly.
The weariness increased in Folken as he saw the x she pointed at. "That is a special... request... which Lord Dornkirk has asked us to act upon. We're supposed to retrieve an item of great value there."
She stared quizzically at it for a moment before she stumbled backwards, her eyes wide. Folken stood and turned to her, a confused look on his face. She stared at the floor before looking up at him, her eyes filled with horror and disgust, her mouth gaping a bit. "Folken! Folken, but that's... That's-"
"Fanalia." He answered for her.
She looked at him through bitter eyes. "You're going to attack you're own country?! Folken...?"
He turned from her quickly, a bit of anger seeping from him at her convictions. "Fanelia is no longer my country. Besides, it's only a retrieval mission. Fanelia should not be damaged."
Regretted and angry tears fell down her face. "Folken, if you do this... If you attack Fanelia... Do you know what this means? Do you know what this will do to you? It's the only link to your past that you still have. Folken, it will destroy you! Destroy everything good that Fanelia made you to be!"
He turned around, rage radiating from him. "It is Zaibach that I'm loyal to now! I owe them everything! Zaibach saved me-"
"I saved you." Persephone whispered.
He pushed her words from his mind with closed eyes. "They gave me my life, my
arm back-"
"I gave you your life back."
He snarled at her words, denial seeping unsteadily from him. "They loved me when I knew no one else would. They loved me when I knew Fanalia would not."
"I loved you, Folken. I loved you when no one else would. Not even Zaibach." He looked up at her with pained eyes. She met him with a gaze just as equally broken.
"It's just a retrieval mission." Folken said, surprised by the distortion his words held through the unnoticed sob.
"Is Dillandau coming with you?" She asked quietly, her voice calming.
"Yes." Folken answered simply.
"Then it's more than a retrieval mission, Folken. You know Lord Dornkirk would not send him out if it were just that."
Folken sat down in defeat, knowing full well that she was telling the truth. He folded his arms on the table in front of him before resting his head there tiredly. "I know. But there is nothing I can do to stop it. I feel I at least should be there, to see what my betrayal has led to. Lord Dornkirk has put Dillandau in the lead of selected soldiers called the Dragon Slayers. That is what we seek in Fanalia. Escaflowne. The royal guymelef." He heard her kneel down behind him, and he shuttered longingly, despite his grief, at the warmth of her arms as they wrapped around his broad chest from behind.
"It's all my fault, Folken. If I had never come, if I had never complied to Zaibach... Or, at least, I could have brought you back to Fanalia, where you would have stayed with your family. Then this wouldn't be happening. It's my fault. All the things I've done, no matter how good the intention was, all leads to this death. To this meaningless and crushing slaughter. All these people's blood, all of your tears, all are on my hands." She muttered, her voice muffled against his back.
He turned in her embrace, forcing her to release him. He stared down at her downcast face, a guilt and shame lying there. He lifted her chin gently, and she opened her eyes regretfully. "If you wouldn't have come, Dillandau would be more of a monster than he already is. If you wouldn't have come, I would be dead, devoured by a dragon I pridefully thought I would kill. And if you would have come and brought me back to Fanalia, they would not have been able to save me. I would have bled to death. And then Zaibach would still have come to do what it is now about to do."
She sighed in reluctant acknowledgment. "Your brother..." She muttered, not meeting his gaze.
At the mention of Van, Folken stumbled in his own thoughts. "Van... Van will very soon become king. It won't be long until he is ordered to kill the dragon. I'm sure he will do so."
"He'll hate you."
"But I'll still love him." Folken said plainly, reminiscing on past memories.
Persephone pulled away, and still she would not meet his eyes. "I've... I've got to go, Folken. Before I cause anymore pain." She said, finally looking at him.
It took a moment before he realized what she was saying. "Go? Leave Zaibach?" He asked, his eyes going wide in a sudden fear of loss. She nodded serenely. "Why?" He said in a whisper.
She looked away for the hundredth time, but this time her face was held in a thoughtful pose, her eyes roming over the thoughts flashing through her mind. "I'm..." She paused. "I don't know how to explain it. This isn't my fate, Folken. There is somewhere... Somewhere else where I belong."
"You belong with me." He choked out, tears falling even as he fought against them.
She smiled sadly at him. "Yes. But you now belong with Zaibach." She saw him lower his head, crushed, but still strong. "You... You won't try to stop me?" It was a pained, hopeful question. A part of her wanted him to try. The other part didn't, knowing that she may not be able to resist.
He shook his head. "No, Persephone." But his very tears contradicted his words, for they reached for her soul with chains that were stronger than any physical restraints. She closed her eyes, pushing away those clamps.
His eyes were also closed, wanting her to leave, but not wanting to see her do so. This felt right, despite the pain. He felt a warmth pressed against his lips and his eyes opened in surprise. But his vision faded as Persephone pushed deeper into the kiss, her mouth urging his to comply. He kissed her, deeply and sadly, the taste of their tears tainting the moment. Finally, he could hold back his pain no longer and a sob left his mouth and filled Persephone's. She kissed him gently as more sobs left him. He pulled her to him harder, wanting to feel every piece of her. This was not the kiss he wanted. He wanted their love to be a joyful, hopeful thing. All that was left now was a shattering pain, a desperate attempt to share each other before saying goodbye.
He didn't know how long they stayed that way, their lips and tongues and souls touching, searching, but he finally pulled away. Amazingly, he still had tears to shed. He looked deep into her clouded and wet eyes. "You should go."
She moved away from him sluggishly, her hand slowly slipping from his grasp. "Tell Dillandau that... that I love him." She muttered, the tips of their fingers touching then slipping away. With that, she left him.
Author's Note: *gives pitiful puppy dog look* Please review! Pleeeasse!
GoldenEagle
Author's Note: Hmm... Is this the end...? No, not really. Hehe. Oh well. All of you in this for the romance (which would probably *have* to be all of you, here is a little candy for you guys. Please Review!!! No one did for a long time on my other one and I was afraid no one loved me anymore! *wails* Sorry. *sniff sniff* I'm in an extremely unstable mood right now, which would explain the sad turn the story has taken...
Chapter Twenty-Four
Persephone woke clear headed, as if she had woken up after sleeping in on a Sunday afternoon. She sat up calmly, slightly aware of the strange soreness in her muscles. As if she had just worked out very, very hard. "How do you feel?"
She looked up calmly at Folken, who was busy looking over some papers next to her bed. She stretched, wincing a bit at the soreness in her limbs. "I feel great." She paused, a blank drawing in her mind. "What happened?" She asked, suddenly aware that she couldn't remember what happened after Dillandau had pounced on her.
"What do you remember?" Folken forced his eyes away from his work to look up at her, his composure strong and confident. It comforted Persephone.
"Hmm.... I remember Dillandau running up, saying something about the battle..." She wrinkled her nose. "But after that, it's all gone. I don't remember a thing."
Folken breathed in and let out a calm sigh. "You had a seizure." He said at last. Persephone jerked quietly, muscles complaining in places she didn't even know she had muscles.
"Sei-Seizure? I had a seizure?" She said, blinking slowly, in amazement. Folken nodded, not saying a word. "O... Kay." A pause issued between the two syllables. She shook the thought away for later contemplation and stood, rather shakily, making her way over to Folken's sitting form. "What are you working on?" She asked quietly, looking over his shoulder.
He mumbled out a wordless response, telling of his weariness, and turned back to the sheets before him. Persephone leaned over him to see the information, and found a large map spread out across the table. "I'm supposed to map out where our next battles will take place in. The red x's are the ones we need to hit first."
She stared quizzically at the strand of red x's across the paper. She tried not to think about what they meant, the death they foretold. Her eyes caught on a dark, rigid x not too far on the paper. "What's that one for?" She asked quietly.
The weariness increased in Folken as he saw the x she pointed at. "That is a special... request... which Lord Dornkirk has asked us to act upon. We're supposed to retrieve an item of great value there."
She stared quizzically at it for a moment before she stumbled backwards, her eyes wide. Folken stood and turned to her, a confused look on his face. She stared at the floor before looking up at him, her eyes filled with horror and disgust, her mouth gaping a bit. "Folken! Folken, but that's... That's-"
"Fanalia." He answered for her.
She looked at him through bitter eyes. "You're going to attack you're own country?! Folken...?"
He turned from her quickly, a bit of anger seeping from him at her convictions. "Fanelia is no longer my country. Besides, it's only a retrieval mission. Fanelia should not be damaged."
Regretted and angry tears fell down her face. "Folken, if you do this... If you attack Fanelia... Do you know what this means? Do you know what this will do to you? It's the only link to your past that you still have. Folken, it will destroy you! Destroy everything good that Fanelia made you to be!"
He turned around, rage radiating from him. "It is Zaibach that I'm loyal to now! I owe them everything! Zaibach saved me-"
"I saved you." Persephone whispered.
He pushed her words from his mind with closed eyes. "They gave me my life, my
arm back-"
"I gave you your life back."
He snarled at her words, denial seeping unsteadily from him. "They loved me when I knew no one else would. They loved me when I knew Fanalia would not."
"I loved you, Folken. I loved you when no one else would. Not even Zaibach." He looked up at her with pained eyes. She met him with a gaze just as equally broken.
"It's just a retrieval mission." Folken said, surprised by the distortion his words held through the unnoticed sob.
"Is Dillandau coming with you?" She asked quietly, her voice calming.
"Yes." Folken answered simply.
"Then it's more than a retrieval mission, Folken. You know Lord Dornkirk would not send him out if it were just that."
Folken sat down in defeat, knowing full well that she was telling the truth. He folded his arms on the table in front of him before resting his head there tiredly. "I know. But there is nothing I can do to stop it. I feel I at least should be there, to see what my betrayal has led to. Lord Dornkirk has put Dillandau in the lead of selected soldiers called the Dragon Slayers. That is what we seek in Fanalia. Escaflowne. The royal guymelef." He heard her kneel down behind him, and he shuttered longingly, despite his grief, at the warmth of her arms as they wrapped around his broad chest from behind.
"It's all my fault, Folken. If I had never come, if I had never complied to Zaibach... Or, at least, I could have brought you back to Fanalia, where you would have stayed with your family. Then this wouldn't be happening. It's my fault. All the things I've done, no matter how good the intention was, all leads to this death. To this meaningless and crushing slaughter. All these people's blood, all of your tears, all are on my hands." She muttered, her voice muffled against his back.
He turned in her embrace, forcing her to release him. He stared down at her downcast face, a guilt and shame lying there. He lifted her chin gently, and she opened her eyes regretfully. "If you wouldn't have come, Dillandau would be more of a monster than he already is. If you wouldn't have come, I would be dead, devoured by a dragon I pridefully thought I would kill. And if you would have come and brought me back to Fanalia, they would not have been able to save me. I would have bled to death. And then Zaibach would still have come to do what it is now about to do."
She sighed in reluctant acknowledgment. "Your brother..." She muttered, not meeting his gaze.
At the mention of Van, Folken stumbled in his own thoughts. "Van... Van will very soon become king. It won't be long until he is ordered to kill the dragon. I'm sure he will do so."
"He'll hate you."
"But I'll still love him." Folken said plainly, reminiscing on past memories.
Persephone pulled away, and still she would not meet his eyes. "I've... I've got to go, Folken. Before I cause anymore pain." She said, finally looking at him.
It took a moment before he realized what she was saying. "Go? Leave Zaibach?" He asked, his eyes going wide in a sudden fear of loss. She nodded serenely. "Why?" He said in a whisper.
She looked away for the hundredth time, but this time her face was held in a thoughtful pose, her eyes roming over the thoughts flashing through her mind. "I'm..." She paused. "I don't know how to explain it. This isn't my fate, Folken. There is somewhere... Somewhere else where I belong."
"You belong with me." He choked out, tears falling even as he fought against them.
She smiled sadly at him. "Yes. But you now belong with Zaibach." She saw him lower his head, crushed, but still strong. "You... You won't try to stop me?" It was a pained, hopeful question. A part of her wanted him to try. The other part didn't, knowing that she may not be able to resist.
He shook his head. "No, Persephone." But his very tears contradicted his words, for they reached for her soul with chains that were stronger than any physical restraints. She closed her eyes, pushing away those clamps.
His eyes were also closed, wanting her to leave, but not wanting to see her do so. This felt right, despite the pain. He felt a warmth pressed against his lips and his eyes opened in surprise. But his vision faded as Persephone pushed deeper into the kiss, her mouth urging his to comply. He kissed her, deeply and sadly, the taste of their tears tainting the moment. Finally, he could hold back his pain no longer and a sob left his mouth and filled Persephone's. She kissed him gently as more sobs left him. He pulled her to him harder, wanting to feel every piece of her. This was not the kiss he wanted. He wanted their love to be a joyful, hopeful thing. All that was left now was a shattering pain, a desperate attempt to share each other before saying goodbye.
He didn't know how long they stayed that way, their lips and tongues and souls touching, searching, but he finally pulled away. Amazingly, he still had tears to shed. He looked deep into her clouded and wet eyes. "You should go."
She moved away from him sluggishly, her hand slowly slipping from his grasp. "Tell Dillandau that... that I love him." She muttered, the tips of their fingers touching then slipping away. With that, she left him.
Author's Note: *gives pitiful puppy dog look* Please review! Pleeeasse!