Forbidden Chains
By: rainjewel
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Akaro awoke to a large booming noise and voices. She halfway felt, halfway saw Shail dash from the mattress and throw himself against the door. Akaro scrambled to her feet.
"What's going on?" she asked. She ran over and pressed all her weight against the door.
"We have to keep them out or they're going to kill us," Shail said grimly. "Call it a hunch."
Akaro braced her arms against the corner of the wall, her back on door. Dilandau was sitting up on the mattress, obvious displeasure in his eyes. He wanted to be helping.
"Damn me!" Shail exclaimed. His breath was coming in ragged breaths that were loud enough to be heard over the guards' cries. Akaro could tell he was still weak from the lack of blood in his veins. A huge push came from the door, and Akaro winced as her back absorbed some of the force.
"You're to weak Shail," called out Dilandau. His eyes were wide. Shail grimaced in pain.
"Just watch," Shail said. He closed his eyes and his wings sprouted from his back. Shail put all his waning strength into holding the door.
"That won't last long enough," Dilandau said, watching him skeptically. Akaro glanced at Shail. As much as she hated to admit it, Dilandau was right. The Fanelian Prince was so weak that even his angel wings couldn't keep the door closed for much longer.
"We can't just give up Dilandau," Akaro said. She closed her eyes as another blow rippled through her body.
"Do you want to live?" Dilandau asked frankly. His red-eyes met her own. That's it, I thoroughly hate his eyes, Akaro said to herself. But she couldn't look away.
"Yes," she said.
"Then untie me," Dilandau said.
"Don't listen to him!" Shail yelled. His face was contorted with pain. Akaro looked from Shail to Dilandau.
"I won't hurt you. I have a will to live, just as you do!" Dilandau said. His voice was like crushed velvet. Akaro moved to go to the ash-haired boy. Shail caught her arm.
"No," Shail hissed. "He's too unpredictable. Don't listen to him!"
"Fuck Shail, I'm strong! Stronger then you, and that's what you need! Don't condemn us—Akaro, you, me and Serena to death!" Dilandau said. He spoke more rationally then Akaro thought possible for him.
"Shail, we have no choice!" Akaro said. She broke from Shail's grasp and ran to Dilandau. She leaned over him and ripped through the cloth that bound his hands with her claws, then did the same to his feet. Dilandau smiled and stood up. Akaro backed away a little. He was a lot taller then she thought he was, but his eyes looked the same. Bloodthirsty.
"Let them in," Dilandau said, directing his words at Shail.
"Don't be stupid Dilandau. We have no weapons, and we don't know how many there are of them," Shail said. His voice was ragged, and feathers were falling to the ground as his body shook with the blows.
"Shail, I am a soldier, a commander. I also am the strongest person here, therefore I am in charge. Now, you can accept this and let those bastards in, or..." Dilandau said, breaking off. He stepped to Akaro and picked her up with one arm around her waist. She gasped as Dilandau held her above the ground, her back against his cold chest. A delicate finger traced her collarbone and stroked her throat. What in the hell is he doing, she thought frantically.
"...or I can use Akaro's life for bargaining," said Dilandau, finishing his sentence. The DragonSlayer smiled as sweetly as he could at Shail. The Fanelian Prince glared at him bitingly. "Now step away from that door and let them in."
"Why should I trust you?" Shail said. He seemed to be unbelieving of Dilandau, but his eyes showed he was bluffing. Shail retracted his wings.
"Well, Number 1, you have no choice, and Number 2, I'm sworn to protect you, and I don't back down on my word," Dilandau called out. Shail looked at him in complete confusion. He weakly stepped back from the door, just as it swung open. It threw Shail against the wall, and he crumpled against it. Three guards ran into the room, their swords drawn.
Akaro felt her body drop to the ground. The soldier released her body, and Akaro stood on her own two feet. Dilandau bent down and placed a numbing kiss on her cheek, then stepped in front of her. The cat girl almost fell over at the touch of his lips.
"Hello," Dilandau said. The guards froze at the sound of his voice. Their eyes looked up and down, catching the flashing wine-colored eyes and insane smile. "Come on, come and get me," Dilandau cooed. His voice seemed to ripple through the room. That voice could make an army fall, Akaro thought. She shivered.
A tall, dark-haired guard seemed to snap out of his shock first. He flexed his shoulders.
"Come on men," he said gruffly. He ran at Dilandau, his sword poised to skewer him. Dilandau stood his ground, awaiting the man's arrival. At the last second, he leapt to meet the guard, taking him by surprise. Dilandau's hand shot out, his fingers wrapped around the other man's sword's hilt. The silver-haired boy jerked his arm back, whip-lashing the guard's arm. A large cracking noise rang through the air, and the guard crumpled.
Dilandau leapt to meet the second guard, who had taken just a few steps to come to his comrade's aid. That's the man who kidnapped me, Akaro thought. Dilandau thrust the sword neatly through the man's heart, then grabbed the guard's belted dagger as he fell. The DragonSlayer looked to the third man, who was running from the room. Dilandau laughed maniacally, aimed the dagger, and threw it at the retreating man's back. The blade hit the back of the soldier's head, imbedding it deeply in his skull.
Akaro quickly ran to Shail's side, the danger gone. His eyes were open, but his stare was blank. The black-haired boy made no acknowledgement to Akaro's presence. She decided not to make any judgements. It took a lot to unhinge Shail.
Dilandau turned to the first soldier, who was lying on the floor. Akaro saw a look of pure agony on the albino's face, but it was quickly gone.
"Damn you..." Dilandau muttered. "Where's Chid?" he asked the fallen guard. He looked piercingly at the guard, tilting his head slightly, making his silver hair glitter in the room.
"I'm not telling you anything," replied the wounded man. His brown eyes were full of fear.
"Really?" said Dilandau. With a swift, graceful motion he raised his sword and severed the man's ear completely from his head. Akaro gasped and reflexively hid her head in her arms. Shail absently placed an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. He's even chivalrous on autopilot, Akaro thought distractedly. She pulled herself together.
The guard screamed, and Akaro looked up. Dilandau smiled almost motherly, then bent over the man, dipping a pale finger into the huge, pooling blood. Dilandau straightened and looked at his crimson finger. He laughed delightedly, then licked the blood from his hand.
"Now, be a good boy and tell me where the Prince is," Dilandau commanded.
"Dornkirk's old throne room," the guard gasped. His eyes looked at Dilandau pleadingly.
"Thank you," Dilandau said. He leaned over the guard. "To help your pain," he said. Metal flashed, and Dilandau slit the guard's throat. Akaro shook violently.
"Sweat Gaea," Shail breathed. Akaro looked at Shail. His blue-violet eyes were pained.
Dilandau walked over to the second, skewered guard and delicately plucked the sword from the corpse's fingers. He tossed it at Shail. Akaro ducked, but Shail simply reached out and caught it. Shail stood up, and pulled Akaro up with him. She felt sick.
"Let's go get him," Dilandau said. He turned walked out of the room. Shail followed, shaking his head. Akaro numbly walked along, but stopped at the body of the third guard. She stopped, bent down, and pulled the dagger from his skull. I can't believe I'm doing this, she thought to herself. She turned and stood up. Shail stopped and looked at her, then reached out and grabbed the retreating albino by the arm. Dilandau stopped and turned around.
"You're stronger already," he said with a smirk. Shail ignored the smirk.
"Serena only released you momentarily, and you were stronger then I've ever seen you. But, now your under her control again, and we are equal once more," Shail said with fake friendliness.
"I am equal to no one," Dilandau said. His voice was deathly cold.
"What did you mean?" Shail asked softly, letting Dilandau's pompous comment slide. "What did you mean about your oath."
Dilandau looked at him blankly then slowly pulled his arm from Shail's grasp. He turned and began walking briskly down the hall. Shail ran after him, Akaro followed at his heels. She couldn't think.
"I made a promise to protect your father," said Dilandau. He kept up his brisk pace, leading the trio through a maze of darkened tunnels. "I failed him, and I'm not going to fail his son," Dilandau finished.
"You know who my father is?" Shail asked. The group had reached the opening of the hallway. Dilandau whipped around with such fierceness that Akaro actually flinched.
"He was my Strategos!" Dilandau said softly, his voice full of emotion, "He was the only one whoever understood me! I could relax in his presence, forget my problems for a few short moments. He was, in a word, my father," Dilandau said. He laughed a little wryly. "He was my guardian angel." Dilandau motioned a dark, cherry stain on the floor. "And this," he whispered, "this where the angel fell."