"Oh no!" Naoko exclaimed, slumping against the wall. "I'm gonna be stuck with Dillandau forever!"
"It's not so bad." Gatti replied, smiling crookedly. "You still have me, and the rest of the Slayers."
"Thanks so much." Naoko retorted, rolling her eyes. "Now I have to teach Dillandau all my fighting skills! This is horrible."
"So hide some stuff from him. Teach him some fancy-looking, but not really effective techniques. And while you're doing that, make sure he wins most of the time, or you'll regret it."
"You know I'm an awful liar." Naoko said morosely. "I guess I'd better make the most of it, though. Maybe Darakk will somehow find me..." Gatti shot her a sharp look.
"Darakk? That great golden... Dillandau sent you to kill Darakk!"
"He sure did. But, no, I didn't kill him."
"But then how...?" Gatti shrugged in confusion.
"Your guess is as good as mine. After nearly killing me by accident," Naoko gave a rueful smile. "Darakk disappeared somewhere and came back with the Energist I gave to Dillandau."
"Naoko, we shall have to talk more later." Gatti gave her a meaningful look. "I want to hear everything." He squeezed her shoulder as he walked past and opened the door. "Naoko, watch yourself around Dillandau, okay?" He stepped out and closed the door silently behind him.
"Oh, trust me, I will." Naoko muttered as she threw herself on the bed and closed her eyes. "He won't catch me off-guard."
"No! Punch with your right first, not your left!" Naoko yelled, as Dillandau did the move wrong once again. "Then you do a roundhouse kick, not before!"
"Teach me another move, Nao. This one is boring." Dillandau said petulantly. A scowl twisted his features.
"No." Naoko replied firmly. "You have to learn this one first."
"But I don't want to!" Dillandau whined.
"Too bad!" Naoko roared, totally fed up of Dillandau's constant complaints. "You're learning this one, or none! Got that?"
"Don't talk to me like that!" Dillandau yelled back. "I'm in control, and I say you have to teach me another move. This one is boring."
"You are such a child!" Naoko exclaimed in exasperation. "This is the way I was taught, so this is the way you are going to be taught! Now get a grip!"
"I should drop you in the desert. I should have dropped you there the first night you came aboard!" Dillandau's face was scarlet with rage.
"Fine! I'd rather be in the desert than waste any more time trying to teach something important to a silly baby!" Naoko snarled, then spun on her heel and stalked toward the door. She heard Dillandau's footsteps behind her, and braced herself for an attack. To her surprise, Dillandau only put a hand on her shoulder.
"Nao, don't go. I apologize for my behavior." Naoko stared at him in astonishment and suspicion, but his face was earnest, and it seemed he truly was sorry.
"All right." She said finally. "But you must listen to what I say." She led Dillandau back over to the center of the room, and set him practicing the move again.
"I never thought I'd hear Lord Dillandau apologize." Gatti said, leaning back from the peephole in the wall, and letting Migel watch.
"I didn't think he was able to." Migel snorted. "That boy must be something special if he can get Lord Dillandau to actually listen."
"Yeah, she is pretty special." Gatti said, too softly for Migel to hear. "Hey, what's he teaching him to do?"
"Looks like some type of fancy kick." Migel mumbled, intent upon watching Dillandau and Naoko. "Nao reminds me of someone, but I don't know who. He doesn't even look much like a boy."
"Hey, Migel." Gatti said, quickly changing the topic. "Does it seem to you that Lord Dillandau hasn't seemed quite so insane since Nao showed up?"
"Now that you mention, yes it does. The boy must be able to work wonders." Migel replied. "I never thought Lord Dillandau could be calm. And he hasn't mentioned Van Fanel in days!"
"A miracle." Gatti muttered, and he and Migel grinned at each other.
"Ok, Dillandau, I think you're ready to learn some harder moves." Naoko said decisively a few days later. "Watch carefully. This one starts off with a hard punch to the stomach, then, when your opponent is bent over, you bring your knee up and hit him in the face. As fast as you can, you then bring both fists down on his back, sending him to the ground. From there, he should be in too much pain to move, but if he still can, hit the pressure points on either side of his neck. This will paralyze him for a few hours, but it's only used as a last resort!" Naoko demonstrated, then stepped back as Dillandau tried it. Patiently, she corrected his stance, and inwardly marveled at the change in him. From the blustery, conceited young man to the powerful, courteous one. At least he was to Naoko; his other Slayers were a different matter.
"Lord Dillandau! Lord Dillandau!" Gatti ran into the room, stopped for a second to bow, then blurted out his news. "Van Fanel, those two girls, and Allen Schezar have all disappeared! It is assumed that they are dead."
"But I wanted to kill Van!" Dillandau muttered, then a gleeful smile curved his lips. "At least that annoying pest is gone. Now the Zaibach Empire will truly rule!" He threw his head back and let out his normal insane cackle, which Naoko hadn't seen him do in a while. She and Gatti exchanged glances, and Gatti shook his head. Naoko signed to him that he should meet her later; they could talk then. Gatti nodded, then turned and walked out of the room.
"Dillandau." Naoko said patiently. "Dillandau." When he didn't answer, but turned and began drawing his dagger across the table again, Naoko felt her temper give.
"Dillandau Albatou! Stop that stupid drawing on the table, and pay attention! Or do you not wish to learn any more?" she snapped, glaring at his back. He turned around and scowled at her.
"If Van is dead, why do I need to learn more?" he asked petulantly. Naoko glared at him.
"Well, you don't. If you would rather stay safe inside your floating fortress, or your cloaked guymelaf, and never fight like a man." She said in contempt, curling her lip slightly. Inwardly, she wondered why she was doing this; a few days ago, she would've jumped at the chance to quit the lessons. Now, it seemed, she couldn't bear to stop.
"What are you saying? That I'm not man enough to fight hand to hand?" Dillandau demanded, grabbing Naoko's shoulders and shaking her. "You, with your girlish face, you tell me how to be a man?"
Naoko's breath caught in her throat, but with a huge struggle she kept her face calm.
"You said it, not me." she replied, using an old childhood taunt. Dillandau raised his hand as though to hit her, but then he dropped it.
"You are right, of course, Nao. As always." He said graciously. "Come, teach me more of this hand to hand fighting." He led the way towards the center of the room again, and Naoko followed in wonder. She couldn't believe the change that had come over Dillandau, and so fast. One moment, he was going to strike her; the next, he was treating her like a brother. Or sister, Naoko amended with a slight quirk of her lips.
"Naoko! Naoko!" The fierce whisper came from the direction of Naoko's door, and she was immediately awake. She slipped silently out of the bed, adjusting the nightshirt she wore, and padded towards the door.
"Who is it?" she whispered.
"It's Gatti. I need to talk to you, and quick!" Naoko pulled the door open, and Gatti walked in. After locking the door, and after Gatti had checked the room suspiciously, Naoko sat on the bed and gave her full attention to Gatti.
"What's wrong?" she asked softly.
"Remember I told Lord Dillandau that Van and Allen disappeared? Well, that much is true, but after you had left, Dillandau gave me and Migel, another Slayer, some disturbing commands. We're to attack Miraala!" Naoko stared at him with her mouth open. Miraala... Her home.
"It's not so bad." Gatti replied, smiling crookedly. "You still have me, and the rest of the Slayers."
"Thanks so much." Naoko retorted, rolling her eyes. "Now I have to teach Dillandau all my fighting skills! This is horrible."
"So hide some stuff from him. Teach him some fancy-looking, but not really effective techniques. And while you're doing that, make sure he wins most of the time, or you'll regret it."
"You know I'm an awful liar." Naoko said morosely. "I guess I'd better make the most of it, though. Maybe Darakk will somehow find me..." Gatti shot her a sharp look.
"Darakk? That great golden... Dillandau sent you to kill Darakk!"
"He sure did. But, no, I didn't kill him."
"But then how...?" Gatti shrugged in confusion.
"Your guess is as good as mine. After nearly killing me by accident," Naoko gave a rueful smile. "Darakk disappeared somewhere and came back with the Energist I gave to Dillandau."
"Naoko, we shall have to talk more later." Gatti gave her a meaningful look. "I want to hear everything." He squeezed her shoulder as he walked past and opened the door. "Naoko, watch yourself around Dillandau, okay?" He stepped out and closed the door silently behind him.
"Oh, trust me, I will." Naoko muttered as she threw herself on the bed and closed her eyes. "He won't catch me off-guard."
"No! Punch with your right first, not your left!" Naoko yelled, as Dillandau did the move wrong once again. "Then you do a roundhouse kick, not before!"
"Teach me another move, Nao. This one is boring." Dillandau said petulantly. A scowl twisted his features.
"No." Naoko replied firmly. "You have to learn this one first."
"But I don't want to!" Dillandau whined.
"Too bad!" Naoko roared, totally fed up of Dillandau's constant complaints. "You're learning this one, or none! Got that?"
"Don't talk to me like that!" Dillandau yelled back. "I'm in control, and I say you have to teach me another move. This one is boring."
"You are such a child!" Naoko exclaimed in exasperation. "This is the way I was taught, so this is the way you are going to be taught! Now get a grip!"
"I should drop you in the desert. I should have dropped you there the first night you came aboard!" Dillandau's face was scarlet with rage.
"Fine! I'd rather be in the desert than waste any more time trying to teach something important to a silly baby!" Naoko snarled, then spun on her heel and stalked toward the door. She heard Dillandau's footsteps behind her, and braced herself for an attack. To her surprise, Dillandau only put a hand on her shoulder.
"Nao, don't go. I apologize for my behavior." Naoko stared at him in astonishment and suspicion, but his face was earnest, and it seemed he truly was sorry.
"All right." She said finally. "But you must listen to what I say." She led Dillandau back over to the center of the room, and set him practicing the move again.
"I never thought I'd hear Lord Dillandau apologize." Gatti said, leaning back from the peephole in the wall, and letting Migel watch.
"I didn't think he was able to." Migel snorted. "That boy must be something special if he can get Lord Dillandau to actually listen."
"Yeah, she is pretty special." Gatti said, too softly for Migel to hear. "Hey, what's he teaching him to do?"
"Looks like some type of fancy kick." Migel mumbled, intent upon watching Dillandau and Naoko. "Nao reminds me of someone, but I don't know who. He doesn't even look much like a boy."
"Hey, Migel." Gatti said, quickly changing the topic. "Does it seem to you that Lord Dillandau hasn't seemed quite so insane since Nao showed up?"
"Now that you mention, yes it does. The boy must be able to work wonders." Migel replied. "I never thought Lord Dillandau could be calm. And he hasn't mentioned Van Fanel in days!"
"A miracle." Gatti muttered, and he and Migel grinned at each other.
"Ok, Dillandau, I think you're ready to learn some harder moves." Naoko said decisively a few days later. "Watch carefully. This one starts off with a hard punch to the stomach, then, when your opponent is bent over, you bring your knee up and hit him in the face. As fast as you can, you then bring both fists down on his back, sending him to the ground. From there, he should be in too much pain to move, but if he still can, hit the pressure points on either side of his neck. This will paralyze him for a few hours, but it's only used as a last resort!" Naoko demonstrated, then stepped back as Dillandau tried it. Patiently, she corrected his stance, and inwardly marveled at the change in him. From the blustery, conceited young man to the powerful, courteous one. At least he was to Naoko; his other Slayers were a different matter.
"Lord Dillandau! Lord Dillandau!" Gatti ran into the room, stopped for a second to bow, then blurted out his news. "Van Fanel, those two girls, and Allen Schezar have all disappeared! It is assumed that they are dead."
"But I wanted to kill Van!" Dillandau muttered, then a gleeful smile curved his lips. "At least that annoying pest is gone. Now the Zaibach Empire will truly rule!" He threw his head back and let out his normal insane cackle, which Naoko hadn't seen him do in a while. She and Gatti exchanged glances, and Gatti shook his head. Naoko signed to him that he should meet her later; they could talk then. Gatti nodded, then turned and walked out of the room.
"Dillandau." Naoko said patiently. "Dillandau." When he didn't answer, but turned and began drawing his dagger across the table again, Naoko felt her temper give.
"Dillandau Albatou! Stop that stupid drawing on the table, and pay attention! Or do you not wish to learn any more?" she snapped, glaring at his back. He turned around and scowled at her.
"If Van is dead, why do I need to learn more?" he asked petulantly. Naoko glared at him.
"Well, you don't. If you would rather stay safe inside your floating fortress, or your cloaked guymelaf, and never fight like a man." She said in contempt, curling her lip slightly. Inwardly, she wondered why she was doing this; a few days ago, she would've jumped at the chance to quit the lessons. Now, it seemed, she couldn't bear to stop.
"What are you saying? That I'm not man enough to fight hand to hand?" Dillandau demanded, grabbing Naoko's shoulders and shaking her. "You, with your girlish face, you tell me how to be a man?"
Naoko's breath caught in her throat, but with a huge struggle she kept her face calm.
"You said it, not me." she replied, using an old childhood taunt. Dillandau raised his hand as though to hit her, but then he dropped it.
"You are right, of course, Nao. As always." He said graciously. "Come, teach me more of this hand to hand fighting." He led the way towards the center of the room again, and Naoko followed in wonder. She couldn't believe the change that had come over Dillandau, and so fast. One moment, he was going to strike her; the next, he was treating her like a brother. Or sister, Naoko amended with a slight quirk of her lips.
"Naoko! Naoko!" The fierce whisper came from the direction of Naoko's door, and she was immediately awake. She slipped silently out of the bed, adjusting the nightshirt she wore, and padded towards the door.
"Who is it?" she whispered.
"It's Gatti. I need to talk to you, and quick!" Naoko pulled the door open, and Gatti walked in. After locking the door, and after Gatti had checked the room suspiciously, Naoko sat on the bed and gave her full attention to Gatti.
"What's wrong?" she asked softly.
"Remember I told Lord Dillandau that Van and Allen disappeared? Well, that much is true, but after you had left, Dillandau gave me and Migel, another Slayer, some disturbing commands. We're to attack Miraala!" Naoko stared at him with her mouth open. Miraala... Her home.
