AN: * shameless self-promotion, I know* read my wisdom, slightly dark story, that I have only gotten positive reviews for. Hear the Music Play by BelleFemme (me)
Thanks to all you who review! I didn't realize so many new people were reading my stories, I'm so touched, thank you for all your kind reviews! You guys make my day!
Vous ete la meillure.
[I learned that in French class today ^-^ it means: you're the best]
Wish
Chapter thirteen:
Dilandau sat, slouched in his throne. A bottle of wine on the table beside, he stared blankly at it, listening to the rants of Strategoes. Wondering vaguely when he'd be done.
"Do you know how angry Emperor Dornkirk is? I can't believe you would set that whole area on fire. You should thank the god's that no one was hurt or that'd be means for war! We are awaiting Dorkirks decision on when to attack." Folken stopped his pacing. He had never been so angry with Dilandau, but he couldn't do a thing about it. He noticed the boy idly stroking the scar on his face, ignoring him. Folken decided to get his attention. "If it were up to me, I'd get rid of that girl. She's bungled up an important mission, almost got one of our elite slayers killed and is too much hassle. She's tying up all our best doctors." Folken didn't mean it, but hoped he'd at least he'd get a response. Dilandau stopped stroking his scar.
"How is she doing?" Folken lowered his eyes, and eased his tense muscles. The boy cared for her, and her image flashed through his head, she reminded him of his brother. Until lately. She had been absolutely brutal to the man from Austuria, and her gentle soul that he had seen shine through even during her fights had slowly disappeared. Her constant visits to the sorcerers and their adamant interest in her made him suspect that they had something to do with it.
"She's still unconscious." Dilandau lifted a dagger and began to stroke the side of the bottle of wine – leaving little white lines scratched into the glass. It seemed like an eternity that he just sat there, his mouth half open in a devious smile, stroking the glass. Suddenly he threw the dagger into the glass, piercing it and sending the bottle crashing to the floor.
"I hate waiting!" He yelled, getting louder. Folken knew that the wine had something to do with his drunken attitude.
***
'Can't you control yourself from killing?' I remembered myself asking meekly.
'No more than you can control me.'
The words echoed in Sara's head. If she couldn't control Colubra, then how long would it be until she killed someone? Being a witness to Colubra's brutality had already scarred her enough, it just made Sara fear her and what she could do even more.
She head footsteps and the painfully loud sound as a chair was pulled up to the side of her bed. Like everyday for the past week, Folken had visited her. Sometimes talking, sometimes just staying there quietly. She had enjoyed his silent visits, they seemed to keep what sane part she still had in her. Sara had a growing liking for Folken, his deep voice, his attraction to her had been obvious since she got there. But his recent displays of affection had been subtle and made her like his sincerity.
"Colubra?" She hated that, Colubra was still unconscious, dead as far as she would care. If she could only tell him, tell him that it was her, the girl in the room when he first saw her. Not the girl on the battlefield.
Sara managed to move her lips.
Folken sat up, staring at her parted mouth, had he just seen what he thought he had seen? They moved again. He got up and leaned over her, keeping his ear close to her mouth.
"My name…is Sara." He heard. So faint, so light, yet there. He turned his head down towards her, their lips ever close and staring him in the eye. Her eyes were just open a slit, it took every bit of will in her to control her body, but Sara had that strong will, she had inherited it from her brother - the rebel, an aspect which she had also gotten from him – a constant distress to her family. When she controlled her body, she felt it's pain, and knew that the throbbing pain throughout her weak body would shorten her control. Folken noticed her eyes, still glazed over, but a brilliant blue. She lowered her eyes to his parted lips, he noticed and bent his head down, brushing his lips against hers. This time she didn't resist, and not because she was weak, but with all her might she returned the gesture. Gaining strength from him. The unspoken words from the past days they had spent together were now expressed, he cared for her, and her him.
He let up, smiling.
"Hello Sara."
***
Sara's brief surge of strength and consciousness had been short, but soon well known around the Vione and documented for the sorcerers. Of course with any explicit details left out. The dragonslayers had created their own rumors about her, they had all heard of heroics, emphasized by Dallet. They all were concerned for her, especially Chesta. He and Dallet were teased the most about her, and their jealousy about the restricted access to her bedside. Only Folken had access, and though it was for supposed check-ups, a passing dragonslayer, Gatti, had spread the rumor that he had kissed her when she was awake. No one dared confront the man, but everyone thought they had fallen in love in that short period of time because she was the first man she saw. There were other variations of the rumor, as there always were, but an inside source had said she had kissed him back; though none of the boys would believe it. Unfortunately, even Dilandau had heard of the rumors.
"But then why does she like him?" Dilandau asked his men at the lunch table, expressing his concern over Colubra and Folken's relationship.
"I have no idea. Maybe it's the hair." Chesta said, more relaxed now that Dilandau had a few drinks in him. "Apparently he made a move on her the first day she came." Guimel said between hiccups. No one took him seriously, he got drunk so easily. Dilandau's eyes grew at the remark and Chesta noticed his look of horror. Guimel smiled giddily at his commander's belief in something he said. "It's true!"
"Hey, he found her didn't he? According to our laws, she owes him her life, she's in his debt. He had every right to do whatever he wanted to her." Dilandau clenched his jaw.
"I talked to Carsio though man, she was fine when she came except for a few bumps and bruises." Gatti added in. Dilandau shook his head. He didn't save her life…He didn't find her…I did
Dilandau got up and walked out.
"Huh…I wonder what's eating him?" Chesta said, downing another shot glass of the weak gin. Gatti just shrugged as Guimel passed out beside him.
***
Sara felt Folken's hand over hers. He had visited her twice already that day. Sometimes he fell asleep in the chair beside her. She looked forward to his visits, but today was different.
"Sara?" He paused, not expecting a response. She hadn't been awake since that first time they kissed. Or second, depending on how you looked at it. "I know you can hear me," he continued. "the sorcerers have commanded me that I can no longer see you because I'm getting 'too attached'." Folken gritted his teeth. He had had trouble believing the words coming out of their mouths the first time he heard it, and now he had to relay it to her, that gentle soul he had felt so strongly in the past weeks. And she couldn't even defend herself or beg him to stay. "I'm sorry." Sara was screaming in her head, she tried so hard to move but she couldn't, the silence was killing her, like he was giving her her last chance at speaking to him and she couldn't. Finally her lips began to move. He had almost given up, had she not heard him? Did she not care? He leaned in close to hear what she had to say.
"Folken." She was trying so hard, her brow wrinkled in concentration and slightly moist. She had to tell him. Sara had to tell him. "Save me from her." Folken stood back from her face to see if he could understand. He looked at her lips, now silent, had he not heard correctly? He had expected something to the effect of 'don't go'. Then understanding hit him like a ton of bricks.
The sorcerers.
Folken bent back down and kissed her lightly on the forehead. A bittersweet good bye.
"I will."
***
Dilandau walked into the medical ward. The lights were bright, contradicting the pitch black of outside. He had hoped the lights would have been out, seeing that it was midnight, but they weren't. He hadn't known what had brought him to go to her. But he desperately wanted to see her again. The rumors about her relationship with Folken were eating him up inside, even though he had apparently stopped seeing her. Now the slayers only talked about Dallet's 'sleepover' and other such stupidity. Dilandau focused his attention on finding her room as he walked the bare halls. Finally he found it, her sleeping form inside.
Dilandau opened the door silently, stealth not one of his strong points but still better than average due to the training he had in Zaibach. He walked over to her bedside, looking down at her pale form. She turned her head and surprised him by opening her eyes. Dilandau smiled to see her awake.
"I couldn't sleep." He said, giving an excuse for his actions, nervous that she would be awake.
Colubra smiled, her wounds were healing, and she hadn't heard of much activity in the past two weeks. Sara had been in control, but unfortunately Colubra had been the one feeling the physical pain and now Sara was feeling emotional pain. When she finally regained consciousness, one shared with the other hurting girl, the first thing she thought of was Dilandau. And now he was here.
"I thought you'd come." She said quietly, remembering the wish she had made only an hour before.
***
Dilandau sat outside the closed room. Every few hours an orderly would come in, never giving him enough time to get the chance to ask how she was. She was unconscious, but he wasn't allowed to see her. He had never taken orders from anyone other than Dornkirk himself and now was getting impatient with the doctors ordering him around. It was nearing midnight, three days since her release, and one of dragonslayors came up to him.
"Lord Dilandau?" It was Chesta. The silver haired boy turned his head to meet him. Chesta was nervous he could tell, but there a look of concern was etched on his face. "H-how is she?" Dilandau lowered his eyes to the floor, he didn't want to tell the boy he didn't know. After an uncomfortable silence, Chesta finally mustered up the strength to talk again. "You - Sir, you…seem to need some sleep." Dilandau shot his head upwards to meet the boys eyes with a fiery look. "I – I just mean – sir – that maybe you should get some sleep. Lord Folken said you haven't slept in days." Chesta stood at attention, daring not to make it seem too personal, though it clearly was. Dilandau stood, and faced the boy, Chesta braced himself for the hit, but it never came.
"Folken is right. I think I will go retire now." And walked past the boy. Chesta's surprise was more than a hit to the face, Lord Dilandau really does need some sleep. He thought.
***
"You called me, Strategoes?" Dilandau asked, formalities ignored as they were alone and Dilandau always had had a problem with authority. Folken rose.
"About Sara." Dilandau nodded. Sara – Colubra, did she ever stay with the same name? He thought irritated. The name also reminded him of their late night conversations, he always knew when to come and she always said she had expected him. But then she had called herself Colubra.
"She's getting better, but we're not sure if she will be well enough when Dornkirk decides to attack Austuria. She may be regaining stable consciousness, but she won't be able to stand for another week at least. And I don't know how long it will take her lung to be strong enough for her to run, much less fight." Dilandau remembered the hurting words Folken had uttered only a short while ago, he had said if it were up to him he'd get rid of her. Did he really feel that way?
"What do you suggest?" Dilandau said menacingly, avoiding his glance, daring him to say what he thought he would say.
"I don't want any harm to come to her." Dilandau looked up at the older man to see if he was serious. "The sorcerers have decided to take her in again." Dilandau didn't flinch, but dug his fingernails into his palms. "I think they might be able to help her."
Dilandau reasoned. Something he never usually did. "If it was for her best…" Folken nodded, Dilandau really did care for her. Suddenly Chesta burst into the room.
"Lord Dilandau sir! A message from Emperor Dornkirk!" He stated abruptly.
"Read it." Dilandau complied. Chesta read the parchment. Lord Dornkirk had decided to attack Fried using the harbor at Palas, Austuria's capital.
"P.S." Chesta read, "Don't do anything rash." Dilandau just laughed it off and left.
Ok…lotsa big nice stuff coming up. Oh by the way, fellow esca fan's, does anyone know when the dragonslayers all die? [im so sensitive, eh?] well anyway, if yall read all that, then..R E V I E W it.
Please oh please! I'm writing for you guys, (and myself, but mostly you guys).