Scars in the Mirror- Angel of Night
Dilandau's trek to his chambers took him the long way: through the
ship. He found himself looking at the technicians and grunts
climbing over the pale dragon. The source of his confusion, the
source of his failure.
Dilandau stared at the guymelef.
What had the point of this all been? To save Folken's stupid
brother, to rescue him? What was this? He had risked his men,
himself in the battle against the pilot of Escaflowne. Would they
have allowed Dilandau such luxuries?
Here he was a faithful soldier to Zaibach, his only duty, his only
identity, and they would risk his life for the brother of this one-
time traitor.
The pilot--the boy who had dared to strike back at Zaibach--slept in
its most powerful fortress.
It was lunacy.
"What is the big deal? It's just a lousy old antique."
He stared at the gem that looked so hard and clear. He started to
place his hand against it.
"Dilandau-sama"
He turned around.
The guard made a quick bow. "It appears we are being followed."
"Followed?"
"It just appeared on radar."
"Why don't people tell me these things?" Dilandau scowled.
"Commander Folken said we should get a better reading first."
"Better reading? It's after our prize. It's after us. What does he
think it is? A gryphon flying to its nest?"
***
Allen Schezar stood on the deck of the ship. The blond's clothes
still seemed so cleanly pressed and elegant despite the exertions of
the last twenty minutes escaping in Scheherzade to the ship. His
blue eyes looked as strong as cold as they could "How many are left?"
he asked Gaddes, the night haired man behind him.
"Seven, sir." Gaddes whispered to him as the plucky guards roused
their confidence with a false show of bravado. "We have a good
distance before we catch up."
Hitomi ran out onto the edge of the deck. "We've got to find him."
"Easy Hitomi. This is no place for a lady," Allen said.
Merle sniffed indignantly. "Well then how come you let me out here.
Baka."
"But I can help. I know how we can find Van." Hitomi said.
"There just a bunch of cowards. We can beat them."
"I'm afraid you'd just get in the way. Merle, take Hitomi below.
Let us professionals handle it."
***
Dilandau walked next to Folken. "You always leave me out of
everything. Why didn't you get me?"
Folken gave an exasperated look into space as he heard Dilandau's
voice as if he was praying for strength. Dilandauu was almost glad
to burst in and bother him when he looked so superstitious.
Folken stood up "We are being pursued by an Astorian warship. The
Crusade."
Dilandau laughed "Those cocky bastards. They're just a bunch of
bulldogs. They don't know when to quit. Didn't we just blow up
Schezar's castle? How many times do we have to pound it into there
heads?" Dilandau was far from displeased to see that the chase
continued. "Isn't it just sad how heroics just lead to more
heroics? I tell you honor, it's contagious," he said with a gleeful
grin.
Folken leaned in "We won't be able to hide."
"Why should we hide? If they intend to sniff after us, let the
hounds find their doom. Drop shields."
***
Hitomi grabbed Allen fretfully. "Allen, we can't just follow them.
There's no way the ship will survive."
"Awfully strange that you've never been on a ship before and know so
much about it." Allen said. "You need not worry. My men are very
capable. You have nothing to fear."
"Yes I do. If we don't rescue Van who knows what Zaibach will…"
"There that fat bastard is!" Kio cried. "Huh. You wanna piece of
this?" The hyper little man flipped off the Vione through the window
of the Crusade.
"There she is. We must prepare for an attack," said Allen.
"I wonder why we caught up so fast," Gaddes said.
Hitomi shut her mouth. It quaked queasy in her stomach. She began
shivering, She looked up and saw it. Beyond the dim outlines of the
men she could see everything, painted in fire and blood on her eye.
She couldn't even close her mind to the images, as tightly as she
closed her eyes. The visions were still there.
"The ship…. The ship."
"Hitomi." Allen asked "Are you well?"
"They see us… It's too late." Hitomi clutched her racing
heart "Allen! We don't have time. Jump out off the- ALLEN!" she
collapsed into a shivering pile. "ALLEN!!!!"
Allen ran to her. She tried to shrug him off. "Hitomi it's alright."
She looked around her. "No Allen we can't do this. They'll see us.
We haven't caught up to them. They're letting us catch them. They
are going to-" The girl shivered and cry Amano sempai."
Allen held her weeping body.
"I don't want to see anymore. I can't… don't… make it stop."
"Merle tend to her."
Merle held her up.
"What a time to have a hysterical attack, ya wimp."
"We've got to find cover." Hitomi said. "We've got to sneak up on
them."
"She's right Boss." Gaddes said. "The little lady is smart. Maybe
we should find a safer place to tail them.
"If we don't stay on this course we'll lose the ship. All this would
have been for nothing. We can't lose the ship."
***
"You can see us. But we can also see you… Allen Schezar." Dilandau
chuckled.
Folken gazed intently. "Fire a warning shot across its auxiliary
drive."
"What is it with you and warning shots?"
"Any sane man will run when his ship's on fire."
"Folken, Folken, Folken…These aren't sane men," Dilandau
said. "They're heroes."
***
Merle lead Hitomi down towards the cabin. All at once a fire burst
out in the ship. Hitomi jumped. "We're hit!" She clutched onto the
side portal.
"That was only the warning shot."
"Those bastards blew up the galley," Kio growled.
"These fires are nothing, we're used to ones like these." Pile said
stomping it out.
"Yeah, you should've seen when Pile tried to make pancakes!" said
Reeden.
Hitomi ran past the guards, up on deck. "Allen!"
"Hitomi, Are you alright? They almost got us that time."
"We have to go! They see us! We have to turn this thing around."
"She's a smart cookie," Gaddes said. "They're luring us in. Old
trick. "
"If we don't stay on it's tail, we'll lose the ship. We owe it to
Lord Van, to Gaea. Maintain a course and speed."
Gaddes nodded yes.
"What is all this going to get us?" Hitomi pounded her fist. "If we
get killed rescuing him, how is that going to help?"
***
"Let's see how well the mongrels can fly." Dilandau was about to
motion the order to open fire.
Folken held his hand. "Don't give orders on my ship. Can you tell
me how you're going to explain that to Astoria? How a ship was
blasted out of the sky? We must keep our stealth. Leviships may
crash but they aren't blasted out of the air riddled with bullet
holes."
"If we don't fire on them how are we going to stop them? Ask them?
Stop being so weak," Dilandau said.
"Fire a direct hit at the levistone. Airships do crash by
themselves."
Dilandau scowled.
Folken closed his eyes.
A stream of hot metal ejected out of the ship. It made a deadly arc
through the night sky, piercing the clouds like a meteor.
Then, with barely a ripple from the ship. It began to fall.
It sunk faster and faster, towards the ground. A boy held onto the
bow, fell off tossed into the air.
There was nothing on Gaea that could save it now.
"It worked." Dilandau said.
All at once the splintering light of the explosion reached their eyes.
Folken collapsed into his chair.
Dilandau stared at the wreckage below. Burning. Flames leaping into
the air. He had never seen such a kinetic explosion in his life.
The flames jumped in every direction into a blazing fireball.
"That was clever, Folken." The flames danced in his eyes. "Look,
they look like ants, being burned alive. Such a tragic crash.
You're right, Folken, an airship crash is a horrible thing…" He
chuckled "Such a beautiful tragic thing. Burn Burn Burn Burn."
Folken sat down in his chair. "Escaflowne is ours. Let us leave.
Shields up. Stealing away like thieves in the night."
***
It seemed like an instant instead of hours before Dilandau returned
back towards his room.
Dilandau wandered along the edges of the hall. Lengthening his walk
as long as it would take to clear his mind. To forget about the
pilot, about Folken, about that little gnawing moment holding the boy
in his arms. But it wasn't working. It only enflamed a desire to
seek him out. He still couldn't admit it to himself. That he was
not looking for peace of mind. He was searching for the one that had
been assigned to Van.
Van was there, still groggy from the drug Folken had injected into
his system.
"Hello," Dilandau said, leaning into the room light bathing him
"Brother," the pilot said, teetering. Trying to sit up.
Dilandau wandered towards the bed. "No, my dear. It's not Folken,"
he said, whispering
"Mama," Van said. "Where's Mama?"
"She's not here," Dilandau said. He could feel Van's spirit. It was
his breath in and out through Dilandau. He lifted Van back onto the
bed, untied the red shirt and revealed his chest, unveiling each inch
with a kiss.
Van trembled. "Where am I?"
"With me." Dilandau unfastened his pants.
This drug was potent, it appeared to the eye that Van was little more
than drunk, but in reality he was completely out of it. "When is my
brother coming back? When he comes back he'll be king..."
Dilandau kissed him. "He'll be back tomorrow, then." Dilandau said,
silencing the soft mutterings of the boy.
"Then he'll be king." Van said.
Dilandau buried his head into Van's warmth. He was as loose as a rag
doll, flopping onto the bed. He was so warm. You could fry bacon on
his flesh. It felt so wonderful to steal his heat.
"You are going to behave." Dilandau sealed these words with a kiss,
resting on top of him. "You're going to be quiet and beautiful."
Van fell as Dilandau licked his flesh.
Dilandau grabbed his thighs roughly. Splitting his legs apart. "You
feel so warm." Dilandau said.
Van slumped his head against him. "What are you…."
"Don't look up." Dilandau sighed and laughed kissing his
ears. "This is incredible." Dilandau brushed the entire length of
his naked body against the stiff warmth underneath him. He had to
enter him, had to be inside him. Oh Gods, he couldn't even think
about it anymore. It had to be.
And with a shuddering explosion from inside himself, it was.
He rested on top of him, in him, forever. He pulled out with a
thick, strange, wet noise. Now in the night there was only the cool
sweat, the breeze chilling his body. Dilandau threw Van's clothes on
the boy again, straightening him up as best he could. He collected
his own as well as he could and left the room, Van dressed now and
Dilandau's mind on fire.
***
Folken returned to his brother's room. "Van," he smiled.
Van stared at him, his eyes like two moons, with dark craters instead
of beautiful eyes.
His clothes seemed tattered and cast aside.
"Are you well brother?" Folken placed his arms around him
"Where did he go?" Van finally let the words out, like the air out of
the lungs of a dead man.
"Who?" Folken asked fearfully. His brother was drenched in his own
sweat.
"He was so strange." Van shivered.
"No one has been in here. To my knowledge. It was a-"
Van gripped onto his brother, so desperate he clutched Folken's false
arm, desperate to be held. "I saw him, he came into my room and
stripped off my clothes and- He'll be back. His hands are so cold,
don't let him hurt me!"
"What is this?"
"I dreamt he kissed me and it sucked out my soul."
Folken held him.
"Do such creatures exist here, brother?" Van whimpered
Folken petted him as he stared. "Your body must be reacted to the
Ruhypnol. Not the best choice for it. I couldn't find anything
better."
Van pressed closer to him. "It is a delusion?"
Folken hugged him back. Whatever Van had been put through, some
things would never change. His little brother came to him to fight
the nightmares.
Then Van stared up at him. Looking at him disgusted, trying to
collect his hate towards him. "You learned that from Zaibach?" Van
asked, snarling the country's name in his face. "What drugs you
corrupt the minds of young boys with? To make them see such things?
To r-" he coughed and cried before the words came out, too overcome
to even make his point.
Folken stood up. Trying to distance himself from the pain of his
treachery. He was here to help Van. Help Van get used to his new
life.
"Zaibach has knowledge of medicines that will cure ailments of all
kinds. Summer fevers, spots, even insanity."
"And yet they supply it so sparingly among the generals who burned
our home to the ground."
Folken closed his eyes as Van went on.
"If you could see what I have seen. The way our castle burnt to ash,
the way the broken and smashed corpses crushed under the guymelefs'
feet, the blood that covered the streets. Our landmarks cut down.
The way Balgus fell-" Van couldn't speak after that.
"Balgus... died?"
"Of course he died. Would you have expected less? He knew how to
die like a man." Van lifted his head.
"A great sadness has occurred," Folken said, the wind knocked out.
"Where do I go? How can I even return? After all the people I've
failed." Van said, "I…"
Folken held his brother again.
"How can you look at their faces when you know they saw you as their
only hope? How they wanted you to be their king?" Van's brain shut
down as Folken embraced him. All he could think was how nice it was
to be with him again. And how he needed something to hold him
through the nightmares. "Brother."
"It gets easier after this." Folken said, almost laughing. If Van
could never trust him… If Van could never understand him. He
wouldn't care. If only this reunion had never happened. If only—He
forgot about everything and hugged his brother.
"Come with me," Van said. "Let's leave here. Then we can rebuild
Fanelia. The two who have failed it worse then anyone else."
Folken bowed his head.
"And yet you would not do your duty?" Van asked. "You would not obey
the king, help your brother?"
"Van, you have to…"
Van said nothing. He turned to face the wall.
"Van. I...."
Van couldn't even work up the strength to curse him, yell at him to
leave. This was, after all, Folken's ship. He was here under his
mercy.
But Folken left. He may have left crying. He may have left
cursing. But he left Van alone.
***
Van sat facing the wall.
What am I going to do? I have failed as king, and am a prisoner.
They could not call him king.
There was nothing he could do. Even his attempt to kill himself had
been stopped. In this room there was nothing sharp, no glass to
break, nothing long enough to hang from the ceiling. Van sighed. He
had seen a play once where a young prince had killed his grandfather,
the old king, by smothering his face with a pillow. He never saw how
because Balgus carried him out of the marketplace, complaining about
the sort of no good brigands that lived in the play carts. Van
wondered if a young man could strangle himself in such a manner. He
lay face down, realizing it wouldn't work, but still too out of sorts
to rise again.
Even his life wasn't his. His dreams were feverish from the drug, he
was sure. Visions of the Phantom Boy crawling next to him, haunted
him, the sweat against his sin, being split from the back like a
rotten walnut. Those phantom hands creeping over his body,
that "husky-thin-sweet-as-death" voice commanding him not to look up.
Such visions filled his dreams, thick as phantom kisses.
Van sat up, holding his pillow to his face and trying to think of
something else. Something that could clean his mind, wash the memory
from his eyes. It hurt so strangely.
***
Dilandau came on cat's feet. He was so quiet when he wanted to
be. "Van."
Van stared up. The vision from last night. It was back.
"I can't stay long."
Van screamed.
Dilandau covered his mouth with a vicious kiss until Van stopped
screaming. Finally he disengaged.
Van shoved him off. "Leave me, demon. I'll have no more of this."
Even drugged out of his mind he was strong. "GET THE-"
Dilandau swallowed his lover's scream with another kiss. "Oh this is
nice. You're so warm. I wish I had time. I knew I had to be with
you again. Angel. That I needed to have you again."
Van struggled. He could push Dilandau away, but the second he tried
to run the dizziness knocked him over, and Dilandau was on him
again. "You taste so good." His mouth kissed over any place on his
body that wasn't clothed and slowly creeping his hand towards his
thigh.
"Please…" Van wept.
But such a beast could not know the meaning of the word "no". This
demon had no concept of decency or consent. Van was a warm body to
be consumed, no feeling, no soul. Just because Van hadn't even been
able to use the word "no" or "stop". Each protest was strangled by
another kiss. It was almost innocent. Could he ever stop him?
"I-"
"You've driven me mad," Dilandau said, angry this time, suddenly far
from the playfully horny creature he had entered as. "I dream of
you. It's no fair."
"Please just…"
"Don't speak. I know what you want." Dilandau traced more kisses
along his body.
Van tried to wrench out one scream between his shivers. "FOLKEN!"
Dilandau's lips traced kisses around his arms.
"FOLKEN! HELP ME!"
Dilandau kissed his palm and chewed on it, almost insensate to the
world around him.
"Get off me, please," Van prayed to the demon of the night.
Dilandau dropped him and sprang to the window. "I'll be back
tonight. Wait for me."
Van watched him tip out the window and disappear.
Folken returned to his shivering, sweating brother.
"Out the window. He flew out the window."
Folken held him. "He's gone now. There, there."
"He'll come back."
Miguel and Dallet heard the scream. They ran into the room, drawing
their swords.
"Commander Folken, we heard a scream."
"It's all right, Miguel. It was nothing. Just a nightmare," Folken
said.
Dallet turned red. Miguel stared, wide-eyed. In Folken's arms was a
small dark boy, with wide and fearful eyes.
Folken rumbled, "Now. Back to your stations."
The two Dragon Slayers timidly stepped out of the room, staring over
their shoulders at the Commander.
"Van, are you alight?" Folken whispered.
"I will be, Folken."
Dallet whispered, "What did we miss? I think we were interrupting
something."
Folken let out a sigh they could hear from the hall as the door
closed.
***
Dallet stared at Miguel. He began to open his mouth but Miguel
pinched his lips together. "It's none of our damn business. Do you
want to anger Dilandau?"
Dallet pulled his mouth free. "Besides, Commander Folken is a fine
man, you see how respectfully he treats the Leopard Twins."
"It's not our business."
"I think it's kind of cute. He's just kind of rocking him like a
child, comforting his nightmares."
Dilandau entered the hall, panting. "What was that scream?"
"Uh...uh..." Dallet stammered.
"Well, tell me!" Dilandau exclaimed, who had only begun to stop
panting. He must have heard from the other side of the ship, ran and
still had the stamina to shout.
"Forgive us, we heard a scream… so we checked on it," Dallet tried to
piece together. He prodded Miguel. He knew Dilandau liked Miguel
better.
"It was Folken-sama and his boy. We weren't-"
Dilandau smacked them both. "I told you to keep away from him!"
"We're sorry, sir," Miguel the chestnut blond said. He bowed his
head. His chocolate brown eyes hooded in shame. It was enough to
calm Dilandau.
"I told you to keep away from that room." their Captain hissed
"We didn't see them doing anything, the boy had a nightmare," Dallet
said.
"What would you see? What would they do? I won't have you badmouth
Folken." He smacked Dallet again.
"I wasn't, sir." Dallet said "We just did-"
Miguel put his hand over Dallet's mouth. "Forgive us."
"Next time you obey me. If you hear that boy conjure the devil, you
will not go in there."
"Yes, Dilandau, my lord." the chestnut haired boy bowed.
Dilandau dismissed them both. After they left he pulled the rope
from the window out his pocket and laughed. /He thought to himself
If that doesn't get Dallet gossiping about Folken, he's not my Dragon
Slayer./
***
Dallet clutched his eye. "Ouch." The dark haired youth pushed back
his long hair into Miguel's face.
"Just keep your mouth shut."
"You can't please him sometimes. Dilandau-sama must be worried about
us finding out Folken and this new boy."
Miguel plodded along quietly.
"It's not like it's so bad. It's just a bed slave, and he takes care
of him. Commander Folken wouldn't hurt him. He's not the kind of guy
who'd be into that kind of thing. He seems sweet."
Miguel rolled his eyes. Only Dallet of Dalleton would call the top
Strategos of the glorious Zaibach Army "sweet."
"Maybe his old owners tortured him and Folken has brought him here to
show him love. It happens a lot. Kind men get off on it."
"What are you talking about?" Guimel, a curly haired sheepish looking
blond, asked as they entered the room.
"Folken's little slave."
Guimel sweat-dropped. "What? He has a slave too? When did he get
one? Isn't he bonking the Leopard Twins?"
Miguel sighed, exasperated.
"Dallet," Guimel said with a worried look on his face. He stroked
the side of his face where Dilandau had blackened his eye.
"What are you doing looking at Commander Folken's slave boy?" The
blond smacked the long-haired boy on top of the head, flopping that
glorious long hair over his face.
Dallet stuttered, flipping back his hair.
"No wonder you got punched in the eye," Guimel growled. "Baka. If
you spend too much time looking at other people's property, the great
Nemisis will poke out your greedy little eyes."
"I didn't look. He was screaming like someone was trying to attack
him."
"Well, was someone going to attack or was it all an innocent
mistake?" Guimel said sarcastically.
"I don't know. Folken said it was just a nightmare."
Guimel sighed and helped Dallet with his eye, putting a cold compress
against it.
"Besides he was a dark, ugly, short, little troll. Why would I even
want to look at him when I could look at you?"
"Leave that slave boy alone, Dallet," Guimel said, slightly hurt.
"See, that's what I tell him!" Miguel said.
"It all sounds so strange and dramatic," Dallet said. "I just wonder
who he is."
***
Dilandau padded around the outside of the door, letting Van see him
first.
Van recoiled in terror. "He's coming here. He's-"
Dilandau ducked out of the way before Folken could see him. A simple
enough trick.
Folken looked around suspiciously.
Van reached for his scabbard.
"No one's there."
"He'll only come when you can't see him." Van said.
"Van."
"You can't see him."
Dilandau smiled. He liked himself. The image of the demon lover by
night. Unstoppable, insatiable. He trembled as he walked into the
room. "Folken-sama, I've been looking for you. I see you are with
your brother."
"Captain Dilandau, now is not the time. He's still not well…."
Van drew his sword. "Get out of here." His brown eyes leapt, like
stallions on a stampede: furious and powerful.
Dilandau ducked. When did he get a sword? Dilandau backed up. Van
would kill him if he could. "Lord Van forgive me, but…"
Van actually collected enough strength to stand.
Dilandau panicked. Would he have enough strength to come out and
kill him?
"Get out of here, Dilandau," Folken said, steely calm.
"Of course." Dilandau turned on his heel, thankful Van couldn't run
after him.
"Leave or I'll…" Van tried to run after him, but could only support
his weight with the sword.
Folken caught him, before he fell and hurt himself. "Van." He helped
his brother back to the bed.
"He'll come back when you can't protect me." Van shouted as
Dilandau's back left the room.
"Who?" Folken looked down the hall.
"You saw him," Van wept. "I knew he wasn't in my mind. He's real."
"Dilandau…" Folken muttered.
"Don't leave me."
"Get some sleep." He kissed his head. "I'll be right back." Folken
went out into the hall and approached Dilandau.
Dilandau didn't know if he should draw on him first, before it was
too late. He had taunted Folken in the past, stepped on his toes,
tried to undermine his authority, and the man had done nothing. But
this was his family. This would be intolerable.
The light haired man seemed much to calm.
"He's not getting better." And yet the Strategos only looked worried
for his brother. "He was hysterical."
Perhaps Van had not told him. He had to make sure that would stay
the case.
Dilandau straighted his collar. "I guess the battle was too much for
him. Such things have been known to crack the mind."
"You're the one who tried to kill him first," Folken commented.
Dilandau frowned. "Perhaps I shouldn't have been so hard. Poor
boy. Abandoned by his allies, left for dead. I hate heroics. Load
of crap."
Folken stared at him. There was something up. His gut told him he
could never trust Dilandau, but why now any less than before? "If I
cannot get these drugs out of his system he will go mad. I was a
fool."
"He would have killed himself," Dilandau said. "Then we'd be
screwed. The Emperor would have never forgiven us."
"You shouldn't do such things to your brother."
"He is much more important than I thought. Perhaps… these
visitations are not all they appear. My Dragon Slayers will keep
away, but anyone else might be tempted to… molest his sleep."
"It's not like you to be needlessly suspicious, Dilandau."
"It's not like me to be stupid either. Perhaps we should get someone
to guard his room. Just in case…"
"That will alert everyone to his presence on the ship."
"It may be too late. His safety should be our top priority."
"We have to be careful."
"I'll guard him myself. No one needs to know. I can order my Dragon
Slayers to secrecy."
"You're being awfully helpful, considering you were willing to kill
him," Folken said
"Oh, and for his blade… He may hurt himself."
"We'll give it back when he recovers his wits," Folken said, re-
entering and picking up the sword and scabbard "But of late we cannot
trust him with a naked blade."
Dilandau bowed. "Of course."
Dilandau re-entered the room and picked up the sword. Van stared
fearfully. Dilandau smiled at him as he left the room.
****
Miguel sat up, watching the door. He really wasn't good as a guard.
He was a pilot, he wasn't used to staying up so late or spending so
much time sitting still. But he couldn't complain. Soldiers took
orders. Gatti and Dallet grumbled all the time, things like, "Dragon
Slayers are above that". But they had been raised kind of stuck up.
Dilandau didn't need to antagonize Folken anymore. If Miguel could
count the times Dilandau had tried to rescind Folken's orders....That
business about firing on the airship was only a tip of the iceberg.
Dilandau didn't deserve that kind of disrespect. He was the greatest
leader in Zaibach. Yet the generals made him wander and beg from ship
to ship. The Dragon Slayers didn't even have their own ship. They
were placed under the commander of whatever ship happened to be in
the area. General Adelphos treated him like a guard dog. Dilandau
was officially under Adelphos' command after all these battles.
They greatly abused Dilandau. They still saw him as an attack dog,
nothing more. With no ambitions, no feelings, nothing beyond his
function as a killer. No general in Zaibach would have set foot on
the hills of Fanel. Leave it to the Dragon Slayers. They sat in
ships high above instead, grimacing at the blood and fire, never
dirtying their hands.
Such a double-edged blessing to be a Dragon Slayer. Without Dilandau
it all seemed so pointless. Serving him was enough. Serving his-
The boy shot right up out of bed.
"Sirrah?" Miguel asked.
The boy looked at him. He curled up into a ball before anything
could devour him. "Who are you?" he asked from this position
"I'm Miguel Labariel. A Dragon Slayer for Captain Dilandau."
"What are you doing?"
"I'm guarding you while you recover your wits- while you recover." He
should be polite.
"I can't sleep. He'll come when Folken isn't here." The boy darted
his head around, looking for some demon.
"Not while I'm here, or the captain. We won't let anyone get in."
Van stared at the door. "I'm so tired."
"Get to sleep, then." Miguel said. He looked at the boy. Poor boy.
Whatever he had been through, he would recover: he looked the type.
Miguel recognized his fellow survivors. The ones who could live
through the end of the world.
Miguel wondered what his story was. Miguel had lived through losing
his wife and child, his honor, his home, his virtue. What had this
boy lost?
Dilandau approached. "How is Van?"
"He's still talking nonsense."
Dilandau stared. "He's beautiful."
Miguel looked up.
"He's like an angel." Dilandau sighed. He bit his finger. "Get
going, Miguel. I'll take it from here. I doubt any boogie men will
come for him tonight."
"But Master Dilandau…" He didn't want to be sent away from his
captain. He would bear it. Knowing he could be with him.
"Do you wish to stay up the whole night with me?"
He'd stay up for the rest of his life. "Anything to serve you my
lord."
"Really? We'll see."
It was an honor to sit by his Captain. His beautiful captain. How
could he miss an opportunity to fulfill his secret desire to be
closer to him?
"Isn't he like an Angel?" Dilandau said sweetly, his eyes drinking in
Van's beauty
"I haven't seen angels with dark hair," Miguel said.
"I suppose Folken hasn't told you his secret…."
"What secret?"
Dilandau shook his head "No. It's too strange. You wouldn't believe
me."
"What?"
"He's a demon."
"A-"
"A Draconian."
"That boy is a-"
"He hides his wings."
"Folken has told you this?" Miguel asked.
"He could never. That is the pact that you must make with a demon to
be its lover: to never reveal it at the cost of death."
"But… Why would-"
"Why wouldn't you? Look at him. You could give your soul for that
beauty."
"Not Folken."
"Folken is more than he appears, Miguel."
Miguel crossed his arms. "I cannot believe you, my lord."
"Then it is better for you," Dilandau said. "We never spoke of it."
And yet through the hours of guard duty the question burned in his
brain. "How would we…"
"If you kiss a demon as it sleeps, its true nature is revealed."
"A kiss? No, I couldn't," Miguel grimaced.
"You can't tell me you've never kissed another boy before."
"I… He's sleeping. It would be unseemly."
"Well."
"When you're asleep you don't deserve that. You're resting. It's
not right to fool around with someone when they're sleeping…." Miguel
said, painfully remembering.
"You're right. We shouldn't. It's probably not a demon." His eyes
shifted to the boy again.
"I could not believe it. It's too fantastical. A demon lover?"
"It probably hears us now, contemplating its nature."
"We are being strange," Miguel said.
"Perhaps you should go to bed. You sound tired."
"No, my Lord. I'll be fine. I'll stay up with you." Miguel's mind
had wrapped around this strange subject. He couldn't help thinking
about it. "What would happen if we just kissed the demon? Would we
have to make a pact?"
"No, I don't think so," Dilandau said.
"I wish we could-"
"We can, he's asleep."
"It's not right. Back in the Green Band sometimes they used to try
to get me when I was asleep. I had to carry a knife with me to bed
before they stopped, or go into the Chief's bed. It's not right to
try to… do something like that when someone's sleeping."
Dilandau sat next to his dragon slayer. Miguel had always fascinated
him, being so different from the others. He hadn't grown up in the
Training centers. He was slightly older, but had never grown to his
full size. He'd grown up hungry and cold. He'd even gotten married
and had a kid. He said his parents were afraid he'd turn out queer
and a good women and a child would straighten him out. According to
his records, when Astoria invaded Zaibach his village got torched,
his wife died, the kid was probably even killed right in front of him.
He'd paired up with a few bands in the Rogue's Wood, even among the
infamous bandits The Green Band, mostly in roles as a plaything to
the men. He'd lost all his dignity and shame when those Astorian
soldiers besieged his village and had fun with whatever was left.
Such was the nature of ancient war.
Dilandau was disgusted by looting. Astorian cowards raped anything
that moved and stole everything that was burnt. Astorians were
vulgar, greedy animals, dishonoring the spirit of war. Miguel was
glad that Dilandau killed everything he could. He'd seen Dilandau
torch a 600-year-old tapestry. Sometimes in the castles that they
scouted they had found treasure. Jewels, golden objects, paintings.
Dilandau would always burn it. Dragon Slayers didn't loot. Burn
everything they could. It was ironic, the wealth they had destroyed
would have corrupted any general years ago.
Dilandau rolled his eyes. "Would you like me to check for you?"
"Master Dilandau?"
"You want to know if it's a demon or not." Dilandau wandered into
the dark room. Miguel walked in behind him. Dilandau knelt by the
side of the bed. He pet the boy's face. "Here we are, my angel." He
kissed him.
Miguel waited and nothing happened as Dilandau kissed.
Dilandau lifted him off the bed, cradling in his arms, kissing him
deeper. And then swiftly the wings burst from the boy's body.
Miguel fell back.
It was a demon. Its wings resisted the kiss, flapping weakly, then
folding back.
"Yes you are an angel. Look at the wings." Dilandau stroked his
wings.
"My word. A Draconian." Miguel stood in awe. "They were supposed to
be dead."
"He's so beautiful." Dilandau shuddered.
Miguel noticed how Dilandau held him. "Don't kiss him again. He
could take your soul."
"Let him have it. I want…"
"My lord, stop."
Dilandau buried himself into the demon's tender warm flesh. The
demon muttered and frowned, tears of water were leaking out of his
eyes as Dilandau continued.
"My lord." Miguel tried to lift him off the tempting, prone
angel. "Don't risk it." He grabbed Dilandau facing him towards
him. "My lord."
Dilandau lifted those same lust heavy eyes at him. "Miguel."
Miguel froze.
"Should I kiss you now, Labariel? To see who tastes sweeter?"
Before he could answer he had.
Gods, what a gentle tongue his captain had. A virgin, slow, simple
tongue. Sweet and chaste. Pure, like eating snow. Miguel devoured
it. The whole mouth. Thrust his lusty thick tongue through his
purity and youth. Through him. He groaned at the beauty of
innocence, almost lost.
Dilandau stared up at him.
"Don't see him like this again," Miguel said, touching his face. "You
won't be able to resist him alone."
"Is that an order?" Dilandau said.
"I'll stay with you."
"Like this." Dilandau held him closer.
Miguel realized what he was doing. "My lord… forgive me."
Dilandau sighed. "It's all right. You were trying to save me. As
your duty," Dilandau said playfully "I can… forgive."
"Don't go too near to the demon again. He'll lure you to your doom,"
Miguel said.
Dilandau shook his head. "You'll never understand."
TBC