Hey again everyone! I'm back, wow this is really amazing I can't believe I've got the next chapter out. Usually writer's block would be hitting me BIG time by now, but I'm still going strong, ((take THAT writer's block! *WACK WACK*)) The next chapter after this one should be out really soon. I've already got most of it planned out, just gotta type it.
Thankyou Thankyou you wonderful reviewers you!! ::throws confetti:: you really help cuz every time I get a review I'm inspired to write more. Oh and thanks to Dilandra for reminding me about the scar, I am so bad with my left and rights, and I'm grateful you pointed that mistake out to me, it's fixed now! Well that's enough bla-bla-bla, here's the next chapter, Enjoy and Review!! ~Sarah~
Chapter 4- Smoke and Ash
"Wracked again by indecision
should we make that small incision
testify to the bleeding heart inside
we cut we scratched we ran we slashed
and when he opened up at last
found a cul-de-sac deep and black
smoke and ash
deep and black, smoke and ash"~ Natalie Merchant
Serryn shivered, wrapping her arms tighter around her bear shoulders. The slight breeze reminded her that summer had long since passed, no matter how many warm afternoons had preceded it. She cursed herself for not bringing warmer clothing, but this situation had never presented itself to her previously.
She had been walking for a few hours now. Her legs were aching, and her nerves were shot. Every snapping twig or creaking tree branch caused her to jump, for fear of an ambush. But no, if anyone had been following her she would have known by now. She would have been dead. At any rate, exhaustion was also beginning to set in.
Serryn glanced up at the sky. The moons were beginning to sink below the tree line. She calculated it was about five in the morning. The sun would be rising soon. She glanced around. Things were starting to look familiar. She smiled seeing an ancient oak she had used to climb when she was young. Not long now.
"Maybe...." Serryn stifled a yawn. Maybe she should stop and rest. It felt like years since she'd slept last.
"No," she said firmly shaking her head to keep herself focused. Rest now and she was sure to sleep until the sun had risen high into the sky. She had to keep going. Only a little while longer.
She continued walking. She yawned again, taking in a deep breath of the early morning air. She stopped momentarily. Was that smoke she smelled? Serryn looked around expecting to find a cottage or something somewhere in the trees. She found none.
'Campers maybe,' she decided, but her muscles had tensed.
Then came the thunder. Thunder so loud it shook the earth, she could feel it through the leather of her boots. Serryn's face snapped up. Clouds...there WOULD be clouds. Her mind would not allow anything else.
There was, one gigantic one. Burning red with inner fire, and black smoke boiling around its edges. It rose from behind the trees like a vision from a nightmare,
and Serryn ran.
****
Conilia was burning.
Every roof top in the entire city seemed to be aflame. She could feel the the flames, and wave of heat rushed at her suddenly, blinding her mometarily. Her eyes were wide, but all she could see was white. White heat...
"No," came Serryn's choked whisper, she blinked regaining her vision, "NO! No no nononononono...." She repeated over and over. The words came in time with her foot steps as she ran through the flaming streets. She'd not come upon a living soul since first entering the city. The dead littered the ground, most burned or mauled beyond recognition. Some were soldiers, some civilians. Zaibach armor adorned a few if them, but only a few.
Rounding a corner she froze. Soldiers. Five of them, standing around several stationary guymelefs. Serryn dove behind the wreckage of a half flattened food cart. She crouched there gasping for breath, catching a few of one of the soldier's words.
"- wait for his word to regroup. We're supposed to look for survivors in the mean time."
Serryn recognized that voice. 'Look Dallet, she's got a stick.' She grimaced but fought the urge to go tearing at that cocky Dragonslayer, hoping to hear more.
"What does he want us to do that for?" Dallet asked, sitting down on the foot of his Alseides unit.
Gatti shrugged, "I guess because the two princesses are still missing. He's hoping they'll turn up or something."
"Folken's gonna be pissed," Migel commented as he cleaned his sword, "He hates it when Dilandau goes overboard and sets fire to everything he gets his hands on..." the Slayer trailed off.
Serryn shook her head. She COULDN'T have heard right. 'It's not possible!' she exclaimed mentally, 'there's no way he could have made it here before me...'
Her thoughts were interrupted suddenly by a blatant cackle that split through the smoking air, and a house not twenty feet from where she hid was instantly engulfed in flames. Serryn screamed, her voice thankfully covered by the roar of the fire. She flattened herself on her stomach, pulling a fallen piece of roof over her head.
She coughed from the smoke, as debris from the exploded building came raining down on her. It stopped a moment later. Serryn raised her eyes, peering up and gasped. Looming over her, like a giant red demon, was another Zaibach Guymelef. The group of Dragonslayers had leapt to their feet, fear evident on their features. They stood lined up, not taking their eyes from the blood colored Alseides.
It came to a halt in front of the aligned soldiers, the compartment door to the middle of it opening. A figure clothed in red armor leaped down from it.
"Gatti," Dilandau's voice was dripping with sweetened venom," Stop me if I'm incorrect but as I recall I ordered you and the rest of the Slayers to search the city for any potential survivors."
The blood had drained from Gatti's face, "Um, yes Sir! I was just ordering the rest-"
Gatti gasped as the force of Dilandau's gloved hand snapped his head to the side. "-to move out and begin searching," he finished, wiping the blood that now dripped from the side of his mouth.
Serryn's eyebrows furrowed. This was how he treated his own men? She studied the faces of the Dragonslayers as Dilandau began barking orders at them. 'Why...they're afraid of him!' she realized. She moved a little, trying to get a better look, but in the process she accidentally caused the rest of the food cart that was still intact to topple over.
She gasped, leaping to her feet as the wreckage crashed down on the spot she had previously been lying on. The noise of the crash unfortunately caught the attention of Dilandau and every one of the Dragonslayers.
"It's the princess!" Gatti exclaimed, pointing her out.
Dilandau's face had expanded into a wide grin. "Princess! Nice to see you again. Care to join us?" he asked and laughed maniacally.
Serryn, her eyes wide, spun on her heel and ran. "After her!" she heard Dilandau yell from behind her. 'Stupid!' she screamed silently at herself. 'Stupid stupid stupid!' She turned a corner suddenly. At least she had an advantage over them. She knew ever street and back ally in this city.
****
Dilandau watched the green eyed princess vanish around a corner pursued by his men. "Fast runner, "he observed, as the Dragonslayers disappeared from site.
He looked up at the sky. The two moons had already disappeared from view, but the sun had begun to rise, casting a crimson glow over the city. It only added to the burning red and oranges of the fires that surrounded him, making it seem like some bizarre dream state.
He closed his eyes breathing in the smoke and ash that filled the air. This was what he lived for. The joy of battle. Of the pursuit. He would soon settle the score with the little bitch who dared defy him. Dared to make a fool of him. He licked his lips in anticipation. She would pay.
The girl was heading south, he calculated. Towards the middle of the city. He grinned. Towards the castle. "Stupid girl," he muttered, laughing softly and began walking down a street that led directly to the palace entrance.
****
Serryn stole a glance behind her. They were still following her, one man short now. She'd taken the liberty of hiding behind a corner and knocking one of them unconscious. But she still had four more to worry about. They were the same ones as before, her friends from the Vione she noted, joined by two new ones. At least she'd gotten the one who'd hit her sister that first night. She hoped his head killed him when he came to.
She looked back in front of her, focusing on the matter at hand. 'If I take the left, I can cut through Hudson's Inn and take the back passage way, that will lead me to the gates.'
Serryn dove left, thankfully the door to the Inn was ajar. She slammed it shut and pulled the wooden bar down over the lock, looking around. She sighed in relief. The room was deserted. Anyone who'd been in it had hopefully evacuated.
She didn't hesitate, running across the dining room and into the kitchen. Pots were still on the stove, filled with water, and a bag of oatmeal still sat open on the counter, waiting to be cooked. The scene seemed so surreal to Serryn. 'Why mother?' came the question asked as she bolted out the back door and ran through the back all. The castle lay right in front of her. She ran towards it, knowing exactly where to go. A memory played itself in her mind.
~Flash back~
She was in her bed, both her mother and father by her side.
"So remember Serryn-chan," her father said in a gentle but serious voice, "if there is ever a time the castle is under attack, you are to go directly to the highest tower in the West wing."
"But why father?" she had asked in a confused voice.
"Because love, "her mother smiled, "there will be an air ship there waiting to take us to safety."
"All of us?" Serryn asked, "You father? And mother? And even Aria?"
"Yes, "said her father, "You and Mother and Aria. But I will stay here and fight to protect the city." ~~
Serryn held back tears as she ran. Her father had died that way, while she and Mother and Aria had escaped. And now it was happening again. She prayed they would be there.
She had cleared the ally when a sudden movement caught her. She cried out and ducked, the edge of a sword just missing her.
"Damn it!!" Dilandau cursed, his garnet eyes flashing with rage. Serryn screamed. He had know where she was heading, and had tried to cut her off. She couldn't fight him, the first time had been nothing but luck and she knew that. Her only hope was to outrun him in hopes his heavy armor would slow him down.
She dashed up the stairs to the palace entrance before Dilandau could come at her again. Slamming the door behind her she then took off to her left. "Hello?!" she yelled as she ran, "Is anyone here???" Her voice echoed off the walls of the abandoned castle. There was no one to help her.
The crashing sound of the doors being thrown open fueled her fear and encouraged her almost numb legs to keep moving, her burning lungs to keep breathing. Serryn had to find someone, ANYONE to help her fend that psychotic bastard off. She made it to the stair that lead up to the West wing of the castle.
It was usually the busiest part of the entire castle besides the throne room, but now it was as deserted as the rest of the city. 'Where the hell IS everyone?!' she gasped, running down the hall and heading up the second and last flight of spiraling stairs.
'Almost there,' Serryn told herself, praying the footsteps behind her were farther away then they sounded, "Almost there, almost there, almost-"
"MOTHER!!" she yelled bursting into the top of the tower, "Mother! MOM? ARIA???"
Silence. It tore at her like a rabid animal. There was nothing. A few birds fluttered around in the rafters above her, but the room was empty.
"No..." Serryn whispered, she wouldn't believe it, she refused to.
"MOTHER!!!" She ran across the room to the open balcony at the top of the tower. But suddenly a strange feeling ran up her legs, and Serryn realized she was no longer running, but sliding. She gasped as she slipped, flailing her arms around trying to stop herself.
She cried out in pain as her abdomen connected and then broke through the rotted wooden railing, and the a scream ripped it's was through her throat as the ground two hundred feet below became parallel with her eyesight. Her arm shot out blindly as she fell. She felt steel and gripped it tightly. Her fall was brought to a jarring stop, almost causing her to lose her grip, but Serryn held on, her life literally depended on it.
Serryn's heart was racing, and her mind spinning. She gasped for breath, and opened her eyes when she realized they were closed tight to take in her situation. Nausea swept over her body as she realized just how high up she was.
She was hanging over the edge of the highest tower in the West wing, the burning city stretched out before her. Her hand, closed around an iron bar that held the railing up, was the only thing preventing her from plummeting to her death.
Serryn gasped again in pain. Her arm felt like it was being pulled from it's socket. "Breath, "she whispered, her lips trembling, "Think....and breath." She felt with her feet trying to determine where the side of the tower was, but all she felt was air.
"Breath, "she repeated, but then heard a sound that seemed to stop her heart.
Footsteps clicked over the cobbled stone of the floor, getting closer and closer. Serryn choked back a sob, 'I should just let go, 'she thought numbly, 'deprive him the pleasure of killing me himself..." But as she glanced down, she could only grip the iron bar tighter, "I can't, "she gasped.
The footsteps had stopped. And were replaced by a new sound. Laughter.
"Well well, what do we have here?" the words made the blood in Serryn's vains run cold. "You seem to be having a little trouble, ne princess?" Dilandau grinned, leaning over what remained of the railing.
Serryn's jaw clenched in anger, but she said nothing. She refused to feed his fire.
"That really was a stupid thing for you to do, you know, "he told her, "Running up here to your little family get-together room when it was the most obvious thing you could do."
Serryn looked up at him, her eyes wide with shock. "How did you know...?"
"Oh your mother's trusted advisor confided in me before he ran out of breath."
She closed her eyes, tears rolling down the side of her face. So...he had known all along where she was going, but...
"How did you get here in the first place??" she demanded.
Dilandau smiled wickedly, kneeling down so his face was closer to hers. "One of the most important rules of war, "he explained, "is that you ALWAYS make sure you strip something of all its valuables before leaving it behind with an enemy. But," he cut in before she could say anything, "those spare engergists in your saddle bag came in incredibly handy. So I'm grateful for your ignorance."
He laughed again as rage washed over her face. "Go AWAY!" she growled at him.
Dilandau raised an eyebrow, "Now why would I want to do that?"
"Don't FUCK with me Dilandau!" she screamed, "I know you want to kill me, but I'm NOT going to let have that privilege. I swear to the gods, just try! I'll let go, I swear it!" She promised, looking him dead in the eye. She could. Now she could, if she had to...
All the expression had left Dilandau's face. He leaned back and crossed his arms. "All right...do it."
Serryn's mouth dropped. She hadn't been expecting that. She had expected him to laugh again and then come at her, his sword drawn. But...was he actually going to let her kill herself??
She closed her eyes so she wouldn't see the ground rushing up at her. She could do it. She could. 'Mother, 'she voiced silently, letting out a shaky breath, 'I'll be with you soon...' Her grip began to loosen.
"Of course, "Dilandau's voice spoke up suddenly, breaking her concentration, and causing her grip to tighten again, "that WOULD leave you poor little sister all alone. What a shame it would be for her to find your broken body lying on the ground. The only person she had left..."
"Gods...Aria!" Serryn whispered. Was it possible she could still be alive? Could she still be out there in the woods somewhere?
"Yes...Aria, "Dilandau said in mock pity, "Poor poor Aria."
Serryn shook her head, "It doesn't matter! Death by you, or death by myself, she'll still be alone."
"...Who says I'm going to kill you?"
