Yay! It's battle time ladies! ((and Gents if there happen to be any)) This was fun to write, and I think I have about five good chapters planned out for it. Mountains and boat rides are GOOD for all those writers who need inspiration. It's so calm and peaceful and ::itches a bug bite:: ok ok, there's like tons of bugs up north, but who cares bring bug spray ^-^ Anywho, yes we'll be getting back into the action part of the story, I refer to the last few chapters as the calm before the storm, even though it wasn't all that entirly calm...teehee. My oh my, what is Dilandau to do, after all we all know he ISN'T a hypocrite, ne? oh and pardon my random use of japanese in this story, sometimes I like to use it sometimes I don't, just when it sounds or feel right, no da?? hehe... My Dilandau key chain has BLUE eyes! BLUE!! GAH! ::sobs:: how could they do this to me??? *pant* ok I'll stop being weird now...::scampers off to find a red felt tip pen whilst cackling like movie Dilandau right before he decapitates someone::
~Sarah~ (who enjoyed her escaflowne movie even though the graphics sucked and the subtitles were almost illegable)
Chapter 14- Dress the Part
"swing low sweet cherry
make it awful
lts your life,its your party, its awful
Lets start a fire
Let's start a riot! Yeah it's awful
It was punk
Yeah, it was perfect now its awful"~ Hole
Serryn was shaking. Her reflection in the mirror showed a weary girl with dark circles under her eyes, and healing bruises covering her arms and legs. Her eyes were half closed and unfocused. And her mind was far from the task of dressing which was what she was attempting at the moment.
Time was up, the soldiers were assembling in the hanger of the Vione, preparing to attack the small city that lay below them. The people of Therra were just now preparing for bed, not one of them aware of the danger that lurked high in the blackened sky.
The princess let out a broken sigh. She had thrown herself into training. Ever since her terrifying encounter. The harder she trained the less her mind would wander back to what had almost happened. Her teeth clenched willing the memory away, but he was there again. The heat of his lips and his body pressing against hers.
Serryn shook her head. She wouldn't think about it. She saved herself from him. Besides she had more important, more frightening things to worry about. "What the hell am I supposed to do down there anyway?" she growled pulling her boots on, "He's out of his mind if he thinks I'll make a difference."
She wasn't afraid to admit her limits. She knew that even if her skills were considerably better then they had been before, she wasn't prepared to go to battle. Not with only a single week of training. And Dilandau still hadn't revealed to her what his orders were yet. But that wasn't surprising considering he hadn't even looked at her for the past week.
The door to Serryn's rooms slid open, and Celena stepped half way in. "Better hurry, Serryn," she chided, grinning, "or they're gonna leave without us!" As she spoke a few soldiers rushed by. That and the blue eyed girl's words added to the atmosphere of excitement the entire ship seemed to be feeling, excluding the princess of course.
"I wish they would," Serryn answered, tightening the leather belt around her waist.
Celena frowned, stepping fully into the room, "Are you ok Serryn? You've been acting kind of strange all week."
"Have I?" The look Serryn gave Celena killed any more questions the other girl might have. "Lets go then, gods forbid we delay the destruction of another innocent country and it's people," she headed out of the room then, not bothering to check if Celena was following her.
****
Dilandau watched as the groups of soldiers dispersed, heading to the guymelefs and transport ships. Not far away the Stratagos was giving detailed instructions to his twin lackeys. The gold and silver demi-felines licked their lips in anticipation of the battle.
The red eyed general scowled. "Damn females," he muttered, turning back to his thirty-something Dragonslayers who were waiting silently for his orders. "Pull out and stay with in range of the other squadrons," he commanded, "spread out and surround the city, but keep out of site. I will join you shortly, so do not attack until I give the order. It will be a few hours before the city is secured, is that understood?"
"Yes, sir!" the Slayers answered in unison and then dispersed, climbing into their assigned Guymelefs.
Almost half of the army had vacated the Vione when Dilandau noticed the doors to his right sliding open and Celena and Serryn stepped into the hanger. The blue eyed girl's expression was one of excitement, but the princess's was solemn. Dilandau smirked, the memory of what had happened days ago was still fresh in his mind. Part of him still seethed when he thought about it.
The fact that what she had said was undoubtedly correct tried him, but he had some condolence in knowing that after that she would always think twice about defying him. And that she WAS in fact afraid of him.
"You're late," he remarked as the two girls neared him. Celena bowed her head smiling sheepishly, "Sorry Dil- I mean Lord Dilandau," she smiled up at him.
"Yes, please forgive us," Serryn added quietly, not actually looking at him, her voice dripping with sarcasm. The general's red eyes narrowed, and he opened his mouth to retort but was interrupted by the deep voice of the Zaibach Stratagos.
"Princess, Miss Schezar? If you two will come with me, I have some things to explain to you," Folken said, stepping up the three young adults.
Serryn nodded, a bit of a smirk on her face, and immediately followed the Stratagos. Dilandau held back a growl as Celena hurried to follow behind them. Even though she wasn't even looking at him the entire air of the princess's presence seemed to be mocking him.
"You may come too Dilandau, if you wish," Folken called over his shoulder, "Some of the things I'm going to explain to them are vital parts of this attack."
Dilandau grinned watching the princess's shoulders tense, "Of course Stratagos, It would be a pleasure."
****
"NO! Absolutely NOT!" Serryn's screech echoed throughout the small room.
Celena cringed taking a step back from the mirror she and the princess both stood before, "Woah, calm down Serryn! It's not THAT bad..."
"Not that bad??" the green eyed girl exclaimed, "Ok, being spies for Dilandau's damn troop of slayers is 'not that bad' because it means we won't have to fight much, but this outfit makes me look like a...a...you KNOW!!"
Celena and Serryn were both now clothed in new identical uniforms. Well, perhaps uniforms was stretching it a bit. The outfits consisted of a black leotard like thing made out of tight fitting material, that was all covered by a light-wait armor. Knee high boots and elbow high gloves accompanied them as long as a utility belt. The wispy almost see-through skirt that hung from the belts served as a cover up.
The uniforms purposes were to be an easy to move in, hard to see attire, that would allow the two girls protection and allow tem to blend in with the night, but hide the fact they were Zaibach soldiers. To anyone who might spot them, they were to be a pair of traveling dancers, which explained the slighlty suggestive appearence they exhibited
"Oh I don't know...I think it compliments my eyes, don't you?" Celena giggled, doing a little turn.
Serryn huffed, spinning on heel and head out of he small closet that served as their dressing room.
"Lord Folken," she said in a forced voice, for she hadn't yet forgiven the man for deceiving her, "You cannot possibly expect me to wear this!"
Folken raised an eyebrow, "Why is that? I see nothing wrong, it will certainly serve its purpose for the orders I've given you."
"Yes, I know but...well, couldn't you have come up with something with a little more cover?" the princess complained, tugging at the scooped neck of the leotard, trying to get it to stay above her collarbone. No such luck. Serryn growled as she suddenly caught the grin that had spread across Dilandau's face the moment she'd barged out of the closet.
"YOU!" she exclaimed, her face furious, "This was all YOUR idea wasn't it??" The cat-like grin only widened as the general shrugged his shoulders.
Serryn was debating whether or not it was worth her life to dive at the silver hair boy and rip his eyes out when Celena chose that moment to waltz out of the closet.
"Oh I feel so free! This thing fits liked a glove," She danced over to Dilandau, securing her sword to the utility belt, "What do you thing Lord Dilandau-chan??"
"I think the next time you call me that, I'm going to rip your ribcage out through your nose," Dilandau replied, he's eyebrows furrowed.
Celena wrinkled her nose, but was otherwise unfazed by the general's crude retort, "Ugh, sometimes you worry me Lord Dilandau. You ready to go Serryn??"
The princess was struggling to keep from laughing at Dilandau's enraged expression. 'No matter how much she annoys me sometimes, she always knows just how to cheer me up...' she though, smiling. "I guess so," she replied out loud, lifting her staff from where it leaned against.
"Which Guymelefs are we gonna use Lord Folken?" Celena inquired stepping up the Stratagos.
"You'll be using the Incipient Unit," The Stratagos replied, "It's located in docking bay five. The contros are similar to the Alseides, so you shouldn't have any trouble-"
"The Incipient Unit??" Celena interrupted, "That thing is ANCIENT!"
"It's the only guymelef we have that seats two people," the Stratagos replied calmly, obviously he'd been expecting this outburst, "Unless you think that princess Serryn is able to operate one of the Alseides units..."
Serryn's eyes widened, "NO! We'll take the Incipient!" she elbowed Celena when the blue eyed girl looked ready to object again.
"Oof! Ok ok," Celena grumbled, rubbing her side. She turned then, following the Zaibach Stratagos to where the Guymelef was located.
Serryn also moved to follow them, but a hand gripped her upper arm, pulling her back. Serryn let out a surprised breath. "What?" she demanded, her eyes involuntarily locking with Dilandau's.
"Your not carrying a sword?" It was more of a statement then a question.
"I have my staff, " she replied in an "you should know that by now you dumbass" tone.
Dilandau tightened his grip on her arm causing her to gasp in pain, "You won't be able to kill anything with that."
Serryn jerked her arm away, angrily taking a step back, "Nor do I plan to! Just because I'm fighting for you does not mean I will kill for you!" The dagger was in his hand before she had a chance to blink. She cringed, almost stepping back again. It was the same dagger he'd used that night. She recognized the engravings on the handle.
Dilandau knelt then, and Serryn felt her eyes widening. Dilandau reached behind her left calf, and slid the dagger into the concealed sheath in her boot. His face was level with hers a moment later. "Just in case," he smiled, and then turned, heading for his own guymelef.
Serryn let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Jerk..." she muttered, and headed in the opposite direction to find Celena.
