Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN ESCAFLOWNE!! Duh! If I did I would be shopping.
A.N.: Here is the third episode of Alseids!!! ^-^ I hope you all enjoy it. It is not one of my best works, but I wanted to start on # 4. Ok, ok, I KNOW Chestia (real spelling is Chesta) is a boy, but if you are used to anime, gender switching should be no big deal. ^_~ I want to thank my big sister, (Sailor Earth) for helping me on grammar and spelling. This fic is kinda long and stupid so plz don't yell at me. So, remember, PLZ POST YOUR REVEIW OR I WILL THROTTLE YOU!!! ok, now to the fic.
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The battleground was littered with the carcasses of his victims. He walked through hazy mists, smelling the stale blood that had once coated his sword. Bones cracked under his boots as he wondered across the never-ending field. What was he doing there? He had no business to mingle with the shells of the dead ones. The gods demanded new sacrifices, new prey to feast upon. A figure approached him the mist. Dilandau drew his sword.
" What are you doing here?!" He yelled. The stale, dense air seemed to muffle his voice, and he wasn't sure the figure had heard him. A heavy fog seemed to settle in, and he could see his breath in the dim red light. The figure floated up, its face obscured, but it lifted a hand out. In it was the Virgo necklace, dangling in the stale breeze. Dilandau gasped. The figures eyes flashed out white hot and seemed to be melting the fog.
" What do you want from me?" Screamed Dilandau. The figure ignored him and shoved the necklace in front of him. It burst forth a blinding white light. It was eating at the fog, burning it away eating at the shells of bodies. The white was so hot he screamed in pain. He blacked out into a dazzling darkness.
Dilandau woke to find himself sweating and tangled in a heap sheets on the floor. It had all been a dream. Just a dream. As he got up he remembered what had happened yesterday. He shuddered at the thought. How could he have been so weak? He gritted his teeth. Yet, he could not stop thinking about her. Was this love? He had heard about the fairy tale, but thought it could never happen to him. He sank back onto his bed, remembering yesterday.
" Lord Dilandau! I have the girl." said Gatti. He pushed her forward.
" You are dismissed Gatti." The slayer saluted and walked out of the room. The training room arched high over his head, also used for practice Gymelef fights. Dilandau picked up an extra sword off the ground and gave it to Michiru.
" I have decided to have a duel. If you win, you are a dragon slayer. If not, you die. Let's begin."
He drew his sword from his belt. She drew her's, but with difficulty. The slayers swords were very heavy.
" What if I don't want to become a Slayer?" She said.
" You'll have to be. We can't have a prisoner blabbing out all our secrets." He spat. Then, He lunged slicing up. She blocked him easily, which surprised him. Then he tried to chop down, then while she blocked the chop, he would slice across, but Michiuru ducked the attack. She sliced at his legs, but he jumped away, not a second too soon.
" You' re pretty good...For a girl." He taunted.
" Why you b-" He took the chance to kick her in the stomach, which sent her smashing into the wall, narrowly avoiding the huge iron spikes jutting out at odd angles. He took the advantage and sliced a nasty cut across her left shoulder. Michiru screamed in pain. She got up and attacked him with heavy strikes, every move tearing at the gash on her shoulder. Metal clanged against metal as they battled. It seemed to last for ages, and the work started to slow down Dilandau. Suddenly, with an upward cut, Michiru had the tip of her blade pressed against his throat.
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Michiru was surprised at how well she had fought. Only one year of fencing back on Earth and she had beaten Dilandau. She felt sorry for him. He had probably lived a hard life, and that was why he acted he acted so destructive, but he was also so... how could she say this about someone who had tried to kill her? She was so attracted to him, whenever she was with him, she felt safe, but terrified at the same time. He seemed to pull her, like a magnet. She drew back her sword and sheathed it.
Dilandau stared at her, and gritted his teeth. One eye twitched. " I expect you to report to me in the morning at 3 o' clock." spat Dilandau, getting up.
" Chestia!"
" Yes Lord Dilandau?" asked Chestia walking into the training room.
" Take Michiru away." He spat. Chestia looked surprised but took Michiru by the arm and led her out into the hallway.
" You survived Lord Dilandau's duel?" She asked, sounding both impressed and relieved.
" Yes. I didn't think I could. I took fencing lessons while I was back on Ea- the Mystic Moon." she replied and on an after thought, " Is being a slayer hard? "
Chestia laughed,"You have no idea. If I had a choice, I would be somewhere else, but I am loyal to Lord Dilandau." A far away look crossed her face and her eyes glistened. Suddenly, she clapped Michiru's shoulder. "Good job! Your now one of u-, oh gosh, that's one nasty cut! Come with me so it can be doctored." Michiru winced.
"Its ok, I've had worse. I don't want to be a bother."
"Nonsense! Come with me, then I'll take you to your room."
"That's ok, I know where it is." Said Michiru. Chestia smiled and walked down the corridor.
They walked along for a while in silence when a door appeared on the left of the hall, which ended abruptly. Chestia entered a code into the wall and the door hissed open. A sea of tubes full of different colored liquids lined the wall and cabinets filled the other two walls. The room smelled strongly of a sharp odor that reminded Michiru of rubbing alcohol. Chestia pointed to the table and motioned her to sit. Then, she pulled out a red patch from a cabinets and a bottle full of clear liquid.
" This might hurt a bit," Chestia warned her and she applied the patch. Then, pouring the liquid into a bottle, she gave it to Michiru. "You want to be careful with this medicine. It is supposed to get rid of all infectious diseases and other sicknesses that you might inherit from your genes or other people. Like Havvenglioa, or Snalopitis. It is a special formula used only for Dragon Slayers so they can't get sick and spread to other Slayers," She looked grim, " But if you take to much, it will eat away at your white blood cells, damaging your blood so you will have a long painful death."
"Havvenglioa? Snalopitis? Is that like Chicken Pox, or the Flu?" Inquired Michiru. Chestia looked puzzled and shrugged her shoulders.
" Look, Your wound will heal in about a few days, but until then, try to move it as little as possible. I have things to do, so go to your room, and I will call you if you are needed. Oh, and you might want this, It is the access code for your room." Chestia said. Michiru took the slip of paper that Chestia put into her hand. She slid down from the table and opened the door using a panel on the side. She walked out into the hall, but stopped when Chestia, who was putting up the medicine, called out to her. " Hey, Michiru! Your uniform should be in your room, put it on right away, I don't want Lord Dilandau thinking I just dropped you off without instructions. Oh, and you may look around a bit, but not much, no snooping." She smiled.
" Chestia, what do you do during free time?"
Chestia looked amused. " What's free time? Another Dragon Slayer should be by to tell you who's patrol you will join, but in between patrol you are to train. Usually Lord Dilandau has plenty of orders to keep us busy. Well, you better be off!"
Michiru said thanks and left the room, starting to walk down the corridor. Turning at an odd corner here and there she eventually came to a door which she opened and stepped out onto a catwalk, situated over a steep drop down into blackness which would eventually lead into the core of the floating fortress. Michiru gulped and gripped the handrails, walking carefully to the end of the catwalk and stepped in the new corridor, which she recognized as the Dragon Slayer barracks. She moved to the last cell and entered the code on the slip of paper Chestia had given her. A small bed in one corner, a small door on the wall, which at further investigation held her uniform, and a mirror hung across from her bed. That seemed to be all the furnishings in the room. After dressing into her Slayer Uniform, she glanced in the mirror and smiled. She looked rather good in a uniform. Michiru folded her clothes and put them into her closet. As she did, a small button caught her eye. When she pressed it, a drawer popped out and it held a brush, a key, and other toiletries. Well, at least she had some things that would make her feel more at home. A sharp knock came from her door and it hissed open and a Dragon Slayer stood in the doorway.
"Hello, my name is Gatti, and I've come to inform you of your schedule. You are to be with Miguel's patrol on the crack of dawn at 3:00 am. The patrol will end at 10:00 am. You are to be attentive and alert at all times. Follow Miguel's orders at all times or you will be punished. Any misbehaving or you will have no meals for a day. On your next time, you will go to the punishment area, and on your third, you will be taken to Lord Dilandau. Is that clear?"
Michiru nodded silently. "Good. I hope you will not be trouble. I also hope you train hard. Your patrol will start tomorrow. Today you may spend your time practicing on your gymelif. The training room is right past this corridor. Any questions?
"No sir." Michiru said.
" Good, we are all confused at first, but you will get used to it. We all have to." and with that, he left, leaving Michiru feeling more homesick than ever. Michiru sat on her bed, tears spilling over onto her bed. She didn't want to adjust, she wanted to be home. She didn't want to train, she wanted to be back with her family. Michiru laid back onto her bed and looked up into the ceiling. Suddenly, a renting siren split the air, shrieking a protest into the silent still air. She bolted from her bed and ran out of her cell, looking at the other Slayers bursting out of their cells, looking confused and startled.
" What's happening?" Asked a slayer.
"Where is Lord Dilandau?" Asked another slayer.
"All Alseids units, to the vione, we are under attack. Use stealth cloaks and swords, our other weapons are no use against them." Dilandau said calmly, walking out from the door at the end of the hall.
"Yes sir!" Chorused all the Dragon Slayers. Then, they dashed into the vione, going to a Gymelef and exiting, joining the fray.
Michiru was completely lost. What was she supposed to do? She walked over to a gymelif, and stepped inside. Suddenly, Her necklace glowed black, sending information and data through her veins. A trance seemed to come over her. She knew what to do. Locks whirred and clanked as she rose into the air, a beautiful omen of death. She joined the rest of the slayers on the ground. Activating her stealth cloak, she circled her prey. Ten Gymelifs were standing with swords drawn facing each Guymelif. Michiru drew her own sword, and faced her opponent.
" NOW!" Screamed a voice from the enemy 'melif, and the foe lurched forward and attacked like they were not wearing their stealth cloaks. Michiru gasped and parried a swift blow, then delivered a swift uppercut, which sliced off a bit of armor. She screamed with pent up anger and fear, lunging forward agressivly and plunged her sword deep into the Guymelif. It fell to the ground. She moved on to her next victim, and spotted two Guymelifs attacking thin air. Then, she realized that they could see them, but she couldn't see her own allies. Michiru raced forward and attacked from behind, delivering a large gash, where wires frizzed and writhed. Giving the final blow, she drove her sword down, and sliced it in half. She screamed in agony when a sword sliced into her armor. As she turned around to face this new opponent, a dragon slayer called out, " RETREAT! RETREAT TO THE VIONE!!" Then, all of the Slayers rose into the air and rushed back to the vione. As they landed, several slayers rushed up to a Slayer and started yelling at him.
" Why'd we have to retreat? We were winning!" Yelled an angry slayer.
" Yea! You're so cowardly Guimel!" Yelled another.
" Listen! Lord Dilandau was captured! We must get him back." Yelled Guimel over the voices. Michiru gasped, and so did others. She looked around for Chestia, but she couldn't find her.
" Where's Chestia?" She asked another slayer next to her. As an answer, another dragon slayer came into the vione dragging a body. Michiru's stomach plummeted as she saw him.
" Chestia sir." He said to Guimel. He bent down and put his ear to her chest. He stood up again.
" She's dead." He said without emotion. Michiru stared. Not Chestia, Please not Chestia whom she had talked with and laughed with only moments ago. She seemed to die herself. Chestia was her friend, the only real friend she'd found in this strange place. Michiru gasped and didn't notice she was running until she was far away from the vione. She flung herself on the floor as grief flooded through her body and she cried, not just for Chestia, but for herself. How selfish this was. To cry for the dead had no meaning. She was crying for herself, because she was now alone
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A.N.: Hi! *sniff* sorry I had to kill her/him…whatever! Things have to go bad once in a while! Anywhays, Plz look for Chapter 4, coming out soon! o_O Finally, the bad Guy is revealed!! Remember to post your review, or Dilandau will send you hate mail ^-^ Well, thats all for now. Bye!
