Chapter 22- A View to Kill
"Choice for you, is the view to a kill
Between the shades, assination standing still.
The first crystal tears, fall as snowflakes on your body
First time in years, to drench you skin with lovers' rosy stain
A chance to find the phoenix for the flame,
A chance to die.." ~Duran Duran
Celena blinked away the haze that clouded her eyes in the result of the sudden flash. 'Mirrors' her lips quirked, and her eyes watched the red Alseides thrash about blindly, as the Calan ship sped quickly out of sight, "Clever," she whispered.
A sad smile crossed her lips, "Good-bye Serryn, I hope I never see you again...for your sake."
There was a rumbling noise, and Celena glanced down into the hanger from where she stood in the air walks. Dilandau had returned. The hatch to the cockpit of his Alseides opened and an angry bellow erupted throughout the enclosed area.
The Dragonslayers, though they were clearly fearful of their Master's rage, hurried over to the general. The scene would always play itself in slow motion over and over again in Celena's mind, for the rest of her life.
Gatti was the first to reach him. Why? She would always ask herself, why was he fated to be the first? Celena had never known before, or perhaps never been quite aware of her growing affection for the beige haired Dragonslayer. But her scream cut through the air as, with blinding speed, Dilandau attacked. Whether it was the burning rage boiling with in him, or a laps in sanity, both were likely. His sword was in his hand and swinging for Gatti's neck.
The blow missed, miraculously, slashing through the blue eyed Slayer's shoulder instead. Gatti gasped staggering back, before he lost his footing and fell to the steel floor. But Dilandau was not through yet, sanity obviously lost within the depths of his mind.
Her mouth open in a silent scream, Celena's body took control from her brain, and she was suddenly hurtling over the edge of the walkway. It wasn't a long drop, but she gasped as pain shot up her legs from the landing. Finally she found just one word.
"STOP!!!"
Her scream gained her the red eyed general's attention for just one moment, and she scrambled over to the fallen slayer. She wrapped one arm around Gatti's neck, pulling him to her, and clamped the other hand over the bleeding wound in his shoulder. The other Dragonslayers stood their ground, obviously torn between helping their friends and defying their captain.
"Dilandau, for the love of the gods STOP THIS!!" she cried, locking gazes with her counter part.
Dilandau stared at her, his eyes wide and almost unseeing, then brought a hand to the side of his face, digging his nails into the scarred flesh as a maniacal chuckle ruse in his throat.
"You..." he said drawing his sword on her, "Can't tell me what to do...ANYMORE!!!" he screamed these last words, charging at her.
Reflexes brought Gatti's sheathed sword in to her own hands, and it was enough block Dilandau first blow, but in return the sword was knocked from her hand and the force sent her sprawling several feet.
Celena groaned, pushing her self to her knees, but gasped as a hand buried itself into her hair, painfully pulling her up to meet eyes with the deranged red orbs before her. Despite the fear that all most overwhelmed her, Celena laughed.
"Well, Dilandau, I suppose you know now," she whispered, her voice hoarse, "you know what it like to be ripped so suddenly and without warning from the one you hold dearest to your heart. Now you know...brother..."
She cried out as her body was hurled again to the floor, and a foot slammed onto her chest, cutting off the air. She tried to cough, the taste of her own blood trickled down her throat.
"NEVER call me that," Dilandau spat, pressing the tip of his blade into the hollow of the blue eyed girl's neck.
Celena's vision was red with pain. 'Oh well,' she sighed willing her body to relax. It would be less painful that way. She felt the blade break her skin, just slightly. 'Won't be long now. It's all over.'
And then it was gone. The searing blade, the pressure on her chest. For a moment Celena thought she was dead. Until she sucked in a breath that burned her lungs and at the same felt more wonderful then life itself. But the lack of oxygen had taken it toll on her.
Her vision grew hazy, as she looked up and that last thing she saw before blacking out was Dilandau, his feet hanging a foot from the ground and his hands clawing and tearing at the metallic arm that grip him by the throat.
"Lord...Folken...?"
****
Serryn's thoughts were muddled as she drifted in and out of consciousness. She lay across the long bench lining one of the windows dozing in the soft late afternoon sun. Noise drifted through her ears, but not that she could make sense of.
Her eye brows furrowed then, and her hand shot out. A yelp of surprise followed soon after and she peeped open one eye.
"What the hell are you doing Aiden?" she asked yawning.
"Let go letgo letgoletgoletgoooooo!!!" Aiden exclaimed, as her hand, grasping his index finger, tighten and began twisting.
Serryn sighed, smirking slightly, but released the captain's poor finger. She then stretched and rolled over onto her back.
"Hey what's WITH you! I thought princesses were supposed to be gentle and sweet!" Aiden whined shaking his hand.
"And I thought captains were supposed to be honorable," Serryn countered.
"Well, EXCUSE me princess, I just thought you'd like to know we've arrived at the capital." Aiden reported crossing his arms.
Serryn's eyes widened and she pulled herself to a sitting position, her hands pressed against the glass. Outside the window the capital of Cala spread out before her, the rays of the setting sun making the buildings appear to be made of gold. It was the most beautiful thing Serryn could remember seeing.
"We're here..." she whispered, almost afraid that if she said it, she'd wake up back in her room on the Vione to find it was all a dream. But it was real. Her mouth spread into a wide grin. "We're here!" she cried flinging her arms around the Calan captain. The nightmare had at least come to an end.
"Thank you! Thank you so much!" she exclaimed, planting a kiss on a very surprised Aiden's cheek.
"Well, HEY! If that's the way you wanna thank me all right! Just name the place and time and you got it princess!" Aiden laughed, and immediately hit the floor after a well placed whack on the head on Serryn's part.
"Pervert!" she huffed crossing her arms, but could help from giggling. Captain Murdok was certainly a strange man, but his humor and charm gave Serryn's heart a warmth she hadn't known for sometime.
She looked out the window again, now able to see the Castle near the city's center sllioueted against the horizon. "My sister is there, right?" she asked Aiden, who had by now pulled himself to his feet.
"Yup," he replied, "I actually met her just before my crew and I left to find you. She was so overjoyed to learn you were alive. They say it was the first time she smiled since they found her."
A puzzled expression had crossed Serryn's face, "I've been wondering," she remarked, "just how did you find me in the first place? How is it that you knew the Zaibach had taken me prisoner? Almost anyone else would have pronounced me dead along time ago..."
"Well, you see, that's where my mother came it." Aiden replied smiling.
"Your mother...?" Serryn started, but was cut off as one of Aiden's men approached the captain.
"Sir we're getting ready to land," the man announced and Aiden nodded.
"Take us to the East side of the palace and touch down by the gardens," he ordered.
****
Aga....another long delayed up date, FF.nets being difficult, as you all probubly noticed, and homecoming set me back a week, but I'm back! OH! And i was in such a hurry to post that last chapter that i forgot introduction! AIDEN!!! Yes, my brand new original character! Doncha love him??? I was going for a sorta Vash/Carrot personality, and a little comic relief, and he's such a sweetie!! AAAAAnd i think he's got a THANG for Miss Serryn Conil....Watch out Dilandau-sama, looks like ya got yourself some competition!! ::cough::yeh RIGHT::cough
~Sarah~
