Tenkuu no Ryuugekitai - Haruka Tooi
It was like instinct. With that one cry, Gatti took stepped back, then went flying at the door. He could feel his shoulder being pulled from its socket as it connected with the heavy door.
'Help me!' he screamed at the other two. Guimel and Dante jumped to attention, and as one they charged the door. At last its holdings gave way, and Gatti went soaring into the room. Light from the outside hall flooded into the room, blinding the lizard-creatures. Gatti pounced on the knife-wielder and started pummeling it as Guimel ran for the sword that lay on the floor a few metres away.
'They won't save you...' the first creature hissed at Shanti. Its clawed hands wrapped around Shanti's neck in a vise-like grip, slowly crushing it.
'No!' Gatti yelled from his position on the second creature. The knife-wielder took advantage of this distraction and swiped at Gatti. He yelped as clawed hands ripped at his chest. The reptilian pushed the wounded Dragon Slayer off itself, and aimed a kick at his side. Gatti could only lie sprawled on his back, coughing as the creature came at him again. With a satisfied smirk, it raised the weapon to finish the winded Slayer off.
Suddenly the creature was knocked aside by a well-aimed punch. Dante stood in its place, cradling his hand. He gave Gatti a wink.
'Aren't you glad you have me around to save you from ugly things?' he said before having his feet knocked out from under him by a very irritated reptilian.
***
The scaled creature laughed quietly to itself as Shanti writhed pitifully in its grasp.
'I don't see what's so amusing.' Guimel kept the blade of the sword level as he glared at the intruder's back. Slowly turning and keeping one hand around Shanti's neck, it glowered back at him.
'Drop your weapon, or he dies.' it snarled. Guimel pressed the blade-point against the base of its neck. The creature tightened its grip with a vicious grin, causing Shanti to choke violently for air. Guimel froze, faced with a stalemate that could only be won if someone forfeited their life.
*****
Shesta rubbed one eye sleepily as he walked down the hall. He saw a room with the door opened.
'What's all this commotion about?' he yawned, peeking inside. It took only a second for the understanding to hit him.
'Wh...th...in...intruders! INTRUDERS!' Shesta scrambled back to his room to grab his sword, alerting all within the vicinity of the imminent danger the entire way.
*****
Before Dante knew what was going on, he was on the ground with the 'ugly thing' lunging for him. Eyes blazing, it struck him across the face and reached for its dagger. Dante tasted blood as pain shot through his head. He was shocked as he could feel his eye starting to swell.
'You - bruised - my - face...' his voice shook with uncontrollable rage. The creature looked at him unconcernedly, and then found itself flying through the air. Gatti had recovered and had delivered a fierce kick. He looked amusedly at Dante.
'Aren't you glad you have me around to save you from ugly things?' he grinned.
Dante gave a small smile, then went screaming after the fallen creature with murderous intent. He wrestled the dagger from its grasp, and with a maddened cry plunged it deep into the creature's chest.
Hearing its comrade's dying shriek, the first reptilian flinched. Guimel saw his chance and lunged forward, burying the sword's blade into its neck. Its eyes glazed over and it collapsed. Guimel dropped the sword and rushed to pry the cruel fingers from Shanti's throat.
Gatti staggered over to Guimel, followed by an irked Dante, just as Shesta, followed by sleepy Dragon Slayers, rushed into the room.
'So nice of you to join us.' Dante stalked over to a mirror and sadly examined his swelling eye. 'My poor face...'
Guimel threw the dead creature's arm away from Shanti. Gatti knelt down beside them.
'Is he...?' Gatti began fearfully. Before Guimel could reply, Shanti's eyes suddenly burst open and he turned onto his side. His thin frame heaved as he coughed up blood, then collapsed. He instantly gasped for air, making himself cough, then inhaled again, repeating the cycle. Gatti put a reassuring hand on Shanti's back, and looked up at Guimel with a look of relief. Guimel, however, had paled and was looking at the doorway.
'What is going on here?' a voice thundered. Heads turned to see Dilandau standing in the doorway, arms crossed and eyes blazing.
'M...Master Dilandau!' Guimel stood up to attention as the leader of the Dragon Slayers advanced towards them. Gatti put Shanti's arm around his shoulder and helped him to his feet, unnerved to find his fellow Slayer shaking in fear. Dilandau's eyes narrowed as he saw the bodies of the two creatures.
'What. Happened.' he spat out, wrath dripping from his words.
'Sir...' Shanti coughed. 'It...was my fault, sir...' Guimel rushed to help Gatti as Shanti's legs gave out on him.
'Master Dilandau, we heard a noise and saw these intruders attacking Shanti. They tried to asphyxiate him, but we killed them, sir.' Gatti explained. Dilandau paced angrily, silent for a moment. Suddenly he lashed out at a bedpost, breaking it cleanly in half. Snarling, he kicked one of the bodies fiercely. He then quieted down and began to stroke at the scar on his cheek. Tension filled the air and there was no sound except for the soft rasping from Shanti. At last Dilandau spoke, dangerously quiet.
'You three,' he pointed to Gatti, Dante and Guimel, 'go to the medical room and get yourselves and him cleaned up.' He turned to the other Slayers. 'You, get rid of this trash.' He gave another enthusiastic kick at a body. 'I want to know how they got in here and why.' As Dilandau started to leave, he overheard Shesta.
'Like Migel...' he was saying to himself. 'They tried to kill him like Migel...' Dilandau flew at the Slayer, picking him up by his shirt collar and slamming him against the wall. His hand rose to strike the boy, but stopped as he caught sight of the unearthly expression on Shesta's face. The Slayer was ashen, his blue eyes wide and filled with fear. But within that fear was a sadness; a terrible, mournful sadness. Dilandau stared hard at Shesta, his eye twitching. He lowered his hand.
'You have your orders. Obey them.' he hissed before shoving Shesta aside and stalking out of the room.
***
Like Migel... they tried to kill him like Migel... the voice repeated over and over in Dilandau's mind. Like Migel...
'Shut up!' he screamed, knocking over a table. Like Migel... 'SHUT UP!' Dilandau raged, trashing his entire room before falling to his knees in exhaustion. He crawled over to a chair and sat on it, glaring moodily into the flame of a nearby lamp. He watched the fire twist and jump, and became mesmerized by its burning center. Dilandau stared into the flame, watching it unmovingly until a shape started to form. Migel?
Stupid. You should have left when you had the chance. You were always doing stupid things, Migel,
Dilandau clenched his fist.
And now you're dead...