Chapter 14

The Sun*

Icarus Syndrome

"Wake up….Hey Hiero, wake up!" Hiero slapped at the voice, proving he was not the most chipper person in the morning. He was used to hitting and shoving people away when he wanted to go on sleeping, it had worked so well for Lina, why not himself?

He knew who it was, he thought so anyway. It sounded like Gatti, but then again in his groggy state even his uncle would sound like Gatti. He turned over in what felt like sand and tried to shield his eyes from the dull sunrise he felt crawling over his body, his chest still bare from the night before. It had been quite a day when Migel got his wings, but had lost enough blood to bring him close to losing his leg. Hiero flew away with him when he realized using the bits of energy from the rest of the group for his Resurrection spell weren't working fast enough, so he flew away from them until he was truly far away from them.

He didn't need them to see what he was going to do, giving up his life for Migel. If they saw that now it'd hinder them, he knew it. Explaining how he could kill himself and come back had taken a while with his last family, and ever after he'd explained it, they really didn't fully understand. It had cost him his life, but it wasn't as if something like this took long to heal from. In a matter of minutes he was up again, in pain, but alive, just as Migel was rising himself. Migel was quiet from then until the moment they got back to camp, when the Mystic Moon was high in the sky.

Migel said a small thank you, one to which Hiero limped away from him and back to camp with him trailing. He was still in a considerable amount of pain, but it was normal to feel this way. He'd tried this method a few times in the past, and it always left him drained and sore. Walking it off was best for a while, so he got no sleep or sustenance. It hurt too much to do much else.

He'd been pretty sour and crabby the next day, stumbling and nearly falling asleep on the spot, until Gatti and Chesta came to his aid. Dilandau just watched them, curiously, then looked back ahead. He was thankful the two Slayers were eager enough to help him, but the help spoiled him slightly, just enough to convince him nodding off wouldn't hurt.

It hadn't really, he was sleeping on soft sand, soft warm sand, and the gentle sound of the coming surf kept him lulled deeply in his sleep. Then that annoyance came again, pulling his hair. He swatted at it again, hitting nothing but air, the pain from his hair being yanked forcing him to see what was the cause.

He scowled at a scowling Gatti, who was steadily holding on of Hiero's long bangs at a distance. Hiero hit his hand and pulled the bang away, letting it settle back into place. He looked himself over before getting up, swiping the sand stuck to his bare torso off, then off his pants and then shook his hair thoroughly, the scent of salt-air and a gentle warming breeze blowing over him.

As he looked up, past Gatti, he saw they were on a beach, a forest just a short ways from where it was, swaying gently. There was also a cliff in the other direction maybe a good mile away, one over a rock littered cover, the pearl spray of the water crashing against and up them like lovers

"Hiero…." Gatti persisted, breaking Hiero's thoughts. "What? I was having a good dream, no damned visions for once." Hiero spouted angrily," Even if they'd help me find out who is next. It might be Alessa, Dilandau, Val, or myself is the last angel. I don't even know where he is. What is so damned important?"

"Flying." Gatti said proudly. Hiero let him mouth open, then close with deliberate slowness. "Flying….what?" Hiero sniffed, then Gatti rolled his eyes. A moment later, he took a breath and strained his face, his stormy blue wings bursting out of his armor perfectly. Hiero brushed the fee feathers that fell on him off, then stood at last. "You know, flying. You promised to teach us how to use our wings properly, and we can't do battle on these things if we don't know how to work them, Hiero." Gatti said knowingly.

"That's what you woke me up for? Couldn't you have waited for lunchtime or something? Flying isn't all that hard." Hiero grumbled, scratching his head gently. He felt like a Dad again, his kids asking him to teach them something neat, like spells or archery, or to blow something up for fun. The blowing stuff up was always fun, but the other stuff bothered him. He knew how to do it well enough, and he didn't like being considered a teacher. If they wanted to learn, they'd learn on their own like he did, but then the wife of the lifetime would get on his case or nag him till his ears bled. Either that or his kids would give him their puppy-dog wide-eyed look and he'd melt.

Gatti wasn't giving him the looks, he was nagging. Chesta was giving him the look from a good distance and Migel, he just looked curious to what Gatti was up to. 'Got a mind like a steel trap, I say.' He thought with a grin. Gatti grinned upon noticing it, and Hiero felt foolish. He shouldn't have reacted to anything, but Gatti was very attentive. He was interpreting the grin and 'yes' and would probably nag till the end of days until Hiero gave in. He looked around, frowning at the fact Migel, Gatti, and Chesta were the only ones with him, which wasn't good in his mind.

"All right, just don't ask again. First things first, where are Dilandau and the others. I don't see them." Hiero asked.

"Lady Alessa went off with Viole and Guimel to collect wood and food. Lord Dilandau and Dalet went to train…ahem, for yesterday's activities he forced upon her person." Gatti said, trying not to snicker.

"Hmm, he's lucky I was too groggy to beat him up for grabbing her ass. The little perv, I hope Dilandau spoils his good looks." Hiero said heatedly, trying to stab the image of Dalet's actions away, but it wouldn't leave. He's seen what Dalet did, even from where he'd been running from, and it had made him want to cut the youth's hands off, but Migel's life had been in danger a few minutes later. He couldn't stand to see Dilandau pained by losing a Slayer again, especially the one who died first in the last life.

He owed them that much, he'd make Dilandau happy, and his Slayers and their loyalty seemed to do that. Who was he to deny anyone, except idiots, happiness? "Now can we learn?" Gatti asked, turning slightly to walk towards Chesta and Migel, but kept in place.

"Yeah, but first a lecture on it, then we actually fly. My mother told me a story from her Mystic Moon that talked about flying, so I wouldn't try and go too far unless it was a matter of life or death. No interrupting me either, or forget the lessons. Drop on your own if you one you makes so much as a peep." Hiero warned, grinning. Gatti smiled back and nodded, then walked towards the other two.

Hiero merely stretched, letting his wings flush out in the amber sunrise. "Oh this'll be fun….but, I need to stretch my wings anyway. This lecture will give me the rest I need for now. At least it's easy to learn how to fly….I think." He muttered, walking over to the trio of now winged Slayers.

~

"Ok, this is the story of Icarus, a normal human boy from the Mystic Moon myths of ancient Greece. Its pretty weird, but an interesting story of this young man and his father, the inventor Daedalus. He was brilliant in his field, but loved his son just as much as what he made with his own hands. The gods of their civilization, namely the god of the sea, Poseidon, was angered because the man Daedalus served, King Minos, refused to make a sacrifice of a sacred bull. Poseidon perverted cast a spell on Minos wife for her to fall for the bull….and mind you, I was seven when my mother told me this….and she had Daedalus build her a wooden cow for her to get into to satisfy her….urge for beef in her oven." Hiero started, not smiling at the trios disturbed faces. Not one uttered a word, though Migel nearly did, his face the most disgusted.

Gatti and Chesta quickly tackled him and clamped his mouth shut. "I didn't write this crap, those ancient dead people did. I find it appalling, even for revenge. Anyway, she got pregnant, as unlikely as that seems, and gave birth to a creature with the body of a man and head of a bull, the evil Minotaur. Daedalus was forced to build a labyrinth to prevent the murderous creature from wreaking havoc on the kingdom, sacrifices of young male and female virgins made to the thing to keep it from busting out." Hiero went on, then started to smile.

"The true hero of the story is Daedalus, even if he didn't get much credit for his great work. He gave the daughter of Minos, Ariadne, flaxen thread to her by request, as a young and handsome hero named Theseus came along to stop the sacrifices…." Hiero went on, smiling deeper," She had fallen madly in love with him, and feared his death if she didn't try and help. So, she tied the string off to the beginning of the labyrinth and give the other end to her love so he could find his way out of the terrible maze after killing the monster. He succeeded, and the lovers escaped the kingdom afterwards. Daedalus, for aiding the lovers in their task of escape, he threw the inventor and his son into the deadly labyrinth to wander forever and die."

Chesta looked deathly interested in the story, Migel still looked skeptical, and Gatti went on listening attentively. Every word of the Earth tale seemed to hold them in place. It was an interesting story, though the cow love part really threw Hiero a bit.

His mother said it was just a story and had hidden meanings in them, to guide later generations past obstacles. Hiero had sorely wanted to ask his mother what in the gods' names a lady making it with a bull taught anyone, but kept it to himself and kept quiet. It was still disturbing to him, even as old as he was. It was hitting these three men a little less hard than it would hit others, he had to assume. They were Dragon Slayers, they fought wars, saw all kind of freaky people and things, and fate changes. The story he was telling sure was strange, but still, not as strange as most.

"But, being the genius Daedalus was, he fashioned wings for himself and his son to escape Minos' labyrinth and the kingdom all together. However, he made sure to warn his son not to fly to high, lest the sun would melt the wax the feathers were held on the wing frames off. If he flew too low, his wings would get damp and weigh him down terrible, and damage the wax holdings. Icarus seemed to listen, but he was still young and adventurous, and the thought of flying was so appealing, to be like a bird in the sky. So, he flew with all intentions of being free as a bird," Hiero said, looking at the restless sea behind the trio of watchful eyes," Icarus forgot his father's words, and went too high. He kept going higher and higher, and his father couldn't see him anymore. The sun did exactly as his father had warned, the feathers falling off when the wax melted, and Icarus fell perilously into the sea and drown, only his feathers being left on the crashing waves below. That was the only way Daedalus knew his boy was dead. He found the body later and buried it, and went onward, alone."

Hiero took a breath, fluttering his own wings gently in the warm sea breeze, each feather glistening like pearls in the sun. "I'm done. Any questions before we begin?" Hiero piped, watching all the young men's wings start suddenly.

"I do." Chesta said timidly. Hiero eyed him with a smile. "Yes, spit it out, Mujitsu Toruko."

Chesta blushed a bit, trying to smile. "What does that story have to do with us? Our wings aren't attached to wax or fake bones."

"Good question, but easily answered. When I was being taught to fly, I liked to go really high, and I nearly got myself killed trying it. I don't know about flying close to the water, but going to high can be a bad idea. The air is real thin and the sun can be really, really hot if you go too high. I got too hot doing that and my wings wilted, they couldn't take the heat and strain, so they gave out on me," Hiero explained calmly," I was lucky my father kept a good eye on me when I was flying, or I'd be a big old Fanelian stain. Trust me, that story has some good points, not trying to impress people with tricks unless you know what you're doing. It's all really in the mind, Chesta. You think your actions and your wings obey, but if you can't concentrate, they'll teeter and fail. Understand now?"

Chesta nodded, then Gatti and Migel. "Ok, then, we'll stay over the sand for a while, the work out way out over the water and higher, but no one goes above the clouds. Maybe I can't watch all of you at once, but I'm warning you, don't you dare go above the clouds without me. It's pretty sunny out here already and there are clouds way up there. We keep below them and if you feel any pains or fatigue in your body, tell me. We'll all take a break until you get your strength back, ok?" Hiero announced, smiling when they all nodded.

"Ok then, let's begin." Hiero replied, lifting off the ground gracefully into the unearthly blue sky, Chesta, then Gatti, and Migel flanking him. 'Ah….it's been so long since I've flown freely, not a forced flight like last time. Mmm, feels good to stretch these babies in someplace other than my stuffy room. Freedom….shame Dilandau can't do this yet. My uncle is his father, so he should be able to sprout wings….I wonder. Hmm, keep wondering, he doesn't reveal anything he doesn't feel like revealing. Just like me…..heh." he thought, letting his thoughts drown when he thought they were high enough.

~

Dilandau walked out of the woods proudly, his sword in its sheath and stride full of pride. Beating Dalet in swordplay and hand to hand combat wasn't a major achievement, but it was still fun to take his frustration out on something. He sorely wanted to set every tree of this forest on fire, anything to satisfy the hate in his heart. He was bored to death, he needed to kill something, to do something destructive. He'd wanted to ask Hiero to use his fire spell, just for something to do, but Hiero was beyond rousing. Whatever he'd done to help Migel put him in a wakeless sleep, one not even kicking, slapping and yelling could bring him out of.

He didn't bother looking at Dalet, who groaned in pain. Dilandau didn't feel sorry for hurting the guy, he couldn't. He would defend one of his own if he had to, if whatever was happening to them looked fatal, this time. Last time he'd been too stunned by van's murderous behavior to act, and as he hated to admit it, too afraid. It bothered him that death scared him after that, it was all his mother's fault.

That part of him was afraid, but it had stayed with him, the memory of losing his Dragon Slayers to Van because his mother made him freeze. Jajuka fell for the same reason. As much as he could recall about the fact that Van really wasn't much for fighting from tales Allen told Celena, but he didn't believe it. Van was a brutal little bastard, who lashed out because of his own fear, then pathetically curled into a worthless ball of a child when he realized what he had done. Dilandau never felt remorse for what he did, he did it for he was ordered to take Fanelia, and burned it just for fun. He was allowed to do as he pleased, not Van.

As they neared the beach they'd spent the night on, he recalled how he'd left Gatti, Chesta and Migel behind to watch over Hiero there, but now they were gone, and the others weren't back either. He smiled in remembering how he ordered that Alessa woman with the greatest of pleasure to help the remaining Slayers to go forage and hunt for food, so she could earn her keep. He saw the defiance in her eyes, and wanted so much to hit her, just as an excuse to rage.

He had even dared her with his eyes to strike out at him. Yet, she'd disappointed him by going behind a startled Viole. Viole seemed to blush, contrasting his already purple tinted black hair, some of it getting stuck to Alessa's lavender strands, but he quickly regained himself and politely escorted the Mystic Moon female away with Guimel beside him.

Dilandau felt inwardly jealous of that, Viole could control his urges for a girl's touch, knowing this one wasn't his to take, as much as the majority of them wanted her. Hiero was all that stood in their way. The Fanelian king obviously liked her enough to take abuse for her, and defend her physically and verbally. Still, if Alessa wanted to handle things herself, Hiero made no comment and let her do so. He'd barely glance at her unless his name was said.

Dilandau truly detested a woman being in the midst of men fighting a war, regardless of the size of the war. Battles were battles, all as important as the last so long as there were plenty of people to kill. He wanted terribly to shed blood, Folken's preferably. The filthy rapist deserved a slow and painful death, one only Dilandau could deliver with utmost care. Instead, he was on the continent of Asgard and the only real fight he'd had was with Hiero when Chesta was fighting his way through the Temple of Wisdom.

He growled and kicked at the first thing he saw, a stupid rock. The pain welled in his foot, but he ignored it and walked on, kicking at whatever was at his feet. Plants, animals, insects, rocks, dirt, he didn't care, he wanted to do something other than wander around with nothing but his own men to fight. He let out a scream of frustration as he stepped on the sandy beach, still nothing in his sights to prove challenging.

A breeze blew past him, and something small and soft hit him in the face. He grabbed at it, making an annoyed growl, then his look softened, ignoring the sounds of Dalet's steps in the sand. It was a shock white feather, and it smelled of Hiero. He knew the scent well, he'd been around the young king enough to distinguish it, like lightening and rain, a living storm raging upon the land, that was the smell.

As much as getting the rain and getting wet depressed him, the scent wasn't so bad. It was nice the breath in that kind of air from the Vione in the past, when he was fate altered and the life he was living now. It always made him relax, so he could concentrate on killing Folken more than the foul acrid smells of oil and dirt that was all one could breath in a floating fortress. Hiero had the scents of the world upon him, perhaps that's why he could never stay angry for long at the guy.

He held it a moment, then let it go, the warm sea breeze taking it away into the sky. That's when he saw them, four figures flying wonderfully amusing spirals and circles beneath the cloud, several thousand feet above them. They were all there, three blue clad bodies, one with a spec of blue at the top and dark brown at the bottom all flying on different colored wings. He felt his mood softening with his face, the glitter of the wings above him almost like looking into a fire, almost. He sat down promptly and watched his Slayers fly, as once their Alseides gave them the power to do. Migel seemed to be pulling away from the group, the clouds above their heads. Hiero's were the hardest to see, since they were pure white, but he just watched the sparkling blue topped flyer, the one that stayed still most often while the others flew about him.

'I wonder what its like….to do that. When will it be my turn to fly?' he wondered, his thoughts running cold a moment as he thought more. Folken was his father, and Folken by birth was a Draconian. He'd seen Folken of this life spread his wings, secretly anyway, but Dilandau had no idea how he did it. Hiero had said thinking them away always worked to make them go away, but summoning them seemed to be different. It was more reflex than thought, like flying and taking them away happened more by thought.

He had doubted very much he was like Hiero, in blood anyway, even if the thought that his blood was connected to those filthy Fanel brothers, Van and Folken. Folken wasn't the true Folken, he didn't act like the old Folken did. He was cold still, but worse, he was deliberately cruel and perverted to everyone, stabbing his own people in the back, not for fun or regaining honor, but for necessity.

"Still, why can't I have wings? When is it going to be my damn turn?" he muttered, starting a bit as Dalet plopped next to him, eyeing him strangely. "What turn, Lord Dilandau?" Dalet asked.

Dilandau looked at him, rage flashing across his features, gritting his teeth tightly before crashing the back of his hand across Dalet's face. The young man fell over, whimpering in pain. "Don't bother me again!" Dilandau sneered, and returned his keen garnet eyes to the sky, noticing that Migel was not there.

~ Several Minutes Earlier ~

Alessa had actually had fun with Guimel and Viole, and they seemed to be enjoying their work as well. She adjusted her duffel bag on her bag a bit, smiling slightly at the fact that the sunny sky was riddled with puffy white clouds. Hunting wasn't so bad when it was necessary, and with all those plump birds and wild pigs around, it seemed ok. Viole proved he wasn't a big a jerk as Migel, Dalet and Dilandau had proven to be, he was pretty ordinary, with a killer aim. He was a nice guy, even if he was a terribly loyal Dragon Slayer.

Both he and Guimel annoyed her with how much they mentioned Dilandau's name in the affair of things, what he would detest them doing, where he'd go, what he'd do and so on. She didn't know much about the Dragon Slayers, only what their name implied, but she had to guess loyalty was taken extra seriously on Gaia. Dilandau struck her as tough as nails the second she met him, the way he sneered at everything and everyone, even when he acted pleased.

Still, other than the over zealous loyalty, Viole was pretty quiet. He only spoke when pointing something out, he never asked questions, but he wasn't always stone faced. He'd smile to reassure them both, hold them back if he deemed something dangerous, or gave them small orders to follow. He was in charge, thanks to Dilandau, so it was either listen or be ignored the entire time. She hated it being too quiet, and being given the silence treatment on purpose just plain sucked.

She was glad she'd been stuck with these two rather than Dalet or Dilandau himself. Dilandau was always pissed about something, his pale face said it all, and those frightening blood red eyes of his, and Dalet, he was just an idiotic flirt. He'd probably jump at the chance to be stuck near her when Hiero was asleep just to be a pervert to her. She was glad Migel had given up his pursuit, physically anyway.

Viole seemed calmer about girls, though his blushing spell today proved he was interested. She wasn't, she thought of him, and all the others except Migel, Dalet, and Dilandau as big and little brothers. She'd always wanted brothers, but her parents' accident robbed her of that and more. It was almost nice to go hunting with her adoptive brothers on a hunting trip, as if they were camping.

'Only wish it wasn't hunting for survival and for fun instead. At least we got enough food for another few days, weren't too many animals in there.' She thought, looking behind herself and past the trailing Guimel at the forest they'd left only a few minutes before. It was small forest, but a forest all the same. It had almost been like a friendly camping trip, Viole even being nice enough to allow them to take a break by a little stream. He kept his distance from it, as he had when they saw the ocean. Guimel had explained Viole drowned in his own blood in his first chance at life, and the thought of anything deep and wet such as the ocean gave him the creeps. The poor man had slept a good distance from everyone last night, whimpering a bit in his sleep until finally Alessa plugged her ears and went to sleep herself.

Still, she had shown some sympathy and got Guimel and her to sit with him and share some of her snacks, that Guimel and Dalet hadn't raided. She had some Ho-Ho's, as creamed as they were, in there that seemed to turn both young men into curious children. It wasn't like it was as odd as nuclear weapons, but she had to understand they were used to old world types of snacks and desserts like apple pies, tarts, and pure chocolate things, not stuff wrapped in plastic bags with funny names and fillings. She could understand their curiosity, she'd worn a similar look when she'd seen Fanelian guymelefs and dog and cat people.

She ate a crushed pudding pie while they got the mashed down Ho-Ho's, and it had been actually the one moment she was pleased with herself. She'd shown she cared for them as friends, enough to share her stuff with them. It was a small step from what her fear dream had warned her of, but it was better than nothing.

She'd even let them drink some of her sport's drink, and they marveled at how blue water could taste so sweet. She saved the bottle to fill it with the stream water so Viole wouldn't have to go to the stream to clean the cream off his face. He'd been very grateful.

Now they were all quiet and smiling, on their way back to the beach. Guimel was holding the wild boar they had slain, or rather Alessa distracted while Viole shot it through the brain with his quarrel, and Alessa held the wineskins Viole had given her. he was holding a few dead birds, fat and headless. As much as she liked poultry, she wished they had some garlic or cayenne to season the stuff. Bland meat was getting to be a nauseating meal, as filling as it was. She really wished she could eat a pizza rather than roasted meat on a stick. 'Have to remember to explain that to Hiero. He seems to like have some interest in the Mystic Moon….ah, Earth already, maybe he could make a brick oven thing like they have in pizzerias on Earth. They don't look too different from the ones that Miss Merle was cooking with, 'cept they used wood fires, not electricity.' She thought, smiling softer.

Hiero was on her mind again. He'd been so weakened yesterday after saving Migel's life. He'd stumbled about and walked as if his legs were broken the next day, drunken and tired. His eyes were bloodshot and breathing was so ragged it felt like it could scrape flesh off the bone. She'd never seen him so….vulnerable, so normal, but it still scared her to see him like that. Dilandau, for one fleeting moment, looked pained to see Hiero so weak and hurt, and probably would have killed her on the spot if she hadn't looked away from him swiftly.

She wondered if he was awake yet. Before morning came fully, she'd seen Gatti and Chesta choosing who would wake him up, or try again. Dilandau had been hitting and kicking at Hiero the night before to make him get up, but nothing worked. It worried her. 'What if he never wakes up, what will happen to us then?' she wondered, a warm breeze blowing across her face.

She looked up at the white adorned sky, smiling at the shapes they made. After being subjected to nothing but caves and snowstorm infested plains, she'd nearly forgotten what clouds were. Some of them even had fluttering colors dancing across them. It reminded her of ice cream sundaes, things she'd never see or taste again, but almost the sight of the lovely sky made her nearly taste that sweet confection on her tongue.

Her daydream was cut short when she walked into something solid and cool, armor. Viole looked down at her slightly, surprised and then with a smirk, trying not to laugh as Alessa rubbed her bruised nose. "What's up? Aside from your eyes." Viole joked, poorly, but he was trying. She pointed up at the clouds, her lips tightening as she saw the colors were moving a lot, like birds in flight. Viole followed her finger to the sky.

"Wow….they finally got him to give them lessons." Viole said plainly, his full hands slinging his kills over his shoulder as he walked on, watching the sky.

It took Alessa a few moments to realize what he meant, her eyes widening at the sight of the Slayers Gatti, Migel, and Chesta flying around Hiero in a tight group, though Migel looked to be straying a bit.

She could barely see their bodies, save for the thin outlines of color of their armor, but Hiero was hidden due to his pale skin. It was a light cream color, but still almost as pale as Dilandau. The only parts of him she could make out were his hair and boots. 'Like an angel, too heavenly to see with the naked eye….Oh damn, had to say naked, didn't you? Now I have to dunk my head in the water….' She thought as her face flushed and forced herself to run after Viole and Guimel, who were already way ahead of her.

~

Migel liked this flying thing, it was very exhilarating. Flying like this without his guymelef to keep the breeze off of him was spectacular, the warmth of the sun so close to his skin creeping through the light clouds. He's never felt so pumped in his life, flying had been easier to learn than piloting his old Alseides unit, much easier, all of it based on thought. He looked about, spying Hiero showing Chesta and Gatti how to dive and pull up without hurting their necks. He'd mastered it first and Gatti was sort of getting it right, but Chesta was still nervous about his wings, which forced Hiero to remain extra close to the boy to ensure he wouldn't plummet.

He smiled at the fact Hiero's back facing him, the looked up at the cloud a few feet from his face. 'How will he know, I'll just go up for a few minutes and come back down real fast. He'll never know, and even if he does, what'll he do? I can fight him….maybe he surprised me the last few times, but not this time.' Migel thought, and let his wings take him through the cool softness of the clouds.

Once he reached the other side, he took a breath of cool air, his eyes blinking back the bright sunlight above. It was like looking a frosted cake trillions of miles long, the clouds endless in their downy beauty. Or like an endless snowy field of diamonds, he just was very much in awe, smiling brightly at the brilliant sight.

The harder he looked at it, the further he could see, his eyes widening as he took it in, then, a sharp pain struck his head, on the inside. He couldn't stop staring, he couldn't blink, all he could do was stare further and further into the distance. It was if he were being yanked away from where he actually was at incredible speeds, but he felt the pain of it in his eyes and head.

He let it happen because there was no stopping it, whatever it was anyway. Nothing would work, only his wings and eyes seemed to have some power over him to keep him stationary. The farther his sights went, the clearer things seemed to become. At first he thought he saw birds in the distance, before the pain had happened, seeing a dark spot in the distance, but as his vision got closer, it didn't look like a flock of birds anymore. It looked like merchant ship, a large one in the center.

He wondered who it belonged to, but then a thought struck him. If those ships had been a spec on his sights before they went crazy, they couldn't be too far off from where he was. Still, whatever was making him see this far out wasn't done, it shot past the fleet of ships, father back to ship farther away, but coming in the same direction, a very large ship.

His deep blue eyes seemed to shatter in his head when he saw what it was as his sights got deathly close to the thing, a floating fortress, much like the Vione. That wasn't what finally gave him the power to scream, the wrench his eyes away, he saw her, Sora standing by a window his sights had caught, staring right at him with a gentle smile, and waved. The moment Folken stepped up behind her, his face scrutinizing and curious as he seemed to look right at Migel, made the young man free himself. It was in vain still, as his wings collapsed on themselves, his senses falling as his body went right through the clouds.

~

Hiero had been content in finally teaching Chesta how to dive expertly, and Gatti was getting it at last as well. He felt good, looking at the proud expressions on their faces, but the scream had ruined the moment. He followed it, and cursed as Migel's body zipped past them.

"Ah shit, you idiot!" Hiero swore and dove down after the falling Dragon Slayer. Migel was falling far too fast, he had lost his wings somehow, but Hiero knew if he didn't go faster Migel would be a big fat red stain. 'Suicide drop, makes a person go faster. I hope he doesn't have too much momentum behind him when I do this. Here goes everything.' He thought, taking a deep breath as he slapped his arms at his sides and forced his wings away, falling like life-sized pillar. It was enough though, he was plummeting a lot faster than Migel, who had his arms and legs spread out, his back to the wind.

Hiero took a breath as he shot past Migel, the ground closing in on them both. He could see everyone running towards them on the ground. Dilandau and Alessa at the head of the group and staring frantically at the sky. 'Oh well, don't die, Hiero. This is not the time to explain why you can't die.' He thought, twisting his body about to match Migel's falling position and summoned his wings. His body stopped for a all but a few moments, several feet from the sandy ground, then Migel slammed into him hard, knocking the wind out of him, and regretfully breaking some of Hiero's ribs. They twirled about in mid-air for a while and fell a bit more before Hiero managed to stop their decent for a few more minutes. Sadly, Hiero couldn't balance himself, couldn't stop Migel for as long as he'd wanted to, and he felt them fall again. His stunned wings seemed to slow them down for the remaining two minutes that they fell, Hiero's back crashing into the sand so hard he felt his spine crush in his body. 'No…no, not now, heal fast, heal fast, not now. I don't want to die now….I can't….no….time….don't want to….gods, hope they run real….slow….' he thought, darkness glazing over his eyes tenderly as the pain ceased altogether.

~ The Astral Plane ~

- Hiero's Mind -

Hiero was sitting in the dark again, like always. Death was teasing him again, but it wasn't as bad as usual after a while. It was kind of colorful above him, aside from the ground being dark as pitch. He blinked dully, but then smiled like a child at the colors, reaching for them.

Hiero fell back when the colors started to spiral and dance madly, slowly becoming solid and glowing shapes. One wore silver armor, staring at him with empty eyes and long black hair and the other wore red armor and a dark helmet. Their eyes were white, devoid of life, but menacing all the same. They looked like spirits, fading in and out of his sights, but he knew who they were.

"Do Gods ever leave me the hell alone on any world?" Hiero asked sarcastically, the one in red laughing ghastly like.

The silvery one spoke though. "You, Safaia Oni, are cursed to walk the realms of time forever. It is your fate to fulfill the whim of the gods for the murder you committed against them. You shouldn't be so surprised." He said.

"Let me guess, you two are the gods the seven angels are supposed to summon, right? And you're going to give me some advice I bet." Hiero huffed angrily, stating on the ground.

"Correct, I am the God of War. And this is most appropriately the God of Death, the martyrs of Mother Gaia, victims of the Anti-God. Our advice, should come from Death, since his angel descendent it the next destined to awaken." The war god uttered pleasantly, the snickering death god smiling broadly.

"Dilandau's turn, huh? That'll make him happy….what is the damned advice. I have to wake up eventually. They can't know I can't die." Hiero spouted, but this put the Death god into fits of cruel laughter.

"What's so amusing?" Hiero hissed.

The Death god went on laughing, then put his hand to his armored chest, stifling himself. "You are….so intent on keeping your eternal existence a secret, and that's exactly the opposite of what we are requesting. We want you to die, even if I can never claim you. Dilandau Albatou must awaken as the Angel of Death, and to do that, he must complete three….lovely little tasks." The Death god uttered sweetly.

Hiero narrowed his eyes, but said nothing, merely nodding very slow. "He can do these in any order, but of his own free will, you can't tell him any of this or it won't count. There must a risking of his life, the taking of another's to save those close to him, and….most importantly, he must want to cherish saving the life of the one he slew, namely you."

"I have to get stabbed again. I hate being stabbed."

The Death god laughed. "Would you rather be stomped or blown to pieces?" he cackled, and for once Hiero had no witty retort. Being stabbed wasn't so bad, as much as they hurt, and slow death of bleeding out and losing one's innards. It was the pain of those deaths he hated, and the horrible reminder of his first death and Delphine's murder by his hand. Being crushed to death was fast and painless, in the manner of getting killed, but regenerating and healing hurt like hell.

"Is that one stabs or two?" Hiero quipped, trying to make light of his impending doom. He didn't want anyone finding out he couldn't die, it had caused pain wherever he went, what would it do here? What would they think of him when they found out?

'They sure as hell can't beat me to death over it, I'll just get right back up.' He thought, sighing as the two gods nodded with terrible smiles.

"Just antagonize him into killing you. It doesn't matter how, but no interference. Get it done by tomorrow. Folken is getting closer….ask the Angel of Light what he saw above the clouds and you'll see we are right, Hiero Fanel." The gods said together, and the world of darkness and colors vanished.

~ The Beach Camp ~

- 1 Minute After Impact -

Is he dead?

SLAP!

I don't know, you moron. I haven't checked him yet?

Sorry, Lord Dilandau. Forgive me.

He still has a pulse….Hiero? Can you hear me?

Please Lord Hiero, be all right?

LORD HIERO AGAIN! –SLAP- Stop sniveling!

Yes, Lord Dilandau….

"Chesta?" Hiero croaked, hating his terrible he sounded. His resurrection was still hurting, and it was seriously impeding everything he tried to do. He felt a heavy and groaning object being pulled off of himself, his chest feeling a little less suffocated by the weight. He tried sitting up, but only made himself dizzy and fell backwards, into a warm lap.

He blinked back the sunlight, a hue of gold and lavender gracing his eyes. "Alessa….hi. I miss- cough-much?" he let out, noting her fuzzy smile. His vision was clearing rather gradually, but he could make out her hair and mouth, the scent of lilacs long gone. 'I'm not exactly a rose either. We all smell like sulfur.' He thought, smiling when his vision cleared at all the staring faces about him.

"You scared us, we thought you might be dead. I guess the sand sort'a cushioned your fall." Alessa said softly. Hiero nodded curtly, able to sit himself up now. "Yeah, there would have been no fall if it weren't for a certain bimbo Angel of Light going above the clouds when I said not to. Migel, you idiot!" Hiero growled, even as weakly as Migel stared back, rubbing his soft brown hair.

"It wasn't, my fault. Something happened up there….my eyes went crazy. I saw….miles away from here. I saw Folken and the witch!" Migel stammered, catching everyone's attention fully. "What about Folken?" Hiero asked, slightly curious.

"I don't know how, but one moment I was just staring at the tops of the clouds, the next, my eyes could see for miles and miles. I saw a fleet of ships that looked like flock of geese before my eyes did that, and….a large black dot became….a floating fortress. Sora and Folken were in it, and Sora waved at me, I mean she saw me….and then I blacked out. I couldn't stay awake….I felt like all the energy had been ripped from my body, I just couldn't stay up." Migel replied, his voice stronger now, but his eyes lacked his annoying defiance to Hiero.

Hiero frowned slightly, thinking for a moment. "hat about the fleet, were they Zaibach ships?"

Migel shook his head, standing up weakly. "No, they lacked the Zaibach emblem. It looked like merchant fleet. I could almost….smell food and metals on them. It was s strange. They were closer than the floating fortress. They might pass here by nightfall, I know they were aimed in this direction."

"Must have been all the temples exploding with light here and all. That would attract attention. I understand Folken would use his witch whore to find us….but I don't know of any merchants crazy enough to come….hmmm,….maybe I do. I wonder." Hiero said to himself.

"You wonder what?" Dilandau piped, his eyes very curious, not a hint of a smile on his lips. "I might be wrong, but if it is him, he'd react to a crisis too. He's just that kind of guy. Hey, Dilandau, want to play with fire?"

Dilandau's eyes shrank playfully, a smirk gracing his lips. "Fire….when do we start???" he let out rapidly, grabbing Hiero by his shoulders. Hiero had to smile, they'd all been walking around so much, only Gatti, Chesta, and Migel getting a sliver of action while the rest made due with small crisis's and sparring matches. He was bored too of doing nothing worth while, but by tonight, he would be. For now, a hefty amount of damage to nothing in particular seemed to be the ticket to get Dilandau in a better mood.

"Race you to the forest. Then we'll set it all on fire….that'll get those merchants' attention, and it'll be fulfilling practice for what we intend to put Folken and Sora through." Hiero quipped briskly. He had barely gotten the words out when Dilandau bolted for the woods.

"Hiero, isn't that a little cruel? I mean burning a forest down for fun?" Alessa asked, but all Hiero could give her was a nonchalant shrug. "Who will mourn a bunch of trees and dead birds? He'll go nuttier if he doesn't have a little fun, and the less stable he is, the more likely he'll snap and try and lop our heads off. You don't want that, do you?" he said, almost as if he were talking to a child.

Alessa wrinkled her nose at him, but didn't answer. "Have a good day at the beach. Viole, you can cook up supper. We'll wait until sundown to play….fires are so much better at night. Asgard will be alive with those lovely amber dancers, hopefully dancing high enough for those merchants to see…and maybe pick us up and give us some real food and beds. And baths." Hiero chuckled out, and ran off towards the forest.

- Nighttime -

"So what are we going to use to burn it down? That fireball spell? That'll take too long! I hate waiting!" Dilandau growled, but all Hiero did was smile. It annoyed Dilandau, but he didn't slap the king, he just watched him step right up to the forest and hold out his hands. "I have other spells, but they would have been….a tad too destructive for a little campfire. I might have blow the kindling apart. It seems the more I d….angels awaken, I have been gaining more spell skill, strangely enough. This spell is little less time consuming, and pretty basic. Now get beside me." Hiero said, still with his back to Dilandau.

He was hesitant at first, then did as Hiero said. "Now what, burn it with my eyes?" Dilandau said sarcastically. Hiero smirked a bit, not even looking at Dilandau. "Put your hand on my wrists and aim it wherever you want to start." Hiero instructed plainly. Again, Dilandau did so, not taking it seriously and pointed Hiero's hand off to the left.

"FLARE ARROW!" Hiero shouted, and Dilandau went stiff when he saw Hiero entire arm light up with flames that didn't burn them, shooting out in the shape of giant flaming arrow that ripped through the trees, slashing apart and setting every trunk it touched on fire.

Dilandau started to smile as the flames spread rapidly, then began to cackle, his garnet eyes alight with excitement as the flames spiral up the trunks and branches like savage serpents. "Burn! Yes, BURN!" he laughed, and looked to Hiero quickly," Do it again!"

Hiero smiled, the flames of the forest making lovely and eerie shadows kiss Hiero's pale features, his eyes like glowing jewels. "Certainly, we need lots of entertaining practice. Start aiming! FLARE ARROW! FLARE ARROW! FLARE ARROW! FLARE ARROW!" Hiero let out pleasantly, sending more arrow of pure flame into the virgin woods with each direction Dilandau pointed his hand in.

Dilandau felt his blood boil, his heart pumping madly for more, more destruction. Even as pointless as it was, he had wanted this, he wanted to see something die, to writhe at his merciless rage. "YES! YES! Let's burn it all! I want it to be nothing but an ashy stain! Yes! Scream for me! SCREAM WITH PURE AND PERFECT CHAOS! BURN! BURN! BURNNNNNN!!!!! Ahahahaha hhhahahaha ahahahahahahahaaaaa!!" Dilandau crooned, aiming time and time again as Hiero let out more of his beautiful arrow of fire penetrate the forest, the loud groans of trees dying and animals wailing in pain delighting him to no end.

~ Hours Later ~

"Hiero went where?" Alessa asked Dilandau, who was still staring with the most insane look of admiration open his face at the still burning forest. It was annoying that the cloud cover had increased tremendously since they had come back, the sky growling with fresh thunder. Alessa was pissing him off by bothering him yet again.

"He wanted to have a talk with my men about something, now shut the hell up woman. I am busy." Dilandau snapped, keeping his eyes on the flames.

Supper had been brief, but Hiero had been acting strangely, more like himself. Dilandau smiled even wider, trying to blot out the Mystic Moon brat's voice. Hiero had walked off while she was still eating with the three he'd mentioned, speaking more to Gatti, pointing at his second in command's armor, then back at them.

Gatti had looked puzzled, but nodded, looking back at the group with a wary expression. It mattered very little to Dilandau, his lovely amber and gold dancers were putting on quite a show for him, loving and licking up that pathetic forest so nicely, the smell of ash and boiled blood and wood their most luscious perfume. How he loved it so, it was a shame Hiero wasn't enjoying it any more. The young king had been gone for a few hours. It had been so much fun to finally do some damage, but how he long to play with something that screamed, something human, an enemy, bystander, anything. He wanted to play harder, and he wanted it real soon.

'Maybe I can play with a few of those merchants' slaves. They can't keep track of all their attendants, not forever. I can have a little fun if I want to.' He thought, licking his lips with anticipation.

"Hey Dilandau." He growled and swung his hand back, knocking the Mystic Moon woman over when it struck her cheek. She hissed at him angrily, but made no move to attack. "At least you aren't completely stupid. Didn't I say not to bother me!" he fumed, glaring at her hatefully.

"Its Gatti, he's come back. Without his armor." She groaned, rubbing her reddening cheek.

Dilandau looked up and saw she was right, Gatti was running towards them in just his tattered lavender vest. "Lord Dilandau, Hiero has something important to tell you. He's waiting on the cliff we went to, with the others." Gatti was shouting, stopping his pace once Dilandau got up, then Alessa did. "He wants you to come too, Lady Alessa. Please, follow me." Gatti added and started to run off again. Alessa ran first, but Dilandau hesitated to look up at the cliff, the sky rumbling again. He couldn't even see the Mystic Moon anymore, a light flash of lightening gracing the onyx-kissed clouds.

"What a lousy time to rain. I hate that. This better be worth taking me away from my fires….they will last through the rain hopefully. They had better." He scoffed and started after Gatti and Alessa's disappearing forms.

~ Cliff der Tod ~**

Dilandau walked up the grassy cliff, grumbling all the way about not liking being led around to every idiotic place without good reason, but then he saw Hiero, wearing Dragon Slayer armor. It was Gatti's, since he was the only one without his armor on. Hiero looked even more dignified it, but there was something hollow in his eyes. It was like looking in a mirror. The young king had his sword out, his dagger at his hip, his smile crude. He looked at his men, and had to frown, approaching them slowly. Migel and Chesta looked to be restraining Alessa, the Mystic Moon girl looking very confused about the treatment.

The rest of them were a few feet away, their backs to him and almost looking as if they were blocking Migel, Chesta and their hostage from Hiero. None of them had their swords on their belts, each one laid out at Alessa's stiff feet. This didn't alarm him, but he found it odd.

Dilandau kept walking towards Hiero, his hands ready to grab for his own sword if Hiero was planning something sneaky. Hiero did nothing but watch Dilandau approach, only turning his head when Dilandau passed him by. Dilandau stopped a few feet away, the edge of the cliff not far off. Dilandau wasn't afraid, he knew what he was doing, proving to Hiero he was ready for any little challenge he brought up. After all, what was another sparring match, really?

"So….what is this about, Hiero? You all decked up in Gatti's clothes for the hell of it, or to impress me?" Dilandau chuckled haughtily, planting one hand on his hip.

Hiero smiled, it was Dilandau's smile, matched perfectly even down to the condescending look in the double colored eyes. He pointed his Fanelian blade dead at Dilandau's chest, gripping it expertly. "It's time for the test of the Angel of Death, Dilandau Thani Albatou, time for you to prove your worth as an angel. I am your challenge. No suked up guardians, no riddles, no inner truths, just you and me. To the death."

Dilandau stiffened mentally, but kept his expression cold. "Death? You want us to try and kill each other? When I need you for this revenge, dammit? What crap is this? I won't take orders, I kill who I want to." Dilandau spat, turning his nose up at Hiero.

Hiero shrugged, shutting his eyes gently, chuckling wickedly. In a flash, his blade came around and nestled right before Guimel's startled eyes. Just as quickly, he brought he blade back at Dilandau, who had drawn up his sword the moment he saw Hiero go for his Dragon Slayer. "You fight me to the death, Dilandau, or….I'll kill them all." He said, giggling like an insane child, lightening flashing across his now grim features. The cool rain began to fall, thunder and lightening raging around the cliff, the wind blowing madly as Hiero and Dilandau stared at each other with cold fury.

To Be Continued….

*The Sun card represents Hiero finding sense in chaos with Dilandau's tastes and that Hiero was meant to be at the center of chaos, be he the cause or the cure. Also, it represents the vitality watching things burn Dilandau gets

**der Tod means 'of Death' in German.

Teaser: Cliffhanger, and that's not a pun. Hiero vs. Dilandau to the death or the Slayers will suffer Hiero's sudden evil wrath, secrets revealed about both Dilandau and Hiero! The Angel of Death must awaken, or die trying. MOERO!