Disclaimer: I do not own any of the character of "Escaflowne", not even Dilandau. Wish I did, but I don't. I don't own anything from "The Slayers" either. I do own Alessa, Myrna, and Hiero, whatever his last name becomes, and I own everything associated with his first life on the Planet Terrian. Ask my permission if you want to use him.

Chapter 24

Temperance*

Invocations of Faith

~ The Crusade ~

- Near the Crusaders Outpost -

Allen watched Hiero hold his teardrop pendant over the map, and it reminded him strangely of Hitomi. The first time he'd seen dousing was with her when they were searching for Van. She'd used a piece of cloth he'd given Merle and found him in seconds. Hiero didn't have anything on Folken, but blood relation.

Though Hiero fully denied it was the real Folken, the blood was still close. That and Hiero had said, surprisingly not as boastful, that his powers were stronger than his mother's, since his visions came more often through touch than hers did and his dreams were infected most nights with them. Allen was still trying to understand this damned prophecy he'd explained on the way to outpost. 'Angels to decide the fate of Gaia, and they are all demons, except for Val and Alessa, not them. Why the others, they are pure evil!?' he thought incredulously, and saw Hiero's face sweat and his brow furrow with pain.

Allen held no pity for the boy, more for his parents who were probably rolling miles away from their graves in shame over how unbalanced their sole heir was. Hiero was insane, that was very apparent, more than Dilandau could ever hope to achieve. He was sarcastic, rude, childish, greedy, violent, and above all, unfit to be breathing. Hiero had always truck Allen as odd, no, odd wasn't accurate enough, chaotic was better. The boy made it apparent he didn't like Allen or Chid very much, but for some reason he enjoyed Val's company extremely.

Allen worried about his son even more after that, even though Millerna was fully capable of having more children, and would be at present. He hadn't the heart to tell Val when the boy was so angry at him that he'd be having a little brother or sister soon. Not that Val would hear him if he told him, he was always by Hiero's side ever since the group of boy and the girl had arrived in the Crusade. Every waking moment after yesterday, if Hiero was in sight, Val wasn't far behind, nor was Dilandau. Both young men seemed to be tailing him, though Dilandau was more focused than Val. Val looked friendly and cheerful near Hiero.

Dilandau just was giving everyone dirty looks and being awfully protective of the young king. He seemed more latched to Hiero than Val, but in the past, it had been Val who was always near Hiero and Hiero giving the dirty looks towards Allen. He'd seen them when they were wee lads in Fanelia, swimming in the pond in their knickers, having dirt fights and wrestling in mock fights on the emerald grass. It all seemed so innocent to everyone else, just two young boys having fun and being children, but Allen didn't think so. He'd caught the boys talking about 'the old days,' like they weren't children, Val was swearing about women and enemies with Hiero, Hiero getting the majority of the curses out first, then started to bad mouth Allen. Val did nothing but laugh, telling Hiero rotten little things that Val or Hiero shouldn't have known about.

For example the true Dilandau Albatou of the Destiny War, the fact he stole a kiss from Hitomi, that he was a thief in the woods after his mother's death, even all the women he'd been with before Marlene and Millerna. To hear this from that boy, that horrid sapphire-haired boy, knew a lot about him and he barely knew that boy for more than a few months. Then Val kissed Hiero lightly on the nose. Hiero wrinkled it and patted Val on the head. "I love you too, Val-chan. Friends forever." He'd said and returned the kiss gently.

Allen chose that moment to come in and tell Val they were heading back home. Val scowled and Hiero made that odd growling noise of his, a bad habit the little brat picked up from living near a dragon invested area. Val finally went and got a spanking for swearing. Val swore again and kicked him in the shin and ran off to where his mother's room. As Allen nursed his hurt knee, he heard someone giggling, a very unnerving one at that. He turned a bit and saw Hiero grinning madly at him, giggling incessantly at Allen's plight.

"Serves you right, you hooker. Don't you ever touch Val-chan again or I'll break your precious girly arm." The boy had said, as simply as any adult could, but with a child's voice. Then Hiero shut his door and Allen was left to fear for his son, to worry that Hiero would taint him with his natural insanity.

It seemed separating them made Val angrier, almost hateful of him now. Val would always shoot an angry look at Allen if he ever tried to approach, and if another step came, Dilandau's eyes would slant a bit and he'd take out his sword. There was no getting near Hiero, not to kill him or talk, unless he could take down his own son and Dilandau, not to mention most of the Dragon Slayers.

His men were good fighters, but the Dragon Slayers were the elite, and had been fighting since childhood, to kill, not to subdue. Those boys would die for Dilandau without question, but Allen figure only Gatti and Chesta would die for Hiero, perhaps that Viole boy that was near Alessa, but no one else. Dalet always looked uncomfortable around Hiero and Migel looked a little lost when he looked at Hiero, like he wanted to ask something, but couldn't find the words. He looked particularly bored, unless Dilandau shot him or Dalet death glare, then they'd straighten up right quick. He doubted Alessa would fight well, since he knew fully from Myrna that she was from the Mystic Moon, just like Hitomi had been. 'Like father like son, can't believe he told a Dragon Slayer to be her guard. I guess he cares, but that doesn't excuse what a monster he is.' Allen thought acidically.

Hiero was sitting between Val and Dilandau currently, the rest of Allen's crew standing a ways behind him. Keo and Teo weren't present, they were piloting the ship currently while Gaddes remained by Allen's side, as a precaution again Dilandau. Pyle was back down with the engine room to make sure their secret guest who'd been breaking it wouldn't try again. Finding this new Folken entity was the thing now and his Sora sorcerer, mystic, whatever she was. She was just plain dangerous, the force that leveled Fanelia's people into crimson rivers and watched blandly while Fried and Asturia burned to ash.

He'd 'take care' of Hiero and Dilandau later, he'd tell Val about the sibling on the way then, when those monsters were gone, but not now, not with so much pointless death going on.

"Ah…." Hiero gasped, his eyes shrinking to the side of blue pinpricks. His hair rustled a bit from an unheard breeze. Dilandau was clutching his head, shaking it as if it could knock the pain out. Val looked worried, but didn't touch Hiero or Dilandau, he only got up from his chair and backed up. His brilliant aqua hair seemed to stand on end, making him look wild. Myrna and Merle were still hiding behind a group of the Crusaders, hissing and shivering.

They didn't like what Hiero was giving off, and it was apparent Val sensed the same thing. His horn popped out of his head, and Allen wanted to look away, he didn't want to see that anomaly again. Slowly, the others moved away considerably and Dilandau and Hiero hands raised up, Dilandau face full of anger and pain and Hiero's lost and far away.

"Dragons' croon in the moonlight, where the city of blood and vengeance lies sleeping. Where the world began, and will end, Gaia wish lies….THERE!" Hiero said softly at first, then screamed out the last word, slamming his dousing hand onto then through map and table. A hailstorm of splinters fired up, then Dilandau brought his own hand down, those serpent-like flames coiling around his gloved hand, and shattered the table into ash and embers.

The glowing amber bits of flame and wood blasted in all directions. Three of the Slayers hit the floor to avoid being hit, Alessa going down with Viole not of her own choice, the other two holding their arms up, relying on their armor to send the embers astray. His crew leapt for the floor and others duck with Allen to avoid being burned, and the cat-women just screeched when the younger one was hit in the tail by one flaming ember. Myrna went screaming into her mother, stepping on her mother's tail, and more screaming.

Allen was shocked Dilandau wasn't trying to kill them to end the noise, but he was still next to Hiero, in the same chair, panting with his now normal hand still balled in a fist. Hiero was the same, but standing and had something dangling in his fingers with his unscathed pendant. It was a slip of torn and charred paper, one barely holding onto Hiero by the sweat of his skin.

It fell after Hiero took a breath, falling like a feather on the wind into the spatter of char Dilandau had made. Both young men straightened a bit, but their heads were aimed at the slip of paper, and soon, Allen's curiosity overcame his knowledge that these boys hated him. He stepped up, not getting any dirty looks, not that he noticed, and peered at the piece settled on the circular, yet messy, spatter of char and ash. "The Dragon's Valley…." Hiero said quietly. Allen looked up at the young king, and saw he had put his pendant back on. He looked at Dilandau, who was not showing a single emotion, but was tugging at Celena's locket that he now wore, tucked discreetly under his armor.

"That's where they are?" Allen asked, and regretted trying when Hiero and Dilandau's faces soured. "No, Dornkirk's girly underwear collection is there. Of course fucking Folken and Sora are there. Gods, what a moron you are." Hiero seethed sarcastically.

Allen raised his hand up to strike him, but then Dilandau's sword was at his neck, as it had grown so used to being there as long as they'd been near each other. "I only have that right, not you, Playboy. And he has no right to kill you, but I do. When this is over, I'm going to have a fine hunt of you, Allen Schezar. Till then, sit down and shut up. We have much to plan while we approach the so-called birthplace of the world." Dilandau said arrogantly, bringing an eerie smile to Hiero's face.

"Sounds like a good deal….doesn't it, Allen dear?" Hiero smiled, sitting back in his own seat, despite the charred legs of it. Dilandau followed in suit, and then the Dragon Slayers and Val did as well. Allen and Gaddes sat last, staring more at the remains of the obliterated table. "That was our best map, Commander. Those things don't come cheap." Gaddes huffed, thrusting his arms across his chest.

"Let it be, Gaddes. Something tells me we're going to have worse than our property being damaged so long as these children stay together. We just got overly involved in the future of Gaia again, with two psychotic boys at the helm." Allen whispered back. He saw Hiero smirk out of the corner of his eye and wondered if the boy heard him.

'Oh course he heard me, I hope he heard me, the viscous little monster. The sooner we end Folken and Sora, the sooner he and Dilandau will leave this world. We can't have those two lunatics being in charge of Gaia's fate, or anything fate. They only live to kill and kill to live….they are abominations. They have to die once this is done, they have to or Val will become like them.' Allen thought, not seeing the sorrowful expression on Hiero's face, not hear the words of pain that slipped from the boy's mouth.

"I'd never do that to Val-chan. You just don't want to understand anything….but yourself." Hiero sighed gently, only Val and Dilandau hearing these words, their faces sinking a moment with his pain.

~ Dragon's Valley ~

"It's not like this plan is very ingenious. We simple leave half the crew here to distract Eden's sensors, while we angels fly the rest in through the hanger bar doors." Allen commented, staring out from the mountain pass they were emerging from, at a very low altitude.

Hiero didn't smirk, staying serious as he and Gatti stood, Gatti holding into Hiero's gloved hand for support. Everyone else was waiting in the cargo bay for the three of them to give them the go ahead. Liesen was in charge of steering the ship, he was nearly as good as Gaddes was at steering the Crusade, but not as good a swordsman. He and five others would remain to make sure the ship was a good distraction and that it wouldn't fall apart. He was keeping Gaddes, Keo, Teo, Pyle, Katz, Ork, and himself, all good with blades, fists and daggers. He had half-heartedly agreed that the boys Viole and Dalet could come, they were Dragon Slayers after all, the elite next to himself as knight of Asturia, but there was only one Allen Schezar. He sincerely hoped he wasn't the one being carried by an angel with a Dragon Slayer held tight.

Still, he was more worried about this Eden place than the Slayers. Who knew what lurked in Eden now besides soldiers and their murderous leaders? He'd seen it only once in Fanelia before losing consciousness, and it had been much larger, at least ten times the size of the old Vione floating fortress, than he thought possible.

He feared for Val so much when he could no longer resist the strange and hypnotic song of death that took him, feeling only dully annoyed when he saw Hiero's fist coming at him, then nothing but stars in the dark.

"I see….I see it…." Gatti said, so far an away with his voice, his eyes shrinking a little as his head craned backwards a bit. Hiero squeezed his hand and Gatti kept staring out the glass, his small pupils darting about like pale firebugs.

"Breathe, Gatti Roiyaru, breathe. It'll come gently if you stay calm. Come on, for Dilandau and me. Calm." Hiero coaxed, patting the young man's arm. Gatti seemed to loosen up a little bit, his eyes focusing on one spot. His free arm lifted gently and pointed to his right at an angle

"It is 30 degrees to the northeast, right dead center above the Dragon's Valley. I….don't know if they see us. Migel would be better suited to help with that." Gatti said weakly, collapsing to the floor as he spoke.

Hiero smiled apologetically at Gatti and helped him up, supporting him quite carefully against his chest. "No, Roiyaru, we can't use too much of our powers. That witch will feel it eventually, best to try while they don't know we're coming. And I don't want to weaken the lot of you when we have the element of surprise. By the time we get to hangar, you'll be strong again, fit for flying. I'll carry you there for now, but don't worry, I won't let Dilandau see that. You might lose your position, Roiyaru." Hiero said kindly, picking Gatti up before any protest could leave the boy's mouth.

He looked back at Gaddes, who looked utterly stunned, but then amused, and then at Hiero's retreating back. He shrugged and started to follow, slapping Gaddes across the back of the head to motivate him out of his trance. "We're counting on the rest of you to come back for us. Keep Eden busy for as long as you can. If you take damage, flee until we send out a signal. Till then, good luck." Allen called back to the remaining crew.

"But how are we gonna know what to look for, boss?" Liesen asked from the held loudly. Allen stopped, and thought a moment with a small smile. "You'll know." He said, then ran down the hall with Gaddes.

~ Cargo Bay ~

Hiero looked up with bane in his eyes as Allen came in and shot him one of those 'bastard' looks at him. 'I know I'm a bastard, but at least I earned it. I don't try and hide it with my family. But even bastards have feelings….moron.' he thought harshly, growling a little. He felt something hit the back of his head and found it was Dilandau, eyeing him with utmost distaste. "Stop doing that." Dilandau huffed, his garnet eyes dancing dangerously.

"Stop what?" Hiero said, grinning since he knew what Dilandau was still mad about. It was almost funny, but in Myrna's case, it was scary. The fact she'd been so desperate to make him jealous and dump Alessa that she'd try and get Dilandau to bed her was sincerely absurd, and a little sick in his head. Dilandau hated inhumans, even Jajuka's race deserved his rage.

Myrna just plain made Dilandau nauseous and really irked his senses. He'd commented during the trip to the outpost how terrible he'd felt when she'd come to seduce him, terrible he was the unfortunate chosen pawn for her little jealous game. He'd bed a woman eventually, but not that sickly cute and loud one. Cute was too much for him to stand, and Hiero had to agree, He was glad there were no bubbly fairies around Gaia, a real ripe slice of hell they were. Hiero hated everything that was too cute for as long as he could remember and never passed up the chance to blow it up, burn it, or flash freeze it. Freezing was a favorite, since he got to pick at the frozen victim for a while a piece at time.

If Dilandau had met half as many of the fairies that Hiero had, he'd have been swimming in blood for weeks, not that Hiero gathered he'd mind the blood part. The only part Hiero found remotely funny was that Hiero's making love to Alessa had been felt by Dilandau. He had to consider the image it gave him, Dilandau fighting off numerous orgasms as Hiero had them while trying to stand up, in his clothes and armor. He had to bet Dilandau had been boiling alive in his own favorite choice of attire, and to anyone watching, Dilandau would look like a wild animal in heat.

Dilandau had, however, not found 'being in heat' in front of a bunch of morons and sugary slut very funny and slapped Hiero for laughing, but Hiero couldn't help himself and went on laughing until Dilandau tackled him to the floor and tried to beat him up. Hiero laughed and fought, feeling very lucky when they were both too tired to speak or moved that no one decided to walk in on them. They'd have looking pretty indecent lying on the floor with Dilandau on top of him, panting and gasping as if they were dying.

They'd finally gotten up and sat across from each other in Hiero's room. Hiero went on to sass Dilandau, not caring if he got beaten again. It wasn't as if the wounds would stay for more than five minutes. Hiero had been afflicted as well when Dilandau's emotions of hatred and rage crashed into him several minutes before Alessa had come in. Dilandau explained Allen was bothering him about Celena last thoughts, and it made Hiero smile to hear that Dilandau had spared Allen no mercy in his words.

He still wasn't happy that Dilandau's emotions had sent him into a horrible rage that made him start yelling in a millions of profanities in dozen of different languages to get the anger out. Then he tried beating on himself and finally trying to cool himself off by screaming out the window and letting the rain chill his heated body. Lying to Alessa wasn't a fun thing to do, but she probably would have left him alone if he'd said that Dilandau was pissed off and he was trying to calm the anger down. It wouldn't have made much sense unless explained, and he hadn't wanted to explain it. He wanted to spend time with her.

So they were nearly even, but Hiero was still amused Dilandau nearly shared and orgasm with him and hadn't even been aroused on his own. But he'd have to have a long, and loud, talk with Myrna once this was over, and make her stop trying to make him bed her. It wasn't going to happen, ever.

Dilandau looked about as annoyed as he had then currently, lifting his hand to strike Hiero again, but then dropped his hand. "You know, now stop trying to play innocent. It doesn't suit you." Dilandau said casually, a hint of arrogance in his voice. Hiero met it with a sly smile, gritting his teeth to summon his wings. "Thanks for noticing, Dilandau. Now….we can keep out promise. Which half do you want?" Hiero asked, sounding like one would if asking about the weather.

"Dilandau thought a moment, his finger tapping the button within his armor, then grit his own teeth. His white wings and the red dragon wings burst out his back, and Hiero heard Allen's gasp loudly, stumbling backwards.

Dilandau just sniffed at him. "Moron, can't even handle wings like a real man. What a waste of flesh," he commented, then looked at Hiero," I'll take the lower half….the half that violated my mother."

Dilandau growled as he said the words, grinding his teeth into a sick smile. Hiero nodded firmly, content with the answer. Hiero already had a claim on Folken's mouth, the mouth that ordered his parents' assassinations, the hands that hurt Celena, the hands that he would shatter so his family could rest, so the true Folken could rest knowing the monster was gone.

"Fine by me, not that it matters." Hiero shrugged, ruffling his wings as he walked toward the open cargo bay doors.

"It matters, Hiero. Once this is over, I just might let you join the Dragon Slayers. You have the strength to be one of us….why waste it on a pathetic kingdom that gave you mostly grief?" Dilandau uttered.

"Cause I have to….I have to raise an heir so in about….oh say, 50 stinking years or so, I can find a new life. It is a shame, I'll lose you all in the process to do it. I don't want to, but have to. It's the principle of the thing, to finish what's begun. But maybe….if maybe you guys can burn Fanelia or something, I might reconsider." Hiero uttered, feeling very sad. He knew he'd lose Dilandau, Alessa and the others to old age, it was inevitable. He'd still have Val, that much was true, but he'd miss the others very much. It had been nice to know Lina and Zelgadis would never grow old because of what they were, but they were still mortal, like Val and old Aunt Filia. Val was capable of dying, but would never age, it was in his blood.

Thanks to Delphine, Hiero would be young and beautiful forever, but with no hope of ever losing his life to the world of the dead. He would yet again have to watch his friends grow old and die, and never join them, or keep them. Retarding aging was not a spell anyone really knew. It pained him to know this, and he could see it hurt Dilandau to know they would not be able to fight wars together, not as he had hoped.

"You're right….I hate it, but you're right. Being the Dragon Slayer General is the fate I want, fighting is my life, and their lives are mine," he said gesturing to his Slayers, Gatti, Chesta and Migel spreading their wings," And you're a king, you're the type we work for. Perhaps, since Fanelia is such an easy target, we might be hired to blow it apart, or protect it. That is your choice."

"Yeah….some choice, but at leas I get to keep Alessa for a while. Best I think about what's happening now and not tomorrow. I'll really ruin the plan if I get depressed again." Hiero sighed, spreading his wings fully.

"And you're really ruining my mood by feeding me your sorrow. I told you to stop that." Dilandau hissed, and all Hiero could do was chuckle and rub the back of his neck. "Sorry, Dilandau. When this is over, it'll probably lessen the effect. I'm hoping at least." Hiero chuckled. Dilandau smiled at the response, then spread his wings out as he looked out the open doors, the breeze blowing his silken silver hair in the night sky.

Hiero own hair blew across his double colored eyes like strands of sapphire corn silk, still wearing an amused expression. He could see Eden now, it had noticed them at long last. They weren't far from it, but the plan was to pass under it so the angels could leap out undetected with their passengers. Hiero and Val were carrying some of the Crusaders, the heftier one saddled with Val because of his Dragon strength, Pyle. Hiero was getting Ork and Dilandau was getting Keo. He'd nearly had to carry both Allen and Teo, but threatened to drop the Crusade leader the first chance he got if that choice was even made to stick. Chesta got Teo and Gatti got Gaddes. Migel had sincerely lucked out, getting Katz and Alessa getting, much to her disgust, Dalet. Hiero tried to saddle her with Ork, but one look at the bald and scarred man licking his dagger and she sunk her head low and agreed to carry Dalet.

Dalet had made a sultry look, but one look from Hiero squelched it. That and Hiero got right up in Dalet's face and threatened to make sure he never procreated, ever. Hiero would even go through with it if Dalet pushed him, and Dalet knew it. It was either Hiero or Dilandau who would punish him for thinking with what was in his pants rather than his brain, and he valued what was in his pants a little more than using it to flirt.

Hiero watched each angel take a person in their arms, fighting back his anger as Alessa grudgingly put her arms about Dalet's waist. Once Dilandau had Keo secured, Hiero got a good hold on Ork, who made a disgruntled look on his face. "Watch it, slap-head, we ain't going steady or nothing. Keep your eyes facing forward if you like where they are now." Hiero grumbled, not in the mood for an "I don't like to be touched' type.

Ork grumbled at him, the face forward. Hiero felt better at that and looked out the huge doorways as the wind whipped past them, Floating Castle Eden nearly above them.

'Now or never. Mother? Father? Wish us luck….I think this time, we may need all you can offer.' He thought, and dove off the platform as Eden was above them, the others following in suit.

~ Floating Castle Eden ~

The first part of the plan went quite well, explosions sounding outside as the Crusade did its part. He pulled his wings in after the others did, Ork already walking towards Allen, as the other Crusaders were. Dalet went to stand near Dilandau and Val, while Viole got next to Hiero, looking at the floor.

Hiero just smiled at the top of his raven hair and patted it briefly, then clutched his pendant, seeking out his uncle. "They can't feel this at least. We gave ourselves away a little in using Gatti's power. I can't see invisible crap at such distance….hurts my eyes." Hiero commented to no one in particular.

"Where's the walking dead man?" Dilandau asked impatiently. Hiero smiled again and concentrated, picturing his pendant in his mind. It was a neat old trick Hitomi had been kind enough to divulge in her dreams, and after he had his first visions. Simply picturing the family heirloom in his mind to locate something close by, not too hard, except this was Eden, and he'd never been in here except in his visions.

Dilandau had been here, so he'd know the way, but probably not from the guymelef bay. Dilandau had said there were at least three levels of guymelef bays, all in different areas. This one was for the Dragon Slayers, as it would be in most floating fortresses, like the Vione. The door was always open, in case of an emergency mission.

Hiero watched the pendant in his mind swing about madly stopping a few seconds in four different directions. He gave up when it kept repeating the action, annoying him deeply.

"Damn, he must be on a lift or in some secret passages….." Hiero mumbled, not knowing someone was behind him.

"Or that witch is messing with us. They probably have a good idea we're near, just not inside this place. Best it stays that way." Dilandau uttered with disdain.

Hiero didn't look back, but nodded. "Why don't we split up?" Allen suggested and all the young men could do was groan. "Split up? Are you retarded or something? If we split up, we stand a greater chance of getting slaughtered like pigs instead of finding Folken. Everyone knows that people who split up in a movie get killed!" Alessa yelped, her hands on her hips and eyes flaring at Allen. Val stifled a chuckled and Hiero was soon joining him. He was fully aware of what movies were, he had a little knowledge, but Allen had none, so the stupid and dumbfounded expression on his face was all the more funny.

"Movie?" Allen quarried, looking to Gaddes who just shrugged, not wanting any part of being sassed by a woman. "Alessa has a point, splitting up might make it harder to find each other and defend ourselves, well, we angels can take care of ourselves, but you old geezers might have some trouble without your walking sticks." Hiero commented, taking great pleasure in Allen's infuriated gaze, and the mutterings of nasty curses from his crew.

"I don't care if you agree or not, your highness. Now where did your power say Folken might be?" Allen asked, brushing off the insults quicker than Hiero expected, yet he could feel they were still burning in his brain.

Hiero shrugged and pointed in three directions than a forth, two being off to his left and the others up a level and to the right. "Ok then, Teo, Ork and Katz, you take the left most way and Keo, Gaddes, and myself with take the right most way. The rest of you do as you please, and we shall see who is the better man in this fight." Allen said huskily, and the groups he'd made went in their assigned directions.

"For the love of the gods, Viole, follow Allen's group. Dalet, go after the others. I will not have my prey get killed because he's such a pig-headed fool. I am the only one with the right to kill him." Dilandau uttered. The two nodded, drew their swords and ran off as told.

"Dilandau, do you honestly have to off my old man? Maybe he's not the best father in the world, but he still is my father." Val put in, looking annoyed.

Dilandau looked at the young dragon knight snidely, and smirked. "When I hunt, I do it perfectly. It won't be immediate, so you have lots of time to try and save him….if I give you half the chance, Val." Dilandau smoothed out, drawing his own blade.

Val narrowed his eyes and looked ready to jump at Dilandau, but Hiero stepped in between them. He looked at Dilandau first. "Folken is the target, remember? Not Allen, he can wait, but you are not to touch Val-chan or you won't touch ever again, and I mean it," he said, then eyed Val," Same for you, do not harm Dilandau. We all have two people to kill for the misery they put us all through, that's all for now."

"Yes, Hiero-kun." Val said sulkily.

"For now….Hiero." Dilandau hissed, but kept his blade out.

"As for moving, one path is as good as the next. We'll take the other left pathway. I'll lead….in case of any traps or attack. Not like I can't survive it….heh, heh." Hiero replied.

He moved to the door, hearing the light and slow footsteps of his companions sound behind him. 'And I doubt any of you could survive it. I'm such a martyr….guess its what I live for, to die for others to keep them, for what its worth. Hopefully, this won't all blow up in my face, but in Allen's. That'd be nice.' He thought with a grin.

~ Throne Room ~

Dilandau stood tall and proud beside Hiero as they reached the massive and dark doors. Hiero remembered it from his visions of Celena, the room she was tossed in, naked and bruised and later raped. He felt glad he'd gotten new gloves, touching this door with a naked palm might send him into a days worth a fits with its evils.

He didn't want to use Migel to listen for sounds of movement, that would give them away immediately if Sora and Folken were inside right now, so he did it himself, putting his ear to the door. He heard nothing but a breeze blowing, not a breath, no footsteps, or the familiar rustling of clothing. Nothing.

'I don't hear anything….but it still could be a trap, Dilandau.' he telepathed to the youth. Dilandau twitched a moment and looked at him, nodding. 'Always the possibility, but we've come too far now. We have to do something, not stand around like scared children. I won't let anything scare me ever again. Folken dies now or never!' Dilandau's thoughts growled. Telepathy wasn't his strong suit, but at least it didn't take much to think and be read. Eventually, Hiero would perfect this 'synch' thing and they could talk over great distance, when Dilandau was in a far away war, without him or Val.

'I guess so, but quietly, please.' Hiero thought back, and Dilandau smiled and reached out for the door. Hiero could feel fear permeating from nearly all of the Dragon Slayers, the light shake of their armor. Some of them had been beaten in this room, molested and humiliated by Folken and Sora, all for this prophecy. He couldn't blame them for being afraid.

Dilandau easily pulled on the latch and the door opened without so much as a sound, winding open as soft as a breath. Dilandau stepped in first, looked from side to side, then upwards, and finally walked all the way in. Hiero followed, then Val, and the others in suit. The place was empty, all but a wicked looking throne. Hiero thought it was a bit overcompensating, but the way the eyes glowed was pretty interesting. The glow came from the large energists within, much like the one he'd relieved the Zaibach Dragon of over a week ago.

'It's been that long….felt longer to me. I guess that's just my imagination, being as old as I am.' He thought, shrugging as he looked about the area. A few gas lamps of blue flame were lit. Gatti and Chesta were looking behind it, Migel and Alessa were poking at the shadows, and kicking every so often, while Dilandau and Val were off in separate corners of the room eyeing the ceiling for sneak attacks. Hiero went for the throne, which was all neat and tidy, the dragon skull polished to perfection. The only problem was the funny smell, like copper. It was so faint, he couldn't really name it.

His eyes scanned again, and he noticed that there was a goblet of vino resting on one of the throne arms, not even touched. Hiero approached it and gave it a tentative sniff, then backpedaled. "What? What is it, Hiero-kun?" Val asked quietly.

Hiero didn't answer, the smell of coppery bile still enflaming his senses. It was stronger near the throne. The goblet was full of blood, fresh too. He wished he knew whose it was, but blood pretty much smelled the same to him, as he was well acquainted with the acrid, metallic odor.

Then another smell came, the one that defined Dilandau so well, but with a mix of herbs and something that smelled like mercury. It was coming from the floor, so he slowly angled his head down. His eyes widened slightly as he followed the silvery black lines and shapes beneath him. It looked like some sort of odd star, with the symbols that had appeared on their head in each corner. He had seen something similar drawn in the dirt many times before in blood for ceremonies and….

"Sacrifice….It's a trap." He said aloud, and the doors slammed loudly behind them all.

"Bravo, Hiero of Fanelia. I thought it would take forever for you to figure it out. To find me….you have to find hell itself." Folken's deep voice uttered softly. Hiero spun about, stunned he hadn't felt the man's presence, but not surprised about the trap. He couldn't put it past the monster, never would he have underestimated Folken again after what became of Guimel. Though, he hadn't expected an indoor ceremony, not with how he grew up. 'Folken's not exactly playing with a full deck either….and this isn't Terrian. Ah well, At least the others are safe.' He thought, grinning at Folken's stony face. He saw Sora peek out lightly from behind him, a bruise on her neck. He held no pity for her, she chose Folken as her so-called 'savior,' it served her right for doing what she did to them all. She also had a bandage on her arm, fresh with blood. He had to guess that the blood used for the goblet and the floor painting was hers, but that didn't really matter. He was going to spill all her blood soon enough for her crimes. Someone else was behind him, but he was hidden in shadow, or perhaps a dark cloak, Hiero couldn't really tell.

Folken suddenly grinned, and held up his right hand. Hiero's mouth opened a little when he saw the metal hand, no, claw emerge from the dark cloak, much like the one his parents had seen when they knew the real Folken, but it was only his hand now that had been replaced. The rest of his arm was fine, all be it rather slim, probably from all the blood he lost when Hiero cut the hand off. It explained why he was still living at least. As the hand lifted, Hiero saw a small red jewel on the man's metal palm, and his middle claw poked it. It glowed gently. "I have a surprise for you all." He said with casual arrogance.

Hiero was about to say something when the clanging and clinking of metal gears reached his ears, and Migel's, as the young man started screaming about the noise. Hiero chanced him a chance to see him on the floor and holding his ears while Alessa tried to help, but it still seemed to pain him.

He looked towards the noise and saw the throne was sliding off to the left, nearly crushing Chesta and Gatti in the process, but they were swift and agile enough to get out of the way. Hiero waited a moment, his breath quickening, Dilandau's anger making his breathing speed up. Then he saw them, Zaibach soldiers in heavy armor, shoving in the Crusaders, three following with daggers up to the throat of those them held, Allen, Viole, and Dalet.

"I knew we should have tried to locate your hidden castle sooner. Why didn't you use Gatti earlier!?" Migel cursed, but all eyes froze as Folken laughed.

"You used Gatti's power to find us? How nice, but no, that wasn't what alerted us to your presence. We all thought you were still on the Crusade. It wasn't what you did, but who did it….Zoran, would you elaborate?" Folken chuckled, letting himself and Sora step off to the right to reveal a man in a hooded cloak. Hiero felt nothing until the man pushed the hood off, Allen making a strangled noise in his throat.

"You!? But…." Allen gasped, the other Crusaders mumbling in confusion.

"Teo….you're not Teo. You're one of those filthy doppelgangers." Hiero stated plainly, insulted this had gotten past him. He didn't read minds 24 hours a day, only in passing, and he hadn't seen Teo much, or many of the Crusaders, save for Liesen, Pyle, and Ork, that was pretty much it. He had holed himself up in his room most of the from the mountain path to Freid. It wasn't a shock it had slipped past him, it really just annoyed him.

"Bastard race….your kind murdered Migel! Hah, I knew you still had bad taste, Folken, you always have. Still working with gutter trash." Dilandau spat as the false Teo shifted as it gave off ghastly smile, and Hiero had to hold his hand over his hand and mouth at the terrible smell the race gave off. Migel was choking and hacking, and Hiero could feel his fear.

The gray skinned Zoran grinned just as hideous as his former skin had, the cloak hiding the rest of his body. That was all well and good since the race rarely wore anything but cloaks and the occasional garb of their forms. "He gave you away once he separated from his group. Nice of you to bring him along, or we never would have been able to prepare for your much awaited arrival. So let's get on with this, the hour of Gaia's creation approaches. Midnight seems so appropriate, the exact time of all of your births, I might add, and creations." Folken smiled, looking right at Dilandau.

Hiero nearly screamed out in rage with Dilandau's hate, but it was halted when Folken gestured to Allen and the two Dragon Slayers. "I know Val, despite how you feel about your father, his death would bring you little pleasure, and Dilandau probably wants to kill Allen for just existing. And you Hiero, seem more intent on blowing this castle apart after you get to myself and dearest Sora. But, you value the lives of the innocent….though personally I don't think Dalet is all so innocent, you'd want to save Viole." Folken stated, moving his hand bit, the soldiers pressing the daggers close to the boys' necks. Viole and Dalet showed no fear, not even as trails of crimson trickled down their creamy throat.

Hiero felt low, and it made Dilandau groan. He knew Dilandau would rather tear everything apart than be held hostage by his men's lives, but there were too many soldiers, and only six seasoned warriors on their side, and Alessa, who knew nothing of battle or even swords. They'd be busy protecting her and the others' if they started a fight, and Hiero knew Dilandau hated having civilians present in a battle, especially ones that knew nothing of battle.

Hiero lowered his head in defeat, the Val and Dilandau followed, not with considerable amounts of growling rumbling in their young throats. "Not for you, never for you, Allen, or you….Folken! Father or not, you raped my mother with me inside her. You deserve worse than death, and I will gladly deliver it. Don't think for a second that have gone soft." Dilandau hissed out, sheathing his blade.

Folken merely chuckled. "That's funny, I must remember that. You don't know how soft you are compared to me, little boy. But enough about you….Sora dear. Time to begin what you awaited for thousands of years. The gods will return under my command soon, and Gaia will be mine. Ah hahahahahaaa!" he laughed, spreading his arms out. Hiero just growled in his throat, not willing to let Folken have his way, not completely.

'Dilandau….the prophecy was meant for us. Think that. We are the leaders of the angels, the way it goes depends on our strength. Never think it for Folken, only for us, the true angels." Hiero telepathed lightly. Dilandau gave a slight nod, casting his garnet eyes to him in a sidelong glance.

'As if I'd ever give him credit for anything before. Folken will die by our hands, a promise we will keep. We're the strong ones….not them, never them.' Dilandau thought back, then focused on Sora as she approached.

"Ready to grant Gaia's wish, monster?" she asked Hiero with no emotion. Hiero looked up at her and spit in her face. "You're more of a monster than me. You earned it by choice.…I never had a choice. Get on with it." He seethed, hating her more for not even reacting to the saliva dribbling down her cheek.

~ 1 Minute to Midnight ~

Hiero and Dilandau were next to each other, Hiero right hand on Dilandau bare shoulder. Each angel had been stripped to the waist, even Alessa, save for that small corset she called a bra. She would bright red with embarrassment if she didn't look so scared. Not even Migel looked at her, he was shaking, his bare hand on her shoulder and Chesta's on his. Dilandau's was on Chesta's while Alessa's hand was on Gatti's shoulder and Gatti's hand was on Val's. Val had his hand on Hiero shoulder, so they made a rather off looking circle. All of the angels' left hands were extended to the center of the giant ceremonial star that stood upon, each angel standing in one corner with their matching symbol.

Their symbols were painted on their shoulders and chests in blood, shivering from the cold of the room. Hiero hated the cold, but valued the lovely use of ice spells. Dilandau wasn't shivering either, his thoughts crammed with what Sora had told he had to say for the summoning and what Hiero had stressed earlier. Hiero was sore they took his new gloves away, but he'd already read Dilandau, so it didn't matter. Val he knew like a book, so it wouldn't matter. He was simply glad he wasn't touching the others, or Sora and Folken. He was angry enough, he didn't need to go into psychic fits.

Sora stood dead center, and was holding a dagger. She cut their fingers from the end to the beginning, as stupid as it all seemed. She started at Val and moved on, slitting open their pointer fingers to let their blood mix in the center. Hiero was a bit uneasy as she cut his, a little blood falling before it closed up, eyeing the symbol of the Dynast that was on his palm. The symbol had reappeared since he used the body of his former master to save Dilandau. The Dynast had always said he'd never let Hiero out of his service, and Hiero now knew what he meant by it. He had planned to get absorbed ever since he found out what Hiero was capable of. Hiero should have known a sly Mazuko such as he would try such an underhanded trick, but he'd been so upset by seeing him so broken, it eluded him.

"Now the time has come for Gaia's wish for perfection of her world to be grant. Her children have gathered; Power, Death, Wisdom, Light, Love, Truth and Courage, do not lament. The children's' souls have found their keepers and will awaken Death and War. Mighty mother goddess Gaia, to grant the wish of fate and eternity, I implore. Angels, speak the summons to your mother!" Sora said with her soft chant, pointing at Val.

"Your voice will remember the courage I say. When blood runs cold, easy as night and day. Courage cries for the strength of your soul, Mother Gaia, unlock it and let destiny unfold!" Val shouted, his symbol appearing on his head a ways below his horn, his gold eyes flaring.

Sora finger moved gently to where Gatti stood, standing proud and brave in place as his blood slowed in its flow. "Truth be told. What the future holds. Gaia, you see the truth with virgin eyes, invocations of faith and disdain. Bring unto us the champions slain!" Gatti shouted, his symbol appearing brightly upon his brow.

"Mother Gaia, Love in your heart. Feeling that toil, boil, and threaten to part. Let the love of your life bring about our paradise. Or the end of days that demons will suffice." Alessa crowed, trying her best not to scream as her symbol appeared and glowed, the room aglow with the dark purple energy symbols gave off.

Migel took a deep breath, then looked up at the ceiling and shouted with all his might," Light of our faith and damnation of our lost souls. The beast is met and in sight for what the bell tolls. Hear our voices calling out to thee. Open the gate to the heavens and set us free!"

Chesta seemed to hesitate a moment until Sora's finger aimed at him, startling him. "From the tundra of Asgard and the plains of Jutenheim, your mind influences all. Mountains of proud Alfheim and endless cerulean of frozen Nifleheim, beckon to your call. May the Wisdom of ancients pronounce you forevermore. Proclaim to us what is in store!" Chesta shouted as loud as he could.

Dilandau was growling now that it was his turn, but then he formed his familiar smug smile on his perfect, pale lips. "Life and death and my command. The treasure in a grain of sand. Mother Gaia, bring your champions unto us this night. The blood of ancients will cake within thy bones of blight! Undead screams of hellish pleasure! Death to those who steal thy treasure!" Dilandau cackled out, laughing wildly even as the pentagram symbol appeared on his bare brow, flashing red instead of purple.

Hiero wasted no time in getting his words out, saying a quick mental apology to Guimel, hoping he could avenge him soon. "Power of eternal Light and darkness. That dwells by Death and Courage within their tress. In Wisdom, do lament of Love's sacrifice to the Truth of Gaia. I summon thee, War and Death, the power of forever, the eternal pyre. War and Death, break free of your gilded cage. We release you unto Gaia, satisfy our undying rage!" Hiero shouted, his symbol glowing bright white, pain infecting his mind.

A few seconds pass, and nothing happened, the light of their symbols and held breaths all the existed.

"That's it?" Ork asked.

Then a pillar of light appeared where Sora was, and she easily stepped out of it as if it were nothing, but Hiero could feel it tugging on him. Wind from nowhere started to whip about them all, Sora walking past them with no interest on her face, her clothing not even rustling. The pillar was not the white light he knew, but blue with dark lightening swirling about it like so many serpents. It was like a cyclone.

"What's happening?" Alessa cried out. The winds weren't pulling on her, more so they were knocking her, Migel and Chesta away from the center. Hiero was being pulled towards it harshly, so much in fact he felt as if it'd break his back if he resisted anymore.

"Dammit! What is this?" Dilandau yelled, trying to resist as well. His ring was glowing just as brightly as his symbol, and Hiero looked at his pendant, and found it flashing insanely and dancing against his chest, as if it were alive.

Hiero looked over for Val and saw he'd been pushed back with Gatti, leaving on Hiero and Dilandau near the center that was hell bent on sucking them in.

Then he heard another loud yell from the General and saw his footing was lost. Dilandau was lifted up the moment it happened and carried towards the raging cyclone.
"DILANDAU!!" Hiero screamed, and started after him, the winds still pulling on his body. He was going faster than expected, but he didn't care. Hiero simply jumped for Dilandau's hand and grabbed it, but the winds were pulling too hard.

Hiero had a few seconds to realize as he held on fast to Dilandau that they were both slamming into the wild cyclone, a flash of light being his last sight

~

Folken had been happy with how things had progressed. He had the angels, Sora made them perform the ceremony, but now this living cyclone was growling in his throne room, and Sora was indifferent to it.

He watched Dilandau and Hiero vanish inside it, then the cyclone started to move from its spot, towards him. At first, it didn't strike him as that big a deal, then as it kept coming, the floor untouched by its wrath, but the winds within it had begun to tug on him. Sora was walking towards him, still untouched by the powerful tendrils of air, looking very different. She was smiling. She stopped beside him, but did not look up.

"SORA! Stop this! It has what it wants, make it stop already!" He ordered, but when he looked at her, she was looking up, smiling almost as Dilandau could, but just more frightening, something rare for her placid face.

"It needs one more thing, you, Lord Folken. I re-created you for a reason. Every battle for fate needs an opponent, even if he doesn't know he will be risking his life for it. I told you I would succeed this time, and all I needed was for you to bring me the angels. Their opponent, you, has been chosen by them, the ones who hate you most, your son and your nephew. This is a battle of bloodlines, Folken, I only needed you around so you could fight them….now earn your fate." She said with shocking terseness, and swiftly got behind him and gave him a hard shove with frightening strength.

Folken felt his feet loosen from the ground, the wind getting hold of him and dragging him screaming, kicking and clawing through the air as he stared back at Sora in horror. "SORAAAAAA!!!!" he shouted with pure rage, seconds before the cyclone swallowed him up, and then it all vanished into nothingness.

~

The air was quiet a moment, the soldiers too afraid to keep their hold on the prisoners after what had just happened. They ran back through the secret passage, dropping their blade and tripping over each other in the process.

"Hiero-kun…." Val said gently, staring at where the cyclone has vanished. Alessa was beside him, tears filling her eyes. "Hiero….oh Hiero." She whispered.

The Dragons Slayers, angelic and not, came to the spot where the cyclone had been slowly, staring at it with shock in their eyes. "Lord Dilandau…." They said together.

The castle shook suddenly, then again, and kept shaking as if it were about to explode. "Now what? What more can happen?" Migel swore.

Alessa shivered, looking frightened in every direction. Chesta was doing the same while Gatti and Val listened. "Something's coming…." Gatti said softly, turning about a little, searching.

Seconds later, the left wall was sucked out, revealing the midnight sky to everyone, Sora strangely swaying as she stood a ways behind them. All of them saw three large and brilliant pillars of light, two a mile or so apart from the other. The pair of light were red and white, shadowed silhouettes within them high above the Dragon's Valley.

The other was black, no silhouettes to be seen, but they all heard Sora chuckle lightly, making them back away from her as that smile erupted on her once placid lips. "Welcome, Velnias**. Let the battle begin." She said smoothly, and vanished.

To Be Continued….

*The Temperance card represents…..all of you great fans and your patience with me. I really hate being kept from a battle scene, but this is a necessity. Oh yeah, and it also represents Hiero and the others trying to cooperate with the Crusaders and Allen as well as with Sora and Folken's nasty deal. Also, for the angels in finally combining their forces to summon the gods. I took long enough, didn't I?

**Velnias is the ancient Lithuanian term for The Devil. There's a nice hint.

Teaser: The gods of War and Death have been awakened, but so has another unforeseen element of fate. The final battle between the angels and Folken is coming….And Gaia's fate will be decided by those of madmen. Review please!