Hunt4

The Hunt: Part 4

-ZibbelCoot


Disclaimer:
All Escaflowne characters, places and such are ©1996, ©1998, ©1999 TV Tokyo, Sunrise. English adaptation ©1998 AnimeVillage.com and the dub version they tried to pass off as anime belongs to Fox I guess. However, Zorya Pele, Syrun, Galese and the Celet group (yes I'm too lazy to type them out) are my characters and I'd appreciate it if you ask me before using them. Excpet for the slayers I made up, use them if you want to. Also the song "Syrun" is also mine so please don't use it without asking!

Author's notes:
Same as last time, happens 2 1/2 years after Escaflowne: A Girl in Gaea.
Another little tidbit: Takaru is Japanese for spell/curse. Just thought I'd let you guys know. And a note about the movie, Celena did NOT appear in it. I figured she should make an appearance at least and well... you'll see her purpose later on. ::Quickly duct tapes the mouth shut of the one person who knows what's going to happen and smiles sweetly::
I finally got my movie fansub! Tee hee hee... So I was thinking of having a contest and the winners get a fansub of the movie. Sound good? I'm thinking it will be a fanart contest, and since my copy isn't too bad (YEA! ::jumps around excitedly:: Inspiration!) I'd like to do this. More next chapter...


Hitomi bowed her head, concentrating on the carpet beneath her feet. She was so tired, she just wanted to fall asleep. "She's getting worse-"
"What caused it?"
"I can only think of what happened to the other classmate. It must've triggered something in her brain's chemistry and caused her to relapse. I'll write out another prescription until you get back-" Hitomi didn't want to waste energy translating any of those words. She felt her eye lids droop downwards, ever so slowly. She could feel the sleep encasing her in a protective shell, and she leaned backward...
"Hitomi!" Yukari's voice screamed in one ear, waking her immediately. She sat up with a start and a cross look on her face. "We're going Hitomi come on."
"I'm too tired."
"Hitomi!"
"Leave me alone Yukari," she mumbled even as Yukari pulled her to her feet.
"Dammit Hitomi you were doing so well. Why did you have to go and do this?" Yukari admonished her in Japanese. Hitomi barely looked at her friend as she followed her blindly to the waiting car. All she wanted to do was go home. To go there...

Zorya looked at herself in the mirror, a hand at her cheek. She really couldn't believe she was even alive, or in these clothes for that matter. She had been so sure Dilandau would kill her right there and ignore the princess. Zorya half turned, getting a better look at the dress on her body. Her soot covered clothes taken away the second she'd removed them to bathe.
The dress didn't suit her at all, and Zorya walked over to the armoire. She couldn't very well try and protect the princess in that could she? How the hell am I supposed to protect someone I don't know? It's been what, two days? In two days time Zorya had managed to cut herself more than once on the small dagger the princess gave her. Two days time to make herself look like an incompetent fool. I wonder if they have rapiers here... I could use that to fight.
After rummaging through the drawers for a good five minutes, Zorya finally found a pair of what looked like hunting pants and shirt that she could wear. Her mind momentarily occupied, Zorya concentrated on unclasping the dress' eyes and hooks and getting out of the torture device. She didn't have to think about the fire, or the voice that hadn't returned. Or if she would ever get home.
"There, now that's more like it," she said to herself happily. She turned once more before the mirror, the clothes fitting her just right. If she didn't know any better she would've said that at one time they'd been the princess' clothes. "But that's just... freaky. How can she look nearly identical to me?" Zorya asked herself, taking a step closer to the mirror.
A knock on the door caused Zorya to jump back, nearly expecting something to pop out of the mirror. "Milady?" a feminine voice, muffled by the door, called to her.
"What is it?" Her new boots comfortable as she crossed the distance between her and the solid door. With a bit of effort Zorya pulled open the heavy door to reveal a young woman only she wasn't completely human.
"Milady, the princess requests your presence in her chambers," the canine woman said softly. Next thing I know I'll be seeing fish people.
"Lead the way," she replied with a smile. The door closed with a solid 'click', and her hand went to the dagger at her belt. The blade itself was in a fine leather sheath, while the plain hilt was in easy reach. I have a lot to learn if the princess is serious about this.

Galese continued to nibble on the bits of brunch that lay on a silver platter next to her couch. The door opened rather unceremoniously and two women filled the doorway. Galese's eyes narrowed for a moment at the one on the left. She still didn't find it fair at all how this woman looked so much like her. Wasn't everyone special in their own way and so there was only one of them?
Then why are their two of us? She waved her hand to the woman on the right who curtsied and took a step back, awaiting the other woman's movement. "You can enter Zorya, you are my advisor and have permanent permission," Galese commented dryly, sitting up as the girl entered the room.
The dagger, something she'd been trained with as a child, clung to the girl's belt in a fashion that would make any assassin laugh. She has much to learn if I'm to keep uncle Kaele away from us. Her servant shut the door, leaving the two near twins alone in the large chambers.
"You wanted to see me?"
"Yes, I'm concerned advisor."
"Why do you keep calling me that? I'm grateful that you saved my life but I can't honestly be your-"
Galese stood up, a feline grace overcoming her as she did so. "You are my advisor for as long as I wish. While I saved your life you saved the rest of my life." Zorya said nothing, but the look of confusion on her face said it all. The princess looked down at the platter of food and sighed. No one would expect a princess to have so many problems, with nearly all of them growing out from the royal family itself. "My uncle would have given me another twit as an advisor and made me marry some fool in another country," she explained, her fingers toying with a few left over grapes.
"Oh."
"So, I hope your looks are not all you have in common with me," Galese looked up as she said that, meeting her advisor's lighter eyes.
"I wouldn't worry about that, its just I need to adjust before I'd be any use to you. And perhaps get some training with something better than this." Zorya gestured to the hilt of the dagger, no doubt afraid to touch it again after so many mishaps.
"I don't suppose you've had training with any other weapons have you? That would make this easier and perhaps keep you out of the General's way." Galese began to walk around the room, trying to imagine what it might look like to Zorya's new eyes. Tall cathedral windows filled the rooms with light, only her common room and lounge visible to the new entrant. Portraits decorated the walls, depicting the actions of past rulers of Celet. Kings, queens, princes and princesses, all portrayed in the room.
"Actually I was on my school's fencing team," Zorya supplied, causing the princess to stop in her tracks.
"Fencing team? So its as I thought," the princess whispered, not intending for her advisor to actually hear her.
"What did you think?"
"You're not from Celet, I know that much and from what the dragonslayers would tell me. You were found disoriented on the Hiwero front. You're not of Gaea, are you Zorya Pele?" The princess turned as she said those words, making sure Zorya would have to look her in the eye.

Zorya swallowed nervously, the princess was pinning her with a stare she knew all too well because she had used it on other people. "Well?"
"I don't think I am-"
The princess let out a laugh, only it was not the laugh a person normally let out, it sounded cruel. It reminded her of the psycho. "You don't think you are? You either are of Gaea or not. how did you get to the battle, hmm?"
Zorya looked down at the floor, and was only mocked by the deep red carpet, the color of dying embers. "Fire brought me here."
"Speak up."
Zorya brought her head up, defiance in her stance. The person she was speaking to may have been a princess but she had Zorya's looks and from what Zorya surmised, her intelligence as well. She would not be talked down to by someone who was her equal. "You won't believe me but a fire brought me here. I was ready to go on a school trip to see my football team in the state playoff and it called me here. One minute I'm in a bonfire circle, which was put out by the way, the next I'm engulfed and buried in the dirt. On top of that men are dying all around me with blood everywhere and then that guy-"
"Dilandau," the princess supplied, and quieted to hear the rest.
"Whatever, started the whole thing to kill me. I'm lucky you went missing or he might've killed me on the spot," Zorya's voice dropped off, as if hearing it for the first time. She's going to think I'm crazy and then he'll kill me. But I'm not crazy!
"I doubt-"
"I'm not crazy. I'm been telling myself for the past week that this is all a dream and since I've yet to wake up I'll assume its real." The princess was quiet, as if she had not expected Zorya's outburst. Zorya took that opportunity to do just as the princess had moments ago, to take in the rooms that belonged to her look a like.
She saw people who were trapped, chained to their duty as a prisoner was to his sentence. Fake smiles, painted on by themselves or the artist himself. Not one person looked as if they were meant to be there, meant to be a ruler of a nation. "Well, I've learned more than I cared to know, and more than I can accept. For the time being, as the court will get curious as to the history of my advisor we'll need to come up with something else."
"Perhaps I can be of some help your highness," a soft soprano interrupted them, causing both the princess and Zorya to jump. Oh no... now someone else knows and I'll get killed and- Zorya's wild thoughts were cut short as she recognized the woman standing before her. Trying to at least act the part of advisor, Zorya placed herself between the princess and the newcomer. The woman watched the two of them, evidently surprised that they hadn't heard her before. "You're-"

Zorya walked the castle's halls, a bit more at ease than before. The woman had been of help, coming up with a story much easier to believe than what had actually happened. She lifted her chin up, after all she now was of a noble line supposedly, and could not afford to have anyone question her.
She passed another pair of guards, and didn't flinch as she turned down another hallway, expecting to see him. As long as the guards were all around her she'd be safe. After all, that guy couldn't be that insane to try and attack her while the castle guards were everywhere... could he?
Zorya looked down one hallway and then another, trying to find the library as Galese had instructed her. Great, lost again. With a sigh of frustration, Zorya walked up to the nearest guard, and smiled. "Excuse me but could you direct me to the library?"

Dilandau walked, no prowled would be a more fitting word, the castle's halls at the same time Zorya was searching for the immense library. "Shesta, prepare for our next battle. I expect everyone's equipment to be in perfect shape."
"Hai, Dilandau-sama," Shesta replied enthusiastically.
"Oh and tell Gatty to make sure my sister doesn't try to pull another one of those stunts. I refuse to be halfway to the battle only to turn around because of her," he grated out harshly.
"As you wish-"
"And Shesta, make sure Latro stays away from the new recruits. I don't want those men ruined." He made a motion with a hand and Shesta walked away from him, ready to fulfill his orders. For a moment Dilandau stood in the hallway, at a loss of what to do. He had something in mind just a moment ago and now...
A late burning torch caught his eye, the dying fire sputtering for life as the cold stones around it denied it nourishment. "Poor fire," he mumbled, watching the bright yellows gradually fade to orange and then a deep red as the last of its fuel was used up. He shook his head, trying to look away from the fire, what had he been supposed to do?
The flame abruptly was snuffed out by draft, releasing Dilandau of its trance. He blinked, still trying to remember what he had been supposed to do.
"Now, you go right down this corridor and make a left. The library has about four guards in front of its doors on the right, you can't miss it," a male voice echoed in the wide hallway.
"Thank you so much," a feminine voice joined the first and in an instant Dilandau remembered. He recognized that voice...
He began walking towards them, now seeing their figures no more than forty feet from him. He smiled, I get to have my fun after all. His pace quickened, his hand already at the hilt of his sword. At the same second his prey seemed to notice him. A crazed chuckle spilled from him as he drew the sword, already running the guard through.

"The dragonslayers will leave, we have nothing to fear," the short one said, his voice complacently calm.
"Fool, just because they're leaving does not mean she is not in danger. The sacrifice must occur at the solstice!"
"I would not call anyone a fool if I were you," he spat back.
"That is why I have taken precautions," the leader broke into their conversation. The other two sorcerers stopped their sibling like squabble for a moment to listen. "I have sent for Takaru."
"Is that wise? He's barely a senior apprentice," the remaining sorcerer spoke from the shadows.
"He's the most advanced in his class, he's even managed to master the potions you created to control the king," the leader replied, a cruel smile on his lips. "We may not need you after all Syrun-"
The pale blond haired halfling was not listening however. He was concentrating everything he had on trying to make the general forget all about the girl. If he could only do that then she would be safe... "Syrun!" His pale eyes flared open, his trance destroyed. "As I said we may not need-"
"Nearly had it! Nearly finished the spell to protect her," he seethed, his hands gesturing wildly in the dark room.
"Calm down dwarf," one voice called out; the leader quieted the disruptive sorcerer.
"Syrun, we are bringing in our apprentice. Your job from now on is to make sure she meets with him." Syrun nodded, agreeing to obey and fulfill that order when the time arose.

Zorya took several steps back, her mind too startled to do anything else. The guard slumped forward as the general withdrew his blade. Then, his cold garnet eyes turned on her. They seemed to light up the second they saw her, his lips twisting into a grotesque smile.
"You can't escape me," he chuckled, and slowly advanced upon her.
Zorya continued to back away from him. Well I was wrong, he was insane enough to do it. Her hand shook as she reached for the dagger at her hip. It seemed pointless to even resist, what could a dagger do against a blade nearly half her height?! She swallowed nervously again, drawing the puny piece of metal. That only excited a laugh from him.
"Oh what are you going to do? Prick me?" his laugh continued, sending the hairs on the back of her neck on end. This is it, I'm going to die...
He charged her, bringing his blade above his head before slashing downward. With a scream Zorya shut her eyes, holding up the dagger futilely. She waited for the deathblow but it never arrived. Instead she felt a horrible weight pushing down on her dagger. Cautiously she opened one eye and then the other and saw that she had actually managed to stop him. Well, stop was too generous of a word.
The General's sword was slowed, and inch by inch came closer to her neck. Oh dammit just try something! Nothing can be worse than this! In an attempt to disarm him or set him off balance, Zorya threw her weight towards him, pushing up her dagger. He countered by moving his arm in a motion to quick for her to see.
Her dagger clattered against the stone floor, a pitiful ring to toll her death. Zorya held her breath as he held his sword against her throat. "An advisor who can't fight, how amusing."
"Why the hell are you doing this!" her voice high and shrill as she struggled not to breath too quickly. He pushed the blade against her throat a bit more, the cold steel beginning to nip at her skin.
"Why not? If you want it to end so soon then I will," he mused and titled the blade at different angles each time causing terror to wash over Zorya.
"End what?!"
"Why this little game-"
"You sicko!" his smile widened as she spoke. He brought his face closer to hers, ever so slightly and she could see how red his irises really were. They were pools of blood, the kind that flows only in the major veins and arteries, she gulped again, like the jugular.
"Why I'll take that as a compliment." He paused for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly at her as if deciding whether or not to strike. Afraid to break the silence, Zorya watched his face. How could he be so calm about killing someone!? "Feh, I don't have time for this," he mumbled under his breath and stepped back, taking his blade with him. The pressure of death no longer around her, Zorya felt her knees go weak. She did not fight Gaea's gravity as she fell to the ground on her ass, she was grateful for a mere bruise instead of death.
He frowned down at her then, not moving for a moment before promptly turning on his heel and walking off. A hand went to her neck and Zorya felt it, just to be sure he hadn't sliced it. No, it was fine, aside from the slight chill from the metal. But why? Why didn't he just kill me?

Celena breathed a sigh of relief as she felt him listen to her. She could not keep this up. He had nearly killed Zorya this time as well. You fool, she taunted him hoping that would draw him to her instead of the winged goddess.
Shut up, a familiar voice retorted.
Dilandau please-
I said SHUT UP! I need to prepare. I nearly had her Celena, I nearly ended- Celena bit down on her lower lip, looking like a lost five year old girl instead of the grown woman that she was. I hope I haven't upset him too much.
She tried to reach out to him again, to apologize for upsetting him, and hit a wall. She pressed against it, trying to find a weakness in it and found none. His blocks were improving; she sighed and took a seat upon the large room's bed. She would just have to wait for him then, and pray he wasn't in one of his 'moods' now because of her.
The door slammed open, the aged wood creaking as it swung wildly on its hinges. He stood in the doorway for but a moment and entered his room, oblivious to (or ignoring) her presence. "Dilandau?"
Silent as stone he rushed about the room, acting like a child searching for a favorite toy. She could remember him like that when he was boy, never patiently looking for something, always rushing. Please Dilandau, speak to me.
He continued his half of the silence, an air of foreboding surrounding him...

Dilandau pulled out his pack. With a smirk he realized he hadn't bothered to unpack from the last battle. In one fluid motion he flung the pack onto his bed, barely missing its occupant. "Damn, I missed," he chuckled, looking about for his spare armor.
"Dilandau, you can't kill her."
"You told me all this before, don't you realize that your words mean nothing to me sister?" he told her, still looking for his spare armor. His room was sparsely furnished and he had no idea how he could loose the thick dark red leather.
"Looking for this?" Celena pointed to the armor already laid out on his bed, prepared by some servant no doubt. Dilandau grumbled something under his breath and rolled it up as best he could, shoving it into the pack. the poor bag looked ready to burst at his inadequacy to pack. "You can't kill her."
"Don't make me repeat myself," he growled, struggling to close the bag's snaps.
Celena's hands pushed away his own, easily closing the bag. Dilandau watched her with a detachment akin to a child learning from an adult. He should've been able to close it himself, why was he so distraught? Celena's pale hand then gently covered one of his own. "She saved your life, twice. You are in debt to her brother." The soft words attempted to soothe his mind but only threw it into further turmoil.
"I owe her nothing! Nothing but an excruciating death!" he spat at her, pulling his hand out from hers. Celena's pale blue eyes watched him with pity, something he despised even more than her twittering. "You will be gone when we return," he stated firmly. She closed her eyes in acknowledgment. I don't want to kill you too Celena. he blinked at the thought but didn't allow her to see his discomfort. Instead he pulled his pack onto one shoulder, and left the room.

Takaru adjusted his dark robe once more. He'd been instructed to arrive with none of his apprenticeship supplies; that had annoyed him. The only thing keeping him in the castle's hollow walls was the fact the masters had called for him. Not one, but all four had wanted him here. A dark smile pulled at his lips as he rounded a corner. Now all he had to do was contact them.
He looked behind him, watching a rigid guardsman with disgust. They were too easy to manipulate it would seem. No doubt the masters would leave the mundane work like entrancing the guards to him. He was so preoccupied in watching the slow witted guard that he walked right into someone. "Watch where- Sorcerer! Please forgive me," he pleaded, his body falling to the floor in an exaggerated bow. The elder man stared down at him with nothing less than he had stared at the guard, contempt and disgust.
"I chose you because I thought you would be diplomatic and careful Takaru. Is this any indication of your true nature? If so I shall send for another."
Obediently Takaru waited for him to finish speaking before answering. "N-no master, I was startled nothing more."
"Good, now get up. I will inform you of your task. If you do well I can guarantee that you will be handsomely rewarded." Takaru bowed his head in acknowledgment and pushed himself off his knees. Could they possibly graduate him to a higher rank? His excitement built within himself and Takaru could barely contain his joy, they could possibly make him their personal aide!
"You are to protect the goddess of wings. No harm is to come to her, is that understood?"
Takaru nodded, his pace slowing. A goddess? I'm to protect a goddess? But could they mean to carry out the prophecy? "And you will hand her over to us once you have gained her trust. Takaru?"
"As you ask, I shall do Master," he recited, bowing his head with the vow. He did not see the malicious smirk on his 'master's face as he said those words.

Galese's dark eyes trailed the tiny fifteen dots as they traveled away from the castle. They were leaving... again. A sad, tortured sigh escaped her and she turned away from the window, not wishing to break her heart any more than it already was.
A silence filled the room that only brought her closer to tears. She had nearly had her uncle where she wanted him, nearly had a dragonslayer as her advisor and protector... A stifled sob echoed off the cheery painted walls. Walls who held up the portraits of the past, of fake kings and queens and deeds never done.
That girl had ruined it. The strange girl from the mystic moon. Her early tutor's lessons forgotten, Galese nearly cursed Zorya. The girl had screwed everything up for her, every plan she had thought of could not get her the body guard she wished for.
"Still, you may be of some use to me," her voice soft as she allowed herself to fall into a soft couch. The light pink covering enhancing her pale skin, as a few salty tears darkened the velvet to the color of a certain person's eyes. "A twin not born of this world? Didn't Cagril mention something like that once or twice?" she strained to remember her tutor, now in the ground for nearly five years.
"No matter, no one will ever know the difference, and perhaps I can finally be free," she whispered softly, her head resting on her folded hands. A tear rolled down her cheek though she barely noticed it as her lids slowly closed, as if in thought. An image appeared behind her closed lids and she struggled to hold onto it, the firm line of his jaw, his hair, the color of his eyes. "Free with you my love."

Hehehe, so how was it? I've got a little question for all of you that will determine what happens later on, you can either post it in the review (or if you don't want to review it but want to have an impact of the story) or email me with your answer.
The question? Should I put some sort of dance/ball scene in here. That's it. I know someone started a story with that as the premise but never finished it and I'm toying with that idea. Well? Do we want to see Dilandau dress up or even go?
E-mail me at Zibbelcoot@aol.com