Chapter 6: Go With The Flow.
AN: OK, I have a few things to say (what am I saying I always have things to say *.*) firstly; from now on the chapters are gonna be a lot long than they usually are. The main reason being I've just finished the chapter plan for this story and err- it's going to be a little bit longer than I originally thought. Hope you guys don't mind. Secondly; Thank you so much for the reviews, they mean a lot. Lastly; *sheepish grin* I have a question to ask of silver sea star, do you know when your going to post another chapter of 'Earth After Colony'? It's my fav fic so I kinda miss it. Ok, that's it on with the chapter!
Ruined stones and broken lumber crunched under Van's boots as he walked through the desolately quiet streets of the once fair town of Iona. But despite the barren surroundings the ebony haired slayer had a small smile on his face. Rising his eyes to the early afternoon sky, Fanelia's youngest prince recalled the morning's events.
~~~~~Flash back~~~~~
''Join us.''
'What's in it for me?''
''You speak your mind little girl.''
''It's why I don't talk much.''
Dilandau was almost seething after Hitomi's sixth successful come back in a row. Turning back round to face her he narrowed his garnet orbs. ''You need to get to Fanelia's capital correct?'' When Hitomi nodded her head he continued, ''We happen to be headed in the same direction, and as confident as I am in my slayers abilities, an extra fighter means a extra advantage over the enemy.'' Dilandau finished his reasoning and sat down opposite her, awaiting a reply.
''I don't take orders.''
By this point Van was trying desperately to suppress a large grin. From his position by the small fireplace in Dilandau's aged room he watched as the two battled out terms. Hitomi was seated at the desk, where Van himself had sat but hours before the dragon attack, and now Dilandau was seated opposite. His eyes bore into the female warriors as if trying to scare her. It wasn't working very well.
Van interrupted the staring contest. ''Then don't become a slayer.''
Dilandau's head whipped round in Van's direction while Hitomi just shifted her gaze calmly and met his eyes.
''Why not just come along for the ride.'' Van continued, ignoring the white-hot anger radiating freely from Dilandau. ''When we get to the capital we part ways.''
Hitomi didn't say anything for a time, she was happy just to stare into the young princes eyes and was very tempted to chuckle at Dilandau. Who at present was restraining himself rather well in her opinion, considering he had just spent the last hour or so trying to persuade her to accept his command over her all the way to Fanelia's capital.
Hitomi rose, her gaze not leaving Van's. ''Deal.'' She replied, moving round the chair and brushing past Dilandau's form, before bowing slightly in acknowledgement of Van's title and exiting.
~~~~~End of Flash Back~~~~~
'Dragon slaying just got a lot more interesting.' Van thought, ending his journey to the slayers lodgings, or what remained of them.
~~~~~
Hitomi kneeled beside the corpses of the innkeeper's son and wife. Tears started to gather behind her eyes but she fought them back. The two had perished painlessly, or so it seemed. Their dying expressions where not those of pain or suffering. 'By the time death came for them they where probably ready to welcome it.' Hitomi thought bitterly and she stood up tall again and stepped over them, making her way up the stairs that she had ran down but a few hours ago.
Hitomi had few material possessions, here at least. Right now the most important thing she owned was hanging at her hip, it's black glow lesser in morning for those who had lost their life's the night before.
Moving towards the small vanity table Hitomi opened the top draw and pulled out a small package and tided it to her belt. She had bought the contents on her first day in Iona, from an old cat woman. Sighing when she realised the fact that the kind old woman was probably dead Hitomi moved out of the room again and back down the stairs of the inn. Muttering a small prayer before she left the building.
~~~~~
''I wonder if it's the same girl that helped us out during the battle.'' Chesta asked Miguel, who was at present helping the fair-haired slayer to ready their horses for the long ride to Lenelle.
''Probably, wasn't the girl that helped us the one that Lord Dilandau wanted followed?'' Miguel replied.
''Yeah, I think so.''
''Well there you are then,'' Miguel concluded. ''How many girls do you know that go around wielding a sword and fighting dragons?''
Chesta laughed slightly. ''I see your point.''
Miguel just nodded in return and went back to the task at hand. It wasn't long before all the horses where packed up and ready to go. Chesta and Miguel had gone over their work one last time and joined the other slayers in line, waiting for Dilandau to move them out.
Dilandau had calmed down slightly from the mornings events but couldn't help but ball his fists when his eyes landed on Van, who was standing in line between Gatti and Dalet, a small smirk evident on his face. It was no secret to any of the slayers that their master hated being out done, in battle or in conversation. And being out done by a mere girl, even one as obviously skilled as Hitomi had turned out to be, was like adding insult to injury.
''We are headed for Iona.'' Dilandau spoke in harsh tones, ''it is a three day ride west of here, any dragon we see we kill, understand.''
At the chorus of ''Yes sir.'' Dilandau gave the order to move out and turned to mount his horse. Only to come face to face with Hitomi.
''I need a horse.'' She stated, her emerald green depths boring into Dilandau's garnet ones.
Dilandau just stared at her blankly for a few seconds. When he finally registered what she had said a smirk appeared on his face.
''We don't have an extra one at the moment, we will get you one in Lenelle.''
Hitomi's eyes flashed angrily, like hell she was going to walk and look up at him while he rode. ''And until then?'' Her voice was coated in a warning.
''You may walk,'' Dilandau emphasised the word walk, ''or you may ride with me.'' He finished, knowing she would never take the latter, oh how fun it would be to have her looking up at him.
''Fine.'' The word had barely left Hitomi's lips before she seemed to disappear out of sight, only to suddenly reappear seconds later in the saddle of Dilandau's horse. She held out her hand to the speechless general. ''But I'm up front.''
AN: OK, I have a few things to say (what am I saying I always have things to say *.*) firstly; from now on the chapters are gonna be a lot long than they usually are. The main reason being I've just finished the chapter plan for this story and err- it's going to be a little bit longer than I originally thought. Hope you guys don't mind. Secondly; Thank you so much for the reviews, they mean a lot. Lastly; *sheepish grin* I have a question to ask of silver sea star, do you know when your going to post another chapter of 'Earth After Colony'? It's my fav fic so I kinda miss it. Ok, that's it on with the chapter!
Ruined stones and broken lumber crunched under Van's boots as he walked through the desolately quiet streets of the once fair town of Iona. But despite the barren surroundings the ebony haired slayer had a small smile on his face. Rising his eyes to the early afternoon sky, Fanelia's youngest prince recalled the morning's events.
~~~~~Flash back~~~~~
''Join us.''
'What's in it for me?''
''You speak your mind little girl.''
''It's why I don't talk much.''
Dilandau was almost seething after Hitomi's sixth successful come back in a row. Turning back round to face her he narrowed his garnet orbs. ''You need to get to Fanelia's capital correct?'' When Hitomi nodded her head he continued, ''We happen to be headed in the same direction, and as confident as I am in my slayers abilities, an extra fighter means a extra advantage over the enemy.'' Dilandau finished his reasoning and sat down opposite her, awaiting a reply.
''I don't take orders.''
By this point Van was trying desperately to suppress a large grin. From his position by the small fireplace in Dilandau's aged room he watched as the two battled out terms. Hitomi was seated at the desk, where Van himself had sat but hours before the dragon attack, and now Dilandau was seated opposite. His eyes bore into the female warriors as if trying to scare her. It wasn't working very well.
Van interrupted the staring contest. ''Then don't become a slayer.''
Dilandau's head whipped round in Van's direction while Hitomi just shifted her gaze calmly and met his eyes.
''Why not just come along for the ride.'' Van continued, ignoring the white-hot anger radiating freely from Dilandau. ''When we get to the capital we part ways.''
Hitomi didn't say anything for a time, she was happy just to stare into the young princes eyes and was very tempted to chuckle at Dilandau. Who at present was restraining himself rather well in her opinion, considering he had just spent the last hour or so trying to persuade her to accept his command over her all the way to Fanelia's capital.
Hitomi rose, her gaze not leaving Van's. ''Deal.'' She replied, moving round the chair and brushing past Dilandau's form, before bowing slightly in acknowledgement of Van's title and exiting.
~~~~~End of Flash Back~~~~~
'Dragon slaying just got a lot more interesting.' Van thought, ending his journey to the slayers lodgings, or what remained of them.
~~~~~
Hitomi kneeled beside the corpses of the innkeeper's son and wife. Tears started to gather behind her eyes but she fought them back. The two had perished painlessly, or so it seemed. Their dying expressions where not those of pain or suffering. 'By the time death came for them they where probably ready to welcome it.' Hitomi thought bitterly and she stood up tall again and stepped over them, making her way up the stairs that she had ran down but a few hours ago.
Hitomi had few material possessions, here at least. Right now the most important thing she owned was hanging at her hip, it's black glow lesser in morning for those who had lost their life's the night before.
Moving towards the small vanity table Hitomi opened the top draw and pulled out a small package and tided it to her belt. She had bought the contents on her first day in Iona, from an old cat woman. Sighing when she realised the fact that the kind old woman was probably dead Hitomi moved out of the room again and back down the stairs of the inn. Muttering a small prayer before she left the building.
~~~~~
''I wonder if it's the same girl that helped us out during the battle.'' Chesta asked Miguel, who was at present helping the fair-haired slayer to ready their horses for the long ride to Lenelle.
''Probably, wasn't the girl that helped us the one that Lord Dilandau wanted followed?'' Miguel replied.
''Yeah, I think so.''
''Well there you are then,'' Miguel concluded. ''How many girls do you know that go around wielding a sword and fighting dragons?''
Chesta laughed slightly. ''I see your point.''
Miguel just nodded in return and went back to the task at hand. It wasn't long before all the horses where packed up and ready to go. Chesta and Miguel had gone over their work one last time and joined the other slayers in line, waiting for Dilandau to move them out.
Dilandau had calmed down slightly from the mornings events but couldn't help but ball his fists when his eyes landed on Van, who was standing in line between Gatti and Dalet, a small smirk evident on his face. It was no secret to any of the slayers that their master hated being out done, in battle or in conversation. And being out done by a mere girl, even one as obviously skilled as Hitomi had turned out to be, was like adding insult to injury.
''We are headed for Iona.'' Dilandau spoke in harsh tones, ''it is a three day ride west of here, any dragon we see we kill, understand.''
At the chorus of ''Yes sir.'' Dilandau gave the order to move out and turned to mount his horse. Only to come face to face with Hitomi.
''I need a horse.'' She stated, her emerald green depths boring into Dilandau's garnet ones.
Dilandau just stared at her blankly for a few seconds. When he finally registered what she had said a smirk appeared on his face.
''We don't have an extra one at the moment, we will get you one in Lenelle.''
Hitomi's eyes flashed angrily, like hell she was going to walk and look up at him while he rode. ''And until then?'' Her voice was coated in a warning.
''You may walk,'' Dilandau emphasised the word walk, ''or you may ride with me.'' He finished, knowing she would never take the latter, oh how fun it would be to have her looking up at him.
''Fine.'' The word had barely left Hitomi's lips before she seemed to disappear out of sight, only to suddenly reappear seconds later in the saddle of Dilandau's horse. She held out her hand to the speechless general. ''But I'm up front.''