{Did you miss me? Once again, I'm sorry it took so long. But, I think I made up for that this time by how long the chapter is. Three things I have to say for this chapter: Appearances are deceiving. Beware things that look like Mary Sue. Please read to the end of this chapter. }

PART FOUR

The streets were uncrowded. It was about two in the morning, and most people were asleep.

Dirandau was wandering, aimlessly, through Asturia. He gradually reached impoverished part of the city.

Something was bothering him…a nagging feeling.
:: "You left him all alone….He needs me…" ::
He glared at whatever was in front of him, which happened to be at the wall of a shed.
"I don't care about him…I don't! I know I don't….I've always hated him….."
He knew exactly where that nagging feeling was coming from. It was her….she missed her brother, and so she would torment Dirandau until she got what she wanted.
"Damn you, you blackmailing wench…I don't care about you, either."
Oh, how he wished that he'd never known anything about her! If only he could forget, she would go away, and he could be happy again.

Dirandau continued to argue aloud with himself for a few minutes.
:: "Now you'll be all alone…forever…"::
It was a low blow. The lowest anyone could take with him. Allen was constantly using it to remind Dirandau that he'd better do as he was told, because no one else would help him. He shut his eyes.
"Stop it….."
The phrase repeated itself over and over again in his mind, echoing, and seeming to grow to a maddening volume. He had no more arguments. Only the desire to make her stop this.
"Serena!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
He fell to his knees. The noise ceased, and he was afforded some peace.

Gira, a young woman who lived near this spot, had heard this. She walked up to him.

Gira: "Are ya alright?"

He looked up, surprised that she had come so close. He shook his head "no".
She sat down next to him, and put a hand on his shoulder.

Gira: "Girl troubles?"
He laughed. She had no idea how ironic that statement was.
Dirandau: "Go away…didn't your parents ever tell you not to talk to strangers?"
Gira: "Aye…My father did….when he wasn't dead-drunk, that is."
She noticed how he was holding his arm.
Gira: "Your arm….is it broken?"
Dirandau: "….."
Gira: "It is….come with me. I know how ta fix those…Got medical supplies at the house…"

She held out her hand for him. He just looked at it for a moment.
:: "I am a stranger to her, she has every reason not to trust me…yet she trusts me more than anyone who knows me.."::
The idea of being trusted like that was novel to him, and so he went with her.

Her house looked no different than those of her neighbors. All of them were broken down little hovels.
It was strange…he would take the squalor of this place over the beauty of Allen's home. There was something about this girl that made him want to stay here.

There was a second floor, but that had been rented out so that they might have a little extra money.

She gestured towards something, which must have been a couch at one time. He sat down.
Gira: "I'll be back in a moment…"
She disappeared into another room.

Dirandau looked around the room. There wasn't much, just a fireplace, a few crates, and some candles. On the mantle of the fireplace, there was a beautiful china doll. The beauty of it was brought out even more by the decrepit surroundings. The doll was Gira's. It was the only thing in the world that she had to call her own.

She returned with a teakettle, a bowl, and a dull wooden box. She set these things down in front of the fireplace, then sat down next to him.
Gira: "Here....let me take a look at that...."
He was reluctant to let her touch him. She very gently lifted his arm, and looked it over.
Gira: "Why...this isn't broken....just dislocated...don't take much to fix."
Dirandau: "Good..."
Gira: "But, it'll hurt. A lot."
Dirandau: "......"
Gira: "You ready?"
He nodded, and shut his eyes.

Outside, there were loud noises. Shouting and cursing, roughhousing, off-key singing…it sounded as if a local pub had just told all its customers to go home.
Suddenly, two big burly men stumbled into the room. They managed to make it two steps before collapsing upon the floor.
Dirandau reached his good arm for his sword, forgetting for a moment that Allen had taken it away from him.

Three more men stumbled in, with a little more grace than the first. They looked down at the others, and began laughing.
"We'll have to give Gobo and Dylan walkin' lessons in the mornin' …."
They set them in a corner, and began making jokes about them.

The last of this group walked in. He obviously had more reserve than the others did when it came to alcohol. He took one of the crates, and sat down next to the fireplace.

It was now that the troupe noticed Gira and Dirandau.

Samneric: "What manner'o'things is this? We leave ya alone fer a few hours …and ya take up the habit a'draggin' strange men 'ome?"

Gira: "Oh, pipe down! He was hurt…I just offered ta help him…"

Samneric: "I'll wager ya offered him more'n that…"

She glared at him, but with laughter in her eyes.
Gira: "I regret ta introduce ya to my brothers….Those two in the corner are Gobo and Dylan. The two
tormentin'im are Kylday, Tilioque, and Gillian. And the big idiot o'er there on the crate is Samneric."

Though their words were harsh, it was obvious that it was only in fun that they insulted one another.
Dirandau had never really had a "normal" conversation with anyone…the closest he'd ever come to that was discussing things with Strategos, and even then the subject always pertained to battle.

Samneric: "But, what about yer frien' here?….you ain't introduced 'im to us yet."

She looked at Dirandau. It hadn't occurred to her until now that she hadn't asked him his name. She had simply seen was some innocent young boy in need of help, and decided to help him. That was all that seemed to matter to her.

He whispered, "Dien" to her as if he'd used the name every day of his life.
He knew that poor people always loved to gossip about the famous, especially those who fought in wars. It was a way of compensating for how pathetic their lives were. No doubt, they loved their country even though its leaders were the ones who caused them to live in this squalor. Her brothers would have recognized his name, and would be the most likely of all people to turn him in to the authorities without another thought.

Samneric: "Dien, huh? That's a queer name, if I ever 'eard one….but then, the rich is always queer…"
Dirandau: "What makes you think I'm rich?"
Samneric: "Them frilly clothes 'a yers…."

Dirandau hadn't even thought to look at what he was wearing until now. He must have put it on when he was drunk. That would account for how frumpled it was.
That, and it would be the only way to make him put on the god-awful thing. He vowed to never leave that closet door open again when he was in a drinking mood.

Dirandau: "Regardless of what my appearance makes you think, I have no money…"
He thought he saw signs of disappointment on Gira's face.
Kylday: "Well, 'a course 'e ain't wealthy…them sorts never come down this way…'e's probably a servant…"
Dirandau: "Yes, of course I am…."
Samneric: "That figures…yer so weak, yer suited fer nothin' else but servin' them rich fops."
Dirandau: "That's not true! I can do lots of things."
Samneric: "Like what? I'd wager ya never set foot outta the 'ouse you work in."
Dirandau: "I am a soldier."

The others brightened at this. They had fought in the war [There was hardly a man in Asturia who hadn't.]. They began to question him eagerly. Dirandau was all too willing to tell them stories of his exploits. The next few hours were spent swapping experiences and war stories.
Gira lit a fire, and began to make tea. Her gaze continually traveled to rest on Dirandau. Her eyes sparkled as she watched him. There was something about him that was brought out by this talk…something exciting and wonderful….

Kylday: "Now, I wish I could'a seen ya in one o' them fights…Ya say ya was there 'till the very last hour o' fightin'?"
Dirandau nodded.

Gira: "Oh!! Then…did ya see Serena Schezar?"
Dirandau: "No…."
::"She could ask me anything…and she wants to know about her???"::
Gira sighs.
Gira: "That's too bad….I've heard that she's really beautiful…"
Dirandau glared at her. She didn't notice. She was off in her own little world of fantasy.

Gira: "Those Schezars are like something out of a fairytale…I hear that she is so beautiful, Allen keeps her under lock and key, for fear that some daring young man will run off with her…."
Gira was practically waltzing around the room.
Dirandau grit his teeth. It was a great insult that she considered Serena more interesting than him. He might not have cared much, but that everyone else he knew believed the same thing. He was tired of hearing about Serena's wonderful qualities.
::"That girl had been kidnapped when she was seven….what could she have possibly done in all that time?? I've humbled countries, defeated so many people….why do I have to compete with a pathetic little girl???"::
Samneric watched him with an eyebrow raised.

Gira: "Imagine….a maiden, cursed under a spell for fifteen years…And a valiant knight comes to her rescue, saving her from a depraved monster...that horrible, horrible creature…"
Gillian rolled his eyes.
Gillian: "Ah, please…don't get started on about 'im again…"
Gira: "But, it's true…he's horrible, and if I ever met him, I'd…I'd kill him…I mean that……Heh, after all those things he's done, I don't see how anyone could be mad at me."
Dirandau: "Who are you talking about?"
Gira: "That….that….Dirandau…rrrrrrrrr……I mean, he burns down innocent countries without another thought…He's a wretch, and I'm glad we don't gotta worry 'bout him no more. The world's a much better place without him. "

He folded his arms acrost his chest.
::"Why did I even bother to follow her?"::
He was angry for letting himself be fooled like this. No one will ever accept Dirandau Albatou. They may accept him, if he changes what he appears to be, but they will never accept who he really is.

Dirandau: "And what would you tell him if he were here right now?"
She laughed.
Gira: "Well, I don't know for certain….but you can bet it'd include a lotta bad words…"
The others laughed along with her. It took them a moment to realize that Dirandau remained silent. He was glaring at her.
He stood up.

Dirandau: "Don't be so sure that he would listen….I'm certain that if you ever said anything like that directly to him, he'd sever that pretty little head from your shoulders."

Gira's eyes were wide. It terrified her to hear him talk like that. Her brothers were, to say the least, confused. After hearing Dirandau talk so excitedly about fighting Zaibach, and now he was defending the worst of them?
Samneric stared at Dirandau. He was angry that anyone could speak that way to his sister.

Dirandau: "I see now that I am not welcome here….I'll leave before I offend any of you furthur."
His words were bitter as sage. They cut right through Gira's fragile little heart. She burst into tears. Kylday put an arm around her shoulder to comfort her.

Dirandau walked down the street, bent on forgetting everything that had been said there. Everything but the pain it brought him. He would use that to remind himself never to believe in anyone again. If he didn't believe in anyone, they couldn't hurt him. He would never let them hurt him…..a good soldier never allows the enemy any advantages which could easily be taken away.

He was half-way down the street, when Samneric caught up to him. Gillian, and Tilioque weren't far behind. Samneric grabbed Dirandau by the arm, and threw him to the ground.

Samneric: "So….ya find pleasure in mistreatin' darlin' little girls like my sister?"
Dirandau tried to respond, but was prevented from doing that by a smack in the face.
Samneric: "Don't worry..I'll make sure ya never hurt no little girls like that again….ya menace…"
The others caught up with Samneric, and they proceeded to beat-up poor Dirandau.

A figure in a dark blue cloak approached this part of the alley. The four brothers didn't notice.

"So…you don't do enough brawling in the bars. You have to take your fighting to the streets?"
They turned to look at the figure. They knew who it was….and obviously not in a good way.
The figure gestured for them to leave. Samneric began to protest, but was silenced when the figure held up his hand in a clenched fist. The brothers went home without another word.

Dirandau had just enough strength left to curl up into a ball. The figure slowly approached him.
"I've been looking for you.."
Dirandau tried to take a swing at him.
Dirandau: "I didn't do anything to your sister!!"
The figure lowered the hood of his cloak, revealing long blonde hair.
"I'm beginning to think you're right…"

He picked up Dirandau, and began the long walk home.

{This chapter was a bear to write, probably because I used people of my own creation. So, I probably won't be making any for a long time. Gira is my complaint against all those fics where people fix Dilandau up with a Mary Sue. They just irk me. Anyway, I'm hoping people will have read this whole chapter even if they thought it was turning into an MS fic. Happy trails.}
[Ps.: Yes, I did take Samneric's name from Lord of the Flies...:-)Too much of English class.]