Reclaim Destiny

-A tribute to the fallen Dragon Slayers and their lord Dilandau-

By: SoulStealer

Disclaimer: I don't own Esca.

A/N: I rise from the dead! Muhahahaha!

Sorry this chapter is late…again. I have the complete story typed out but I keep procrastinating… Bad me! *Sighs* well, the fic is beginning to wind down; this is the second to the last chapter. (Not counting the Epilogue, of course.)

Enjoy!

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Chapter Six

"The Visions"

The wind felt so good through her hair, even if Dilandau had cut it short. The force pushed against her entire body, whispering in her ears to stop. Sage smiled, this would be all she would feel. It would be the last she would feel, even if the trees below broke her fall the crew of the Vione would find her bloodied and mangled but with a smile on her face.

"Sage…"

The wind was beginning to take up a familiar voice. With her eyes closed Sage listened to the whistling. The voice was slow, calming with a touch of worry in the smooth tone. What would it say, what did it want?

"Sage please don't."

Frowning without opening her eyes, she cursed. How dare it tell her to stop what was to be done. Her mind wondered the halls of the Vione, the all to familiar faces sneering her way. Would this be the last time she would see them?

Miguel's face appeared in her mind. The betrayed, untrusting look sent shivers through her spine causing her to sway on the windowsill. Dallet's scornful look, Dilandau's disapproval, Chesta's uneasiness and Gatti…

A surprising look from the blonde soldier came into her mind. I had been a day or so ago, she was hurrying back to her room to shower and cry herself asleep again when she had run into someone. When she looked up it had been Gatti, the second in command himself. It was the look in his glittering blue eyes that had frozen her. They were caring, as if to say: what's wrong?

"Sage!"

Without warning a strong voice shouted out from behind her. Sage was already falling when she recognized the voice. It was Gatti's, not the gratifying wind rushing past her body.

Gatti had seen her jump…

***

 The red and black Alseides swung the liquid metal sword in perfect posture. Inside the cockpit, Dilandau concentrated hard. After the battle for the legendary treasure of Fried and the destruction of the duke, it was nice to sample the memories of sweet chaos. And soon the White Dragon would pay… Pay for what he'd done to his beautiful face! Beauty was one of the only things Dilandau had left and it was precious to him.

 He stopped.

The docking area was big, a good place for practice. (A/N: I have no idea if this is true, but it's needed for the story.) Retracting his sword, the liquid metal of his Crima Claw returning to their dispensers. As he turned away a brief falling flash at the open caught his attention. Something had swooped past the open docking door.

This may not have attracted the attention of many people. But then… Dilandau wasn't like many people was he? The giant Guymelef strode over to the docking door and looked down. Dilandau could see something through the eyepiece, defiantly something.

It had a human shape. No—it was human; he or even she wore a Dragon Slayer's uniform. Dilandau scowled suddenly and shot his Crima Claw forth. Concentrating on the rapidly falling object he pushed the claw forward.

Slowly it came close enough to touch the faller. The Claw ensnared it's catch; not tight enough to kill it but enough to keep it alive. Dilandau felt a mental sigh of relief pass through him. His Claw retracted and slowly laid the figure on the docking bay floor.

Jumping immediately from his 'Melef, Dilandau quickly strode over to the faller figure lightly coated in liquid metal from the Crima Claw. He grabbed the Dragon Slayer's frount, pulling the 'Slayer up.

"What the hell do you thing you were doing?"

The other 'slayer coughed weakly and made no effort of resistance. It was Sage. He could see her pallid face in the frame of dark hair. She blinked at him; almost not believing it really was him.

"God, I really must be in hell," she moaned.

Dilandau's grip on her frount tightened and he asked again. "What were you doing?"

"What did it look like," Sage managed to meet his ruby gaze. "What did it look like, dumb ass."

Any comment like this would have been punished with a long beating and much, much more but Dilandau hesitated. He drew her closer to he face so they were less than two inched apart.

"Listen to me girl," he hissed. "Dragon Slayers fight gladiatorial games. We live to fight and fight to live. None, I repeat none, of my 'Slayers will ever take the easy way out!"

He dropped her roughly to the ground. Silence rendered the dock into deeper darkness. A small coughing fit broke the hush between them. Soon, the sound of quick footsteps followed the cough's chorus.

"Sir!" Gatti raced down to his captain. "My Lord, Sage she--"

"She is absolutely fine," Dilandau cut him off. " Take her back to her room." The Capitan strode to his 'Melef and retreated into the darkness, leaving both the soldiers alone. Slowly Sage stood, still wobbly on her feet.

"C'mon," Gatti motioned for her to fallow.

Sage growled. "You know I can get back there myself." She pushed herself to keep up with his long strides. As time passed Gatti ventured forth.

"Why'd you jump?" The question came without warning. Glancing over her could see a change in Sage's face.

"I never asked to be a Dragon Slayer," She mumbled. "It was just part of Folken's 'Big Plan' or whatever." She dropped her head. "I'm a failure, I could never last long enough in a battle. The only reason I'm alive is because I can…"

"You can see death," Gatti finished slowly. Sage shrugged it off, calmly trying to keep her emotions in check. She would never let them see her cry… crying was for the weak.

"That day I saw you," Gatti asked again as they rounded a corner. "Were you… why were you crying?"

Damn.

"Why else," Sage knew he could put two and two together. They arrived at her door. Slowly she faced him. "Thanks… I guess."

"I, uh, hope you'll be Ok," Gatti said uncomfortably. "Just don't try anything like that again."

"Whatever you say," Sage smirked and he knew she couldn't be trusted. The door closed quickly as he turned away. Meters down the hall he heard muffled chuckling. Gatti glared and stomped over the hidden figure.

"What were you and Miss antisocial doing?" Dallet asked playfully, a suggestive smile on his lips. He pushed a strand of brown hair from his face.

"We were doing nothing," Gatti hissed through gritted teeth, sometimes Dallet could act as playboy or blonde as Allen Schezar. "You can even ask Dilandau."

"Oh," Dallet grinned wider. "Now it's a three-sum?"

"C'mon," Gatti grabbed the other by the ear. "We have to have a little chat with the others about Sage." He continued dragging the other down the hall, ignoring the pleas for mercy.

***

Viole blinked.

There was a sword pointed directly over his heart, ready to snuff the life out of him at any instant. The training hall had grown silent; staring at the two figures that seemed to be frozen in time, sweat dripping off them in their exhaust.

Worse of all it was Sage's sword in striking distance. He met her determined dark eyes and glared back as perspiration dripped down his face. "You're lucky I haven't been feeling well," he said in displeasure. It was bad he was the least talented fighter, save Sage, in the 'Slayers; but now it was worse.

"Well," Dilandau walked over as Sage lowered her blade. "It might be better if I consider taking Sage with us to capture the White Dragon now." He gave Viole a dark look. Dilandau walked away immediately.

"Good job," Gatti said breaking the silence that followed after Dilandau's departure. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "We'll make a Dragon Slayer out of you yet." He looked back at the other 'Slayers expectantly.

"Um, yeah!" Dallet said smiling sheepishly. "You did pretty good."

"Congratulation on you're first victory," Chesta added.

Soon Sage found herself surrounded by 'Slayer all shaking her hand and congratulating her, though some of it seemed rehearsed the look Viole gave her wasn't. What have you done now, Gatti? she asked herself.

That's when the vision struck her.

Sage tossed her head and let out a blood-curling scream of inhumanity. She was swimming in blood. The warm, red liquid was thick and it stretched all around her, like the endless sea. Above her wings flapped and the Dragon came into view as it faced the Dragons Slayers. One by one the 'Slayers 'Melef were cut down. As they were severed the pilot's fell into the blood sea. First Guimel, then followed by Gatti and Dallet; soon all had fallen, even Chesta in last. Their bodies floated on the blood but Sage couldn't reach them; she couldn't move. The blood around her had swallowed up the pilots now around her and was threatening to do the same with her.

Suddenly something attached it's self to Sage's left leg. The force yanked her under the blood. Surprisingly she could breath… And see; on her leg was the body of a 'Slayer. Without warning another 'Slayer's body wrapped his arms around her waist. It was Dallet. Another on her leg, around her neck, and on her shoulder. She was being engulfed, their weight weighing her down; she began to sink. Raising one free arm she reached for the surface, her fingertips barely reaching air before Gatti clucked her arm. She met his cold, dead eyes and read what they screamed:

"Save us."

The red world began to wash away and the training hall was back. There were no more dead 'Slayers, just confuse faces—very much alive—staring bewildered back at her.

"Don't," Sage chocked. "Don't go on the mission with Dilandau tomorrow. Don't… You'll all die…"