The winged angel or the fire beast

A/n Thank you all for your kind reviews! geez, this really did take ages to update, soorrreeee. However, I haven't been that lazy ^_^' I've written future chapters which I found way too exciting to let linger in my mind. Now that's what I call fun ^o^ so my new motto for reviewing is: the more reviews, the sooner I'll update. (Especially seeing as I've done future chapters. woo woo) Happy Vday seeing as it's Vday when I wrote this. I gave four cards and received 1. Fair deal I think not….(3 of them were to my friends ^^')

Chapter 9

'The side of the triangle you don't see'

Light streamed through the small windows that glimmered on the opposite wall, causing red to blur on the inside of Helena's unopened eyes. Feeling the slight warmth, Helena opened her eyes flinchingly, adapting to the low light compared to her dark sleep. The clatter of hands against the double door made Helena abruptly stand up however. Darting her eyes to and fro around the room, she looked for somewhere to hide; but nothing. The room in its immenseness only had its bare walls to offer. Watching the door open, she pushed herself against the stone wall in vanity.

'Lord Dilandau is in so much trouble when Lord Folken finds out,' Chesta exclaimed as he brushed the heavy door aside.

'I know, I don't understand what the big deal is with this girl anyway,' Gatti raised his arms up in confusion.

'Well when I came to check up on her in her cell, she was completely zoned out, and then….' Chesta's words trailed off as he alone, noticed Helena pressed against the wall.

'And then what?!' Gatti questioned in uncontrollable curiosity, unaware of Chesta's discovery.

'And then she disappeared.' Helena met Chesta's eyes, pleading for her own safety that they wouldn't hurt her for escaping.

'You what?' Miguel interrupted, 'A girl can't just disappear into thin air.'

'Well, she did and she's over there.' The other Dragonslayers followed Chesta's line of sight and watched Helena as she gave up her hiding spot.

'Please don't hurt me. I wasn't going to escape. I was pissed of with Dilandau, that's all….' She gazed down at the floor, afraid her plea would be judged harshly.

'This girl really is strange,' Miguel whispered to the others.

'First she says that she had no intention of escaping anyway, and then says that she's the one that's pissed off with Lord Dilandau,' Chesta replied, emphasising the lack of respect she didn't show for their master. Gazing at one another, he turned back to Helena who still hung her head in shame. 'Come over here. We won't you.' He gestured her to come forward.

Wrapping her arms around her from the chill that had crept into the hall, she made her way towards them. 'They don't seem to be as blood thirsty or half as cruel as Dilandau,' she thought to herself, presenting herself in front of them.

'So how did you get out of your cell?' Gatti inquired. Helena shrugged her shoulders in return, feeling they wouldn't understand or believe her if she explained.

'Um…ok. Why are you in here, the training room that is?' Feeling it best to not deeply interrogate the seemingly fragile girl.

'Dilandau…he's the most cruel, twisted and selfish person I have ever met! Guys like him should be….' she paused remembering that it was Dilandau's loyal subjects that were listening to her. 'I don't know how you can put up with such a violent and sadistic person as your leader.' She glanced at them sympathetically before focusing on the floor again.

'He's not as bad as you think he is,' Chesta said intruding the silence, defending his master. Helena raised her head as his words surprised her. 'How?' Feeling it impossible for him to be any kinder than she had known in the short amount of time since when they had met.

'He's only cruel because he means us the best. If we didn't get hit or punished for making mistakes, we'd no sooner die on the battlefield from the unlearned lessons that he would have taught us. He's the best leader we could have had. He wants us to do well, to be the best, and I trust his ways of making us that.' Chesta smiled at her. 'When I first came here to the Vione, I thought the exact same as you.'

She smiled back, realising her foolishness and lack of depth to her opinion of Dilandau.

'And there's a lot more to Lord Dilandau that we don't know about. Somehow I can feel that inside of him, he's alone. But we can't help him. He wouldn't let us; help is a sign of weakness to him,' he laughed slightly before his eyes saddened upon hearing himself. The other Dragonslayers seemed to share the same feeling as the room fell silent.

'I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have been so rash. It's just that he's hurt people, including Van who looked half dead the last time I saw him.' Helena said, trying to break the wall between them.

'Don't worry about Van, he's back in his cell and he's doing alright. And you shouldn't worry about yourself either. You are the girl from the Mystic Moon, so Lord Dilandau wouldn't kill you.' Gatti answered, smiling again as he spoke.

'Oh, at least Van is alright. I don't plan on leaving so Dilandau wouldn't have a reason to kill me anyway.' Helena spoke confidently to her newfound friends.

'I'm sure he'll think of some way of killing you,' Miguel jested as he led her out of the wooden doors. Helena smiled faintly, unamused by his cheap joke. 'Where're we going?' Helena asked, dreading the idea of going back to her cell.

'We'll take you to the dormitory area and wait to see if you can have a decent room. You said you're not going to escape and I think you proved that by hanging around in the training hall of all places. The others will go and find out, won't you guys?' Chesta said, exaggerating his wishes for them to leave. Unimpressed, they lead away from them. 'Why did we have to lose our bet to him last night over that stupid game,' Gatti muttered under his breath annoyed.

'Now he gets to have a pick of any girl he wants, and we can't even be in the same corridor as them.' Miguel answered, reflecting Gatti's annoyance.

'Girls don't grow on trees around here and he's got a chance with the rarest beauty of them all; the girl from the Mystic Moon.' Gatti seemed to speak to himself remembering the disadvantages of being a Dragonslayer.

'And if she's one of Dilandau's girls, Chesta's certainly going to be in for it.' Miguel remembered. Feeling much happier, the Dragonslayers took separate ways to find someone of higher authority. Preferably not Dilandau, who didn't look in a very good mood to risk approaching within a 20 metre radius.

Dilandau sat in his room, too embarrassed to walk out with the print Helena had left across his face. As every minute passed with no news of where she had gone, he seethed and swelled with anger at his humiliation. 'How dare she hit me,' he calmly spoke stroking his cheek, trying to hide his annoyance. 'When I get her back, then she'll see how I hit people. I'll ruin that beautiful face of hers. Beautiful she is though…'He left his anger as he pictured her in his mind. The flowing brown hair, the baggy clothes that did her perfect body curvature no justice. She was worthy of any man's dreams, and he felt bad for it strangely. Her eyes spoke of innocence and they dug deep in his mind. Men could abuse her body, but they could never realise how she secretly toyed with their minds. That was something Dilandau had noticed since she had left her mark, after the innocence of wanting to help him. There was something more to her than any of the other girls Dilandau ever had, and it had become more obvious since she slapped him and left.

Touching his face where she had left her mark ignited the anger that lay dormant inside him. 'I'll burn her face off for this!' Standing to look for Helena, he stopped short at the door.

'You'll do nothing of the sort Dilandau,' Folken interrupted coolly, blocking Dilandau's doorway.

'Just watch me Folken. Look what she did to me!' Dilandau shouted, throwing his arms to his side.

'What about the mission Dilandau? If you don't get her to stay with Ziabach then she will -'

'Screw the mission! That girl is going to get her just des -' Dilandau choked on his words as Folken grabbed him around the neck with his metal arm and threw Dilandau against the nearest wall. 'Is this one girl too much trouble for you Dilandau? Because if it is, you know who I can get to make this mission a little easier for you don't you?' Folken continued calmly, narrowing his eyes at the fear stricken Dilandau.

'Please…Folken..' Dilandau laboriously spoke, struggling for breath as Folken's iron grasp closed tighter. Unable to reach the floor, Folken's claw-like hand sank deeper into his neck.

'Please what Dilandau?' Folken asked teasingly.

'No…sorcerers.. I'll make sure….she stays.' Dilandau managed to say as his vision became blurred and burnt around the edges.

'I was hoping you would see it my way Dilandau,' Folken said as he released his hold on Dilandau, allowing him to fall limp to the floor. 'I think you should just stay here until we find Helena, and I suggest you try again with her and go to plan b.' Folken continued emotionlessly before leaving Dilandau lying on the floor.

'Yes Lord Folken,' Dilandau replied unaware of the absence of Folken as he rubbed his neck, taking in deep breaths. Picking himself up, he threw himself on his bed. Finding nothing to do, he found himself thinking about the sorcerers and what they would do if Dilandau failed his mission. He shook with the memories of the last times of torture he suffered from them, but he couldn't stop the torrent of thoughts. Picking up a red pillow, he threw it over his head to try and block the thoughts of sorcerers out of his mind.

Finding it no use, he made his way to the bedroom balcony. The breeze was cool to his now sweaty bare chest. Looking down from the Vione, Dilandau managed to glimpse a village below the misty cloud line. Ant-like people wandered the streets, small houses huddled together boasting the smoke from the cosy, warm fires inside. It was just another typical village, another to be burned down or conquered on a future mission. Dilandau pitied them but at the same time the thrill of burning down the perfect village thrived within him. 'As soon as this war is all over, no more innocents will have to die because of me and-,' he paused, listening to himself. He didn't want an end to the war at all. An end to war would mean and end to him. There would no longer be need for General Dilandau of the Dragonslayers.

He looked down at them, before smirking and waving to them. 'Enjoy your last few moments together, living a normal life with your family and friends,' he spoke to them sadistically before walking into his bedroom and attempting to fall asleep again.

A/n da na! *big sob for Dilly kins* don't kill the ant-like people! ^^ Folken seemed a tad bit of an evil bastard then didn't he? You'll be seeing a lot more of him for future chapters, he's very important character you see. Btw Van fans, do not fear. I haven't forgotten him. I think he's in the next chapter, depends. But he does play a huge role later on and if I pick my alternative ending for this story, then…yeh. So my dear reviewers add a comment about the storyline as well so I get a jist of what direction you would like this story to end. Wait a minute, I'm only on chapter 9 of a possible 20! Mad woman…..^_^' cute lil scene in next chapter, so hurry and review if you want more.

Btw please take a minute to glance over my Escaflowne humour fic- 'The esca crew go on a gameshow'lame title I know but it is very funny. *glomps herself so she'll shut up* : )

Lady whitewolf

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