Bloodlust
By Kaitourei
"The Cat"
Dilandau stealthily climbed the tower's spiraling staircases. Vainly he wished for another mode of transportation up the passages, but found none. The Zaibach officers glowered at he finally reached the doorway. In the dim torch light he kicked the door open, letting it slam noisily against the wall.
"Who goes there!" Dilandau inwardly smirked at the Fanelian king's voice.
The silver-haired youth looked past the bed and the faintly glowing fireplace, out to the open curtains. The moon had lost three more slivers; it's light glowing softly in the nearly starless night.
"I said who goes there!" There was the familiar sound of a sword being drawing.
"Va-an…" Dilandau said in a singsong voice. "I thought you'd atleast remember me… I'm hurt."
There was a growl as the boy-king stepped into the lighted area to face the silver haired intruder. "Dilandau…" He hissed through clenched teeth. "Allen should have never trusted you!"
"I can agree with you there," Dilandau sneered as he drew his own katana. "His decision cost him his life… Not that I care." The albino gracefully moved into a defensive position. "Speaking of decisions, you should decide to get some new guards. I felt insulted when I found them asleep" – Dilandau flicked his sword in a wordless challenge – "shall we?"
Van glared the General down. "You killed Allen and for that you must pay the ultimate price, Dilandau Albatou!" The King lunged forward with an overly angered assault.
Dilandau blocked. "Yes, I did, didn't I? But he's not the only one in Hell right now." The General casually parried toward the King.
"You monster, you killed someone else?" Van's eyes widened but never left the duel.
"I'm afraid you're frightfully mistaken, Van. She was next on my list, but… I'm afraid it was of her own freewill," the silver haired youth mocked a sigh of regret. "Such a pity though, she would have looked lovely hanging from her ceiling by her royal bedspread."
Van's eyes were flashing with hot anger. "Millerna!" He gasped, blocking Dilandau's jab. "She was engaged to Allen…" Van glared. "You're heartless Albatou, they were in love."
"All's fair in love and war, Van." Dilandau taunted. The general bumped carelessly into a bureau, knocking it to the floor with a crash.
Van smirked at the General's carelessness. "You're loosing you touch Albatou… Those weeks in Celena's body must have rusted your skills."
Dilandau laughed at this. "Oh Van, if only you knew…"
The duo continued parrying and jabbing as time slipped by in silence, save for the clash of their swords and harsh words exchanged between them. This lasted only until, the cat girl, Merle stood in the doorway.
"Van! I heard the noise and I…" Merle watched the battle with wide eyes. She was frozen in place for a second, and a second was all Dilandau needed to put his plan into action.
The Zaibach general's skills seemed to rise rapidly to a whole new level of intensity. His strikes and blocks were beyond anything the King had seen. In a blur of silver the boy-king was pinned to the ground.
Dilandau laughed. "I knew you were nothing without the Dragon, Van. You coward, hiding behind that 'melef like a shield… I should have known."
"Van-sama!" Merle cried helplessly from the doorway.
Van could hold his wraith no longer. His wings emerged underneath him, causing him to push up and knock the albino away. With one quick thrust, he aimed for Dilandau's heart. But the General was quicker and Van didn't see the figure behind the Zaibach officer.
Merle let out a small croak as Van's sword embedded itself in her chest. The vase in her hand that was meant to shatter on Dilandau silver head, fell to the floor harmlessly. Surprisingly as she fell, the Zaibach general caught her. Leaning over the albino whispered something inaudible into her ear and slowly her worried eyes fell on Van; when they had closed Dilandau dropped her lifeless body to the floor in a hollow clunk.
The General smirked at the King's grieving face. "I should really thank you, Van, she was next on my list."
With a cry of utter anger the King launched himself at Dilandau. But even a novice swordsman could best Van now that his strikes and parries were clouded by anger. Dilandau took the opportunity while it stood. Within seconds Van was disarmed, his sword in the albino's hand and his pride in with the pigs.
"What are you waiting for, you fiend?" Van almost yelled as Dilandau hesitated slightly. "Kill me! I'm not afraid to die!"
A sadistic sneer played across Dilandau's lips. "You think I would kill you now, without a little revenge first? Van, you under estimate me."
The Fanelian king looked away. "Whatever you do, I wish to know one thing… what did you tell Merle?"
"The cat-girl?" Dilandau raised an eyebrow, but the swords he held never left the King's throat. "I merely told her not to fear, you would be joining her very, very soon."
"How comforting…" Van spat.
"Comforting?" Dilandau's face twisted into a mock-confused expression. "I just told her the truth." One sword moved away from Van's throat. Instead it slid smoothly across the King's neck and located the teardrop shaped amulet worn be the girl from the Mystic Moon.
Dilandau smirked as the King's face paled. "Yes, Van, that's right." He sneered. "You little girlfriend is next."
Before Van could move, the dull side of the sword blade smashed across his temple, knocking the King unconscious. Slowly, Dilandau withdrew. Placing the swords on the floor, next to Merle's bleeding body, he picked up the ruby colored amulet.
"Don't worry Merle…" He snickered slightly. "After this is all over, Hades will have a few more souls to add to his collection…"
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I had nothing against Merle or Millerna so I didn't feel like Dilandau killing them. Thanks all you who've reviewed.
By the way, please don't be mad if I use one of you ideas and don't give you credit. I've had this whole story and how I'm going to kill the cast figured out from chapter one.
(Wow, this is the longest a/n I've written so far!)