Bloodlust

By Kaitourei

"The Child"

Dilandau collapsed as the blue light faded away. Gasping for breath the general pulled himself into a sitting position against one of the various trees in the wooded area he had landed in. His breath was weak, coming in small harsh gasps. Gingerly Dilandau reached over and inspected the cut in his side.

As he leaned against a tree, he probed the wound carefully, wincing as he touched soft areas. Suddenly I became apparent to him that Van had cut through his side, much like one cuts through paper with the scissors. The albino grimaced as he felt something in his gut burst; more blood began to flow.

"Van…" Dilandau tossed his head toward the sky and laughed, bile was beginning to make its way up to his mouth. His fiery eyes fell on the Mystic Moon, the last place he had seen Van Fanel.

"… Always had to destroy me some way didn't you Fanel…?"

Dilandau gritted his teeth in remembrance. The King had the only people Dilandau considered friends, not to mention taken the charismatic appeal from his face and replaced it with a burning scar. Van had always destroyed something the albino valued, something that held together the fragile pieces of what sanity he had left. Now Van had taken the only thing he did have left…

Deep within himself the soldier knew that he was harboring a deathly wound. Soon, he thought… very soon his blood you be drained and the body of Dilandau Albatou would be found and put on display for the people of Gaea to pock and prod. They would laugh and sing and celebrate his demise.

Gritting his teeth Dilandau rose from his seat by the tree. Blood continued flowing, but the pain was numb now. As the General began to move, the last sliver of the real moon lighted the crimson trail faintly.

In the twisted mind of Dilandau Albatou thoughts came abruptly and left. The general mussed about himself, his country… all he had once had.

It could have been the fact that he was slowly dieing of blood loss, or maybe he was open minded in his frantic race against death; either way, he came to one conclusion. In his heart and mind, Dilandau Albatou had never grown up. He was still a child and war was a game to him. The scar and the tantrum he'd thrown about it… so childish.

Dilandau paused to catch his breath in the dark night. Even in the blackest of shadows, he could see clearly; not only in the physical world around him but in his mind. A smirk slid across his face as he realized the irony. In so many tales and ballad the death was portrayed as a loose of sense… a dim dizziness that spread throughout the mind, but that was not the case here. In Dilandau's final hours, everything was so very clear.

It was so very clear in the child's mind…

But that's what he was, wasn't he? A child forced to a body much to old for his own mind. Dilandau felt his insides burning, why was he so…

"Childish…" Dilandau hissed under his own harsh breathing. He heart was beating faster and faster. Adrenaline was pumping through his body as he felt the reaper's presence growing stronger.

Unexpectedly the general fell to his knees. "Why?" he vainly shouted into the night. With his fists balled at his sided Dilandau let the first real tears fall from his red eyes.

Slowly he caught himself as he sank to the ground. Things were so clear when you were so close to the end. Memories, his memories, flashed before him… His brother, Allen Schezar - whom he had murdered – stood on a dirt road, much younger, with a rebellious stance and a determined smile.

"Celena!"

Dilandau heard the younger Allen calling his sister. In his mind's eye the he felt Allen embrace him.

"Sister… I'll never leave you."

Slowly Dilandau san to the ground, his body curled in a loose ball. His gaze held steady with the Mystic Moon. Up there were the sources of his problems: the headless seer and the late King, with Dilandau's sword nailing him to the floor. Such a pity her didn't spend more time on their deaths… he had so many ideas… But now they were all in vain.

Tears were streaming down the albino's face but laughter was escaping his lips. Unexpectedly, looking back on his life Dilandau felt no need to change any of his actions. All vengeances had been fulfilled and revenge was done. After all, he would join them very soon in eternity, weather it be under Heaven's clouds or above Hell's fires.

When I came down to his last hours, the albino almost laughed harder at the predicament. The child in mind, without a destiny of his own choice, was lying in the woods somewhere deep in Gaea… laughing and regretting none of his horrific actions. And so that is how the one of - if not the greatest - swordsmen on Gaea, elite Zaibach commander, Dragon Slay General extraordinaire died.

Laughing and crying.

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Now this ending was rushed… I tried to be original on this, but it didn't turn out as good as I hoped (as is with most of my fics…)

Yes, this is the final chapter. And in some ways I'm glad this fic is over with to tell the truth. I hope you're not disappointed, I was going to have Dilandau meet all his victims in Hell but I thought that was a bit to strange… I don't know, maybe I'll write and alternative ending since this one didn't satisfy me.

Review?