Chapter Four

Hitomi waited anxiously in the hallway while Viole, Gatti, Guimel, and Dalet talked with Van. Merle sat across from her, giving her a look that was a cross between a scowl and something else. Allen had since been looked over for any more wounds and had his side bandaged up again. He now wandered the halls of the Crusade, almost wraithlike in the way he moved. Even Millerna gave him a wide berth.

"Poor Allen, so much has changed for him these past couple of days. He wanders the ship like a restless spirit. His eyes have changed as well; even though he looks the same on the outside, he's aged hundreds of years. But it only shows in his eyes." Hitomi thought, not surprised when Allen walked silently towards the far window. Deciding to say something to him, Hitomi stood up and slowly approached him.

"Allen?" Hitomi asked, softly. Allen turned his head and looked at her.

"Hitomi? What're you doing here? Isn't Van still talking to those DragonSlayers?" Allen asked, his voice soft and tired.

"Merle and I have been waiting out here for him. What is wrong, Allen? Why do you look so sad?" Hitomi asked, as she looked up into Allen's careworn blue eyes.

"I don't know, Hitomi. I keep feeling an ominous feeling of foreboding……….something or someone is watching us from afar………I keep hearing sounds; sounds of death and chaos. Hitomi, I fear something is coming…………….." Allen trailed off, as a shudder shook his tall frame. He gasped when he felt Hitomi hug him and put her head on his chest.

"Don't worry. Everything will be okay. This is still all so new to you and I am sure that you're having a hard time accepting that. I'm sure things will be fine, when you get used to the changes." Hitomi reassured. Allen gave her a ghost of a smile.

"It is all new to me. I never knew just how hard it was to hide being a Draconian from everyone else was until now. It seems that now I will have to learn from Van how to do that." Allen said, going silent when Van and the ex-DragonSlayers exited the room, their faces grave.

"Well? What did you find out?" Allen asked.

"It's worse than we thought, Allen. Our enemy, Dornkirk, is trying to alter Fate itself." Van said, grimly. Allen's face paled, and Hitomi could have sworn that she'd seen a look of dread in his eyes.

"Sir Allen? Are you all right?" Guimel asked, concerned. Allen shook his head as though to clear it.

"Van, there is something you have to know; I believe that before I became a Draconian, this 'Dornkirk' was after you. Now that a more pureblooded descendent of the Atlantians has appeared, he will be after him." Allen said, his voice trembling in his throat.

"But who is the more pureblooded one?" Gatti asked.

"You're looking at him." Allen murmured, in a deadly serious tone.

"But what would Zaibach want with you, Sir Allen?" Merle asked, relieved that Van was out of danger, but afraid for Allen as well.

"My blood." Allen replied, quietly. All of them stood and stared at the golden haired knight, not believing what they had just heard.

"But why would they need your blood?" Dalet asked, noticing when a shudder again went through the knight.

"Dornkirk needs pure Draconian blood in order to completely take over Fate. Think of it as a sacrifice to the gods. My life in exchange for complete control over every living thing's fate." Allen said, his eyes infinitely wise and sad at the same time.

"How horrible!" Hitomi gasped.

"Yet it is true. Right now my life is about as precious as that of an elf about to be sacrificed to an evil goddess. Dornkirk will do everything in his power to take me, and I will do everything in my power to prevent him from taking control of Fate. I must ask for you to do the same." Allen said, seriously.

"We will, Allen, you have our word on that." Van said, speaking for all of them when he said that.

"Thank you, Van, minna." Allen murmured, with a touch of relief in his voice.

Folken was still sulking when Dilandau entered his quarters, mad as hell.

"Would you believe the nerve of those incompetents! Leaving me for that Dragon! I knew I should have killed Viole when I had the chance!" Dilandau snarled, as he paced in front of Folken. Folken said nothing, as he continued to sulk about being driven off by a newly emerged Draconian.

"Aren't you even listening to me, Folken Strategos?!" Dilandau asked. Again he got no response. Dilandau was about to go into another tirade before Dornkirk's voice interrupted him.

"Folken, Dilandau." Dornkirk monotoned.

"Yes, Dornkirk-sama?" Folken and Dilandau said, simultaneously.

"The time is right. It is time to go and fetch the pure angel." Dornkirk snarled.

"Yes, Dornkirk-sama." The two said, in response.

"And Dilandau." Dornkirk added.

"Yes?" Dilandau asked.

"Bring him to me alive. His life is required to make what I want to do a reality." Dornkirk ordered.

"Yes, Dornkirk-sama." Dilandau replied. With that, Dornkirk went silent.

"Come on, it's time to go to work." Folken said, as he went out of his quarters, with Dilandau following him.

Allen sighed as he went through all the books in his small library. There was hardly anything there about Draconian sacrifices, but, then again, up until that point he'd had no use or desire for such books.

"Sir Allen?" a youthful voice asked from the doorway. Allen turned to face the speaker, surprised when he saw whom it was.

"Anka! Is that you?!" Allen asked, as the stranger removed her boyish hat, releasing long strawberry blond hair from under it.

"You bet your boots, Allen! What have you been doing with yourself?" the woman asked, her ears twitching and eyes dancing with mirth.

"Not much. How did you get onto my ship without my knowledge?" Allen asked, glad that an old friend had decided to join the crew.

"I hopped aboard when your friends stopped to make repairs. When I'd heard you was missing, I decided to stow away and try to find you." Anka said, good-naturedly.

"Well, needless to say, I am here now. I'm glad to see that time hasn't changed you much. You are still as carefree as you were five years ago." Allen said, fondly.

"Hey yeah! And you are still as gloomy as I remember you! Always as dour as an old priest!" Anka teased.

"Hey, now!" Allen rebuked, getting a laugh from the cat-woman.

"Hey, nothin! Anyhow, you look great! You even grew your hair out, which, I must say, makes those puffy sleeves look sexy!" Anka said, laughing as Allen blushed deeply.

"Anka!" Allen shouted, embarrassed.

"Aw, don't be embarrassed on my account! I like the way you look." Anka said, still sounding playful, yet a little more serious than before.

"Thank you." Allen murmured. He had to admit, he always could count on Anka's honesty, even if it did come in at awkward times. And there was another trait Allen could count on, Anka's ability to know when he was troubled.

"What's the matter? You seem sad all of a sudden." Anka said, noting the difference in Allen's eyes.

"Anka, there's something you should know. Sit down and I will tell you everything." Allen said, as he sat on a couch and Anka sat down next to him. As he revealed his terrible secret to Anka, Merle listened at the door. She knew that there was another cat-person on board!

"Poor thing, no wonder you're so depressed. I'd be that way too, if I was suddenly something I was not. Don't worry, I'm here for ya." Anka said, patting Allen's hands gently and with much warmth.

"I must again thank you, Anka. I can't tell Gadis this, because I know he will tell the rest of the crew. Van, Merle and Hitomi already know, along with the four ex-DragonSlayers." Allen said, as he sighed and shook his head.

"Hey, do you remember what I'd said five years ago before we parted ways?" Anka asked. Allen shook his head.

"I promised that if you ever needed anything, just ask me. I still owe you for saving my life then." Anka said, in all seriousness. Allen nodded, and gently hugged her. Normally, Anka would not have withstood that physical contact, but she could tell that Allen needed all the support he could get at that moment. She could feel him trembling, and she gently rubbed his back, whispering words of encouragement into his ear as he held her close. Merle was stunned. She couldn't believe that Allen had just poured out his heart to this lady, yet was relieved that he did have someone to share that burden with as more than just an ally. Outside, thunder rumbled and lightning flashed, as though nature itself was in turmoil over what was to come. In the mournful wail of the wind, all of the crew of the Crusade could feel it's foreboding message to them all.

Author's Note!

Sorry about the long wait between chapters, but the dreaded writer's block had blocked my way! Did anyone catch the reference the Lodoss War in there? I hope somebody did! Anyway, there is more to come, so stay tuned!

Gemini ^ ^;;;