A/N: Here's a big thick chapter for you… Longest one so far, in fact. There's a hint of YAOI buried somewhere in here… (don't ask me what that is please… plenty of other fics explain it well enough) If you don't like even a tad (and let me tell you, you won't even notice it unless you interpret it a certain way…), I suggest you leave…NOW. Also, my apologies for the crummy fighting scenes. I have NEVER been able to create a good swordfighting scene…which is why I rarely attempt to. Look for another Author's Notes near the end. Oh yeah, and ------ means either beginning/end of story, or a change of scene.
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Chapter 11: Ill Omens
He was not pleased. Not pleased at all… Dilandau had left Riane to herself to change and rejoined the training session. Now he watched apprehensively from a corner of the room, well aware of the fact that his soldiers present numbered fourteen. But there should have been sixteen… Riane was accounted for, but Miguel…
No, he could take care of himself… After all, wasn't he a Dragon Slayer? Still, uneasiness gnawed at the edges of Dilandau's consciousness. His thoughts were interrupted by the ever-so-tiny creak of a door, a sound only the red armored fifteen year-old would have been able to pick up in the loud clamor of swords. Then, with strong resolve, he forced the topic out of his mind, and turned to address the new arrival.
"I see you have finally decided to join us," he called out in a perfectly detached voice that seemed to reverberate and strode across the room in that calm, authoritative, enigmatic way of his.
In an instant, all combat ceased, and another fourteen pairs of eyes were fixed on the raven-haired girl, who visibly swallowed. Some regarded Riane with curiosity, others with disdain; there were even a few that had lust in their eyes. All this she had not noticed last night, but now she felt burdened by their gazes.
"Dragon Slayers," Dilandau said evenly. "This is Riane. She'll be entering our ranks. You will treat her as you would any other soldier, understand?" He turned to the girl in question, "If you have any complaints of their behavior, report the matter to me immediately." He fired a piercing warning glance at each and every one of the boys as he spoke.
"Yes sir," she answered with her head bowed.
"Training shall now commence. Men, you know the drill. As for you," he addressed Riane, "you will have to spar with me today, as your assigned partner is absent."
"And who would that be?"
"Miguel Lavariel." His tone clearly expressed "end of subject".
She shrugged, and took up the ready stance.
"Ready?" he inquired.
"Hell yeah."
Dilandau smirked devilishly. "Then here I come." He surged forward like a tidal wave, menacing and rapid, yet possessing a sort of indescribable flowing elegance.
She blocked his attack with some difficulty, but still managed to fend off the incoming blows.
This irritated Dilandau to no degree. Tired of this fight, he feigned a dive to the right, but dove to the left instead. As he fell, his foot caught on hers, bringing them both down. Her grip on the hilt of her sword slipped, and it fell from out her fingertips.
"Game over," he growled, delicately placing the blade on her throat. "I thought you would be harder to beat than that," the pale boy jeered, withdrawing.
Rubbing her neck warily, she shot back, "That was risky. You could have gotten us both killed. You're just lucky I didn't impale you, or vice versa."
"But we're not dead, are we-?"
Just then a messenger burst in the room. "Lord Dilandau--- Lord Folken wishes you to see you in his quarters immediately," he said, kneeling before the warlord.
"Very well. You may leave."
All eyes were on Dilandau as he disappeared down the corridor, wondering what would be so urgent as to call upon him so early in the morning.
Meanwhile, the crimson eyed-boy himself was mildly puzzled. But knowing Folken, it would most likely be another boring lecture like the one yesterday.
Well, whatever it was, it had better not take long…
"Ah, Dilandau. Take a seat," Folken gestured to a chair near him.
Grudgingly, the fifteen-year-old sat down. "What do you want this time, Folken? I was just breaking in the new recruit."
The older man cleared his throat. "Our spies have informed us that Miguel--"
"So he's back already?"
"No. He's dead…"
"It was Zongi, wasn't it, Strategos?" His voice was suddenly harsh. "You knew…" he whispered, his face a perfect mask. "You knew the filthy doppelganger would kill my 'Slayer. That's why you sent me a f---ing replacement!" He almost lost his composure at the last sentence.
"Now Dilandau, don't be irrational-"
"I'll do whatever the f--- I like. It's your fault he's dead." Dilandau spat coldly. He got up from his chair and began to walk away.
"Where are you going?"
"To greet your precious doppelganger," he sneered.
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His guymelef was stationed at the tower where he was to meet Zongi. Soon the albino perceived a form leaping through the trees.
A smile crossed his lips. "That's right… Come to me…" he purred. He jumped out of the red guymelef, so that he was standing in plain sight.
The striped creature quickly emerged from the woods and knelt in front of Dilandau. He related the tale of the interrogations while Dilandau listened with some semblance of interest.
"A woman from the Mystic Moon, you say?"
"Yes. A terrible woman that can see the unseen and knows the past and the future."
Something clicked in Dilandau's mind. Images of a strange girl with boyish hair dressed in odd attire flashed through his head. *So it was HER…* he thought with loathing.
"You have done well." He climbed back into the Alseides.
"I humbly accept your praise, sir."
"Now, accept your reward."
The next thing the doppelganger knew, tendrils of liquid metal were curling around him, like mercury serpents. "What-what is this?!" he cried out.
"You killed Miguel," the sadistic boy said dully from the control chamber. "That was horrible, what you did to him…"
"It-it was my duty!" Zongi's alarm heightened as the liquid metal came up to his neck.
"That's why I hate you doppelgangers…"
"LORD FOLKEN!!!!" the creature screamed as it fully engulfed him.
An insane giggle left Dilandau's lips as the spiraling pillar suddenly compressed, crushing its prisoner in a spray of scarlet.
He flew away from the macabre scene with a shadow of a smirk on his face.
"Lord Dilandau? What happened?" Chesta inquired as soon as he returned to the training room.
"Miguel is dead, killed by a doppelganger," Dilandau replied shortly.
A collective murmur of disbelief arose among the group. Those who had disliked her from the beginning now hated her more. Riane heard some whispers here and there of "the girl…brought bad luck…" and "jinxed us with her presence…" She mentally cringed at such remarks, but kept her face impassive. They were staring at her; she knew they were.
The rest of training went downhill from there. Almost all the Dragon Slayers insisted on ignoring Riane. Everyone's spirits were low. The feeling of invincibility formerly carried by the soldiers in their hearts was shattered by their comrade's death. Even Dilandau was considerably quieter than usual…
Gatti, one of the only people that didn't shun her, walked up with four others to the girl during the one of the few free hours, saying with a wry smile, "Ah, don't mind those guys. Everybody's just a little shocked right now. They'll warm up to you soon enough--" Here he was elbowed by one of his friends. Gatti winced, rubbing his arm, "Ouch! And since these boys demand an introduction, I'm inclined to oblige them. Okay, Chesta is the blond one, Guimel has green eyes and curly white hair, and Viole's got long dark hair. And the other brunette, who looks like he spent his entire fortune on the hair salon, who you shouldn't be left alone for more than a second at a time, elbowed me so pompously, and who is going to kill me right after I finish talking…is Dalet. Got it? Good." He cheekily blew a raspberry at Dalet before running off, the brown-haired boy hot on his heels.
She sweatdropped. "Oi…"
A/N: Now that was a weird chapter, wasn't it?? I hope it was worth the wait… Agh, the review thingie hasn't been working too well for me lately, so I'm not going to ask for reviews this time. I don't know if it's just my browser or what… But still, if you feel the need, please contact me at mmgal@pacbell.net for flames, comments, constructive criticism, and stuff like that.
