Summary- Tetheus spends ALL night following Kitchel. She gets her hands on Diolasis, and right when Tetheus wants to intercept her, things to terribly wrong. The Officers, especially Tetheus, find that there is more to this then meets the eye.
Disclaimer: Don't own Dragon Knights. Wish I did
Update: 9/4/06. I have cleaned up the Diolasis story a little. By that I mean less grammatical errors (hopefully) and less confusing (possibly). Plotline is still same!
Enjoy.
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Diolasis chapter five:
Green Envy
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Tetheus stood off to the side in the growing darkness as dusk turned into a star'less night. The mood was hardly shinning, and Tetheus was almost asleep.
His face was messed in a way to keep from yawning. His shoulders hunched and his hair fell over his eyes. But, he jerked up quickly.
Stay awake!
Just STAY awake!
He couldn't go to sleep. What if Kitchel was hurt? It would be his fault. If this had anything to do with the twins... Tetheus mentally shook his fist. They usually would lay low, but he knew they wanted the three treasures. No, they wouldn't. Would they?
Suddenly Tetheus shrank back into the shadows more. His body reeling away, the thin fingers of porcelain light streaming from the open door barely hitting his left foot before he jerked it back into blackness. The rustling off clothing reached Tetheus' pointed ears, witch were slightly longer then any Dragons'. He watched, his almond eyes glittered eerily against the candle and moonlight that mingled through the hall. He saw Kitchel's thin frame slip out of the cracked doorframe. Her backpack set against one shoulder, probably containing lock picks, water, and other thieving tools. She turned the corner. Tetheus followed.
Tetheus followed Kitchel down a flight of stairs to the treasury. The Black Officer could kicked himself. He remembered! They had hidden the Three Treasures in the treasury because they thought it would be too obvious to put it where Nadil's head was. Besides, if Nadil's head was near Diolasis, who knows what would happen.
Tripping over a crystal vase, Kitchel let out a gasp of exasperation. She slid down on her knee and with a slight chink hugged it safely into her arms.
Tetheus mentally sighed with relief. That would have meant bad new if it smashed. And he didn't want to see her in trouble. His heart pained enough as it was.
Peering around the corner, Kitchel padded her way over to a small niche in the back wall. Digging slightly in her bad of thieving supplies, she produced a large metal rod witch she presumably stuck into the crack of the niche with a dull thud.
Something was wrong.
He cursed slightly, almost silently. His fists clenching and his slightly longer fang dug into his lip.
Something was very wrong! From the way the pretty little girl worked her lock-picking magic on the crowbar. Her arms stilted, and her gaze slack. Yet, over all of this, she worked with a focused unmatched even by Tetheus.
Was she enchanted?
Tetheus seemingly appeared out of the shadows as if he had melted there moments before.
"Kitchel?" his voice was sweet and kind. As if he were talking to a small child or a trapped animal he wished to calm. She stirred sharply and he jumped. He found blackened eyes, almost lifeless, looking back at him.
He backed away, not wanting to provoke her. She clutched Diolasis in her hand. Tetheus gaped. How was it she got the treasure so easily? His expression darkened further. She moved swiftly toward him.
Taking her hand, pressing his chest, Kitchel pushed him out of the way.
The Officer gasped inwardly at the touch of her skin.
It was deathly cold.
Like that of a dead person. But she was alive! Tetheus forced the thought of Kitchel's dead body lying on the ground out of his mind before it got to him.
Then it hit him.
Kitchel was being controlled by someone! But who? That yokai girl!
Tetheus ran to Kitchel and grabbed her arm, swinging her into his body. With an almost frantic grasp, he tried to pry Diolasis out of her hand. Suddenly he was hit by a wave of pan and was tossed like a doll into the wall behind him. Sliding down it, he slumped against the ground. A trickle of blood running down his forehead and into his vision. He groaned, and shook his head. Flecks of crimson liquid landed on his dark shirt ad he looked up to see Kitchel's thin frame seductively standing before him. He stared to speak but was cut off, "Wh-"
"Listen, you." He saw Kitchel sneer in an evil way. Her voice was not that of hers, but of Thai's. "You better not try and stop me boy." An evil laugh bubbled up from the thief's chest.
"I'm much older then you to be calling me boy." He got up and staggered slightly. Again, he shook his head to clear his mind, and his vision.
"Oh, I'm not so sure! You may be older then Shydeman and Shyrendora. But, I, am older then your whole family." Another laugh, but this was at Tetheus' face expression.
"How do you-" Tetheus' expression was between horror and confusion. No one should have known. He clenched his fists.
"Are you mad? Sad? Aw, you poor thing. Oh, and to think this pretty little thing," She controlled Kitchel so she spun around. " could have helped you through your suffering. She pitied you. So sad she thought." Laughing again, Tai jumped Kitchel out of the way of Tetheus' angry grasp.
Tetheus swore. "You lying!" Anger bubbled up from him as he lashed out, only to recoiled at the thought of hurting Kitchel.
"I was thinking." Tai continued her taunting as if she did not head the Black Officer's tirade. "Maybe I should just kill this pretty little thing." She playfully waved Kitchel's own lock pick infront of her neck. Tetheus who had lunged forward with a cry, knocked her down.
"She means so much to you...oh well, eh?" Kitchel disappeared with Tai's laughing.
"Damn it." Tetheus punched his fist into the floor. Splashes of clear liquid ran down his cheeks. "Damn her." His shoulders hunched and he stood, eyes cold.
Tetheus walked out into the grounds, knowing that Kitchel would not be there. A pair of padded footfall came behind him as he turned. Alfeegi and Ruwalk were running up to him.
"We-" Alfeegi was breathless. "- saw what happened!" Alfeegi was wearing his usual deep blue silk nightshirt and pants. Ruwalk, who was standing slightly off to the side, hidden by blackness.
"Both of you." Ruwalk's voice was strangely strained and quiet. Tetheus looked at him and Alfeegi quieted. "Tetheus, do you know where Kitchel went? I think I do."
Tetheus' breath caught.
"Remember the old ruin outside town?" Both of the others nodded. "It seems as if every storm cloud in a 50 mile radius finds it just as interesting as the yokai." He pointed up in the sky where a ring of black and gray swirled around. Ruwalk looked down and sighed. Both of the fellows Officer's knew something was wrong.
"Ruwalk?"
"Lykouleon knew this would happen." The three stood there. "He consulted a see'er and they told him Kitchel would be taken by a yokai. They also said a yokai was to save her."
Again, Tetheus' breath caught and Alfeegi looked puzzled. Obviously, Ruwalk had not given any information about Tetheus' heritage to his lover.
"You have got to save her my friend, or she'll be killed" Then it hit Tetheus like a ton of bricks. Now he understood why Ruwalk was not as forthcoming with the information! Lykouleon and Ruwalk both know that if Tetheus went, it was likely he would be killed. Realization also dawned on Alfeegi's face, for he stepped forward.
"But we can just send a bunch of Fighters out, right?" Alfeegi looked hopeful as he looked from Ruwalk to Tetheus. This helpless side of the White Officer, never shown before, looked sad and out of place.
"I've got to leave." With that, Tetheus turned on his heels and ran out of the Dragon Castle and onto the road witch lead out of the town.
A sad emotion flickered in Ruwalk's eyes as he watched the fleeting form of the Officer disappear. "Come Feegi, lets go inside."
"But we can't leave him to go to his death!" Alfeegi pulled on Ruwalk's bare arm. His eyes were brimming with tears of frustration and his shaking told Ruwalk that he was getting himself into another fit of a state. Ruwalk put an arm around him, and whispered comforting words to him.
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Cackling, Tai looked down at Kitchel. The sleeping thief was at her feet, head in the yokai's lap.
"Don't worry dear. It will all be over soon." Tai heard Kitchel whimper in her nightmares, but she did not wake.
"Its actually quite charming." Tai was a sucker for romance. "The prince rescuing the poor princess in her tower. But," Tai clicked her teeth. "There is no tower to save you from. Just me. And he will die."
Laughter rose up around them.
"Now girl." Tai snapped her fingers and Kitchel stood up. "Give me Diolasis."
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Tetheus was running full tilt down the dirt road out of town.
He stumbled.
Fell.
Got up, and ran again.
He suddenly stopped.
Shapes all around him, shadows actually, stared moving toward him. They all had beautifully shinning weapons. All of witch Tetheus would have been overrun with ecstasy to look at and practice with. But, as they were all pointed at him, he had no such desire at the moment.
So, she could make yokai demon slaves out of her own matter. Tetheus grinned darkly. Strangely like Bierrez! Tetheus' train of thought was broken as the first Yokai lunged at him.
Humph. Tetheus thought as he stepped back and to his right, readying his sword and preparing for the small battle. This will be interesting, won't it.
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a/n- Please review!
