Project: Dilandau

By Kawaii Kitty

Chapter 2

Fire of Life

"No! No! I don't wanna be taken away! Jajuka!" A young girl screamed as she was being handled by several cloaked men. "No! Let me go! Jajuka, help me!" Fat, salty tears poured from the girl's bright blue eyes, running down her thinning cheeks. Her short, chubby arm reached out from a space in between the old men, grabbing at the air for her friend restrained on the ground.

Golden hair and fur seemed to almost ripple as a new sense of anger and frustration ripped through the dogman. "Celena!!" he cried, groaning as a new set of restraints was applied to his legs. A thin-roped loop around his neck tightened, making him gag and choke, his throat ceasing its growling.

The girl sobbed and sniffled. "Jajuka!!" A lump in the girl's throat seemed to swell each time that she called out for him, making it somewhat difficult to breathe, and extremely hard to speak. "'ju…ka…" was all that she could say after the men had taken her from sight of the group crowding around the poor canine creature.

"Don't you worry about a thing, little lady…" said a man who was no doubt far past his fifties in age. "Please. Don't be afraid. We're not going to harm you." A kind smile appeared on the creased old face of the man, seeming deceiving at best. This made the blonde child uneasy.

"…Who are you?" she whispered with a voice which had become hoarse with her yelling and screaming, blinking curiously at each of her four captors in turn.

"We are the sorcerers of Zaibach. Scientists, if you will. We mean you no harm, child. He reached a thin, bony hand out and pat the girl's head crowned with thick, fluffy hair.

Still not entirely trusting of the men, the girl gave a small groan and watched the floor pass beneath her, watching as with each step, the cloaks of the men rustled and shifted. She sighed and silently wondered if she would ever see the outside world again. She wondered if she would ever see her older brother Allen, or her mother and father, ever again.

Grave thoughts began to float through the girl's mind, almost consuming her during the long trip to the sorcerer's laboratories deep within the castle's depths. The thoughts that darkened her soul made her sad, and seemed to her that it was an adult that was teaching them to her. The child began to think that she was dead to the world, to her family. Her family would have surely become distressed. Or at least, she hoped they would.

The tall, cloaked men stepped into the entrance hall that surely led to the laboratories, being immediately greeted by a group of similarly-dressed men who all gave a polite bow at their arrival. "Welcome back." The group chorused. Their voices roused the daydreaming girl from her reverie and she got a look around at the older men, suddenly feeling trapped, and helpless. She whimpered softly, even as she was set down.

Her actions brought about a sense of curiosity from one of the cloaked men. He was the youngest, a teenager, but in no way was he the shortest. Silvery hair that looked as if it hadn't been properly brushed in months sat upon his head. His face was pale in color from having been denied natural sunlight for some time, and in that face was set a pair of deep mahogany eyes that could show firmness and concern in the same glance. Those same eyes focused on the quivering child on the ground, silently trying to decipher her past conditions with the Zaibach dungeon's guards.

"Is that her?" asked a croaking voice that seemed to teem with death. "Is that the one named 'Celena Schezar'?"

'Schezar? An Austurian name?' the silver-haired man thought to himself. 'What need would they have for a child from that region out here?' His eyes then drifted back to the dirty, frightened girl, studying her form without parting his lips in question.

The elder that had soothed the child during the short quest from the palace nodded. "Indeed it is. She is the new part of the experiment." The round, leathery face of the elder shifted, as if being folded in so many odd ways as he smiled in a way that sent a faint chill down the youth's spine. "She is to be bathed, fed, and then prepared for the experiments."

This brought a small smile, a glimmer of hope, to Celena's face. Perhaps she would be taken care of here like she was at home. This sounded nice, but she was not really too keen on the idea of being washed and clothed by an array of old men.

The man next to the young girl turned to the youngest of the guild that had assembled at the entrance. "Stratego." he said simply. "That shall be your job for the evening."

The youth addressed as "Stratego" nodded and gave a short bow. "Yes, Lord Dolus," he said politely, bowing to his superior. His dark eyes lifted once more as they fell upon the still-quaking child who looked upon him with fear and a bit of curiosity, Stratego noted.

Dolus nodded to the tall youth and then looked down to Celena as well, his face once again in a calming smile. "Please go with this young man here, Miss Schezar." He instructed, bringing one of his feeble, thin-boned arms from his cloak and sweeping it in the silver-haired sorcerer's direction. "And if you have any questions, please direct them to him. "

She gave a nod, remaining silent as her short legs made the effort to stride to the man. Her blue eyes were wide with wonder, examining the man's long, yet handsome, face. With each step, she could feel her heart beating just a little faster, and sped up still as he gave a gentle smile and offered a strong hand for her to take.

"Shall we go?" he asked her. For the first time that day a smile, weak at best, appeared on Celena's face as she nodded and placed her tiny hand into Stratego's larger hand. She immediately felt comforted, as if her older brother was back with her. Her small form then moved close to the tall, cloaked form of the man as they began walking down the dark torch-lit halls of the ship.

Stratego could not help himself but to be at least a little curious of the girl, as well as a little anxious to break the silence between them that seemed to lace the air thick with tension. "Celena?" He asked, drawing the uneasy adolescent's attention. "That is a very beautiful name, if I say so myself." He looked down at her, allowing her to see the honest sincerity etched into his face.

Celena's face subtly changed into a pale shade of pink as she giggled and shied away. "Th...Thank you, sir," a soft, sweet voice replied to him. She then gave nervous glances up at the man who she was being led by. "What's your name?"

He blinked for a moment, analyzing the question. He supposed that it would do no harm in telling the child his name, especially if the others had no plans on releasing her. "Folken… Folken Lacour de Fanel. But you are welcome to call me as the other sorcerer's do. Please call me Stratego."

Celena nodded and gave him a sweet smile. "It's nice to meet you, Stratego…" she said softly and politely, just as her mother had taught her. Her eyes examined his face once again, settling on a small, purple mark under his right eye. "What's that for?" she asked, leaning up to try and look at it closer like the child that she was.

The left hand of the teen reached up and touched the broad area under his right eye, feeling the mark completely, as he had received it no more than  six months previous. He heaved a heavy sigh and then pulled his cloak closer to him, as if to shield her eyes from something. "It is the mark of my shame," he said quietly and simply.

The girl's gaze fell to the floor, feeling ashamed that she had caused him some grief. "Oh… Sorry…" Her voice came quiet and shy. Stratego then turned, entering a hall lined with old wooden doors. It seemed to Celena, that the wood was so rotted, that the doors would fall off of their hinges at the slightest push. Needless to say, she dared not touch any of them.

At long last, the pair turned, leaving the cold hallway that gave the air of being uncared for and they stepped into a room that seemed welcoming on first sight. The air was warm and steamy, clearing the sinuses. From what Celena had gotten used to in her cell with its lone barred window, this was a very, very nice change of pace. The room contained four wooden tubs, each with a surrounding curtain to ensure privacy she was sure. One boy was soaking in a tub closest to the far back corner away from the door, helping his body to a generous supply of sweet-smelling soap.

Greeting this scene with open arms, Celena began to undress herself, but was stopped by Stratego's firm, yet gentle hand guiding her away from the boy and his feminine features. After just a short moment, Celena found herself being surrounded by the white curtain made of its thin cloth. It was there that she removed the clothing that she had been given upon being thrust into the dungeons in the upper levels. She then looked around the small area and found a small set of steps, obviously there for her use to climb into the water. When she stepped in, the familiar warmth that reminded her so much of home encased her and relieved any stress or tension in her muscles.

Once he heard the child fall gracefully into the water, Stratego pulled his left arm from his cloak and pushed some of the curtains aside, the tall teen stepping into the area. "How does it feel?" He asked, smiling at the girl as she playfully treaded water around the small shallow drum of water.

The girl laughed and stood up in the water, the warm liquid just coming up to her youthful chest as she lifted her arms in playful excitement. "This feels very nice, Mr. Stratego!" she yelled in excitement before plopping down under the water, dousing her dirty, uncared for hair in the reviving water.

The teenager smiled happily at her, pleased that he was able to experience this as he had when he lived at home with his mother, father, and younger brother. "Good… I'm glad." Without thinking, the young man then reached up with his exposed hand and undid the clasp there, allowing his robes to fall at his feet, revealing his chest which was covered by the standard loose-fitting shirt, white in color, but it had been stained by countless sweat stains. The other thing that would be revealed to her was a deadly-looking arm made entirely of metal.

When Celena pushed her head from the water, she gasped loudly in shock and scooted as far away from him as she could possibly manage. 'He… He's going to kill me! I know it!' With her eyes wide with unparalleled fear, her body froze and only her mouth seemed to work. "D…Don't…" She choked, her body visibly shaking at the sight of that arm.

Stratego lifted his right arm, examining the clawed digits that reigned where strong, fleshy fingers once thrived not more than a year prior to that moment. His calm eyes then drifted to the child, fixating on her terrified face. "Please don't be frightened…" he pleaded quietly. He then stepped up to the tub and retrieved a cloth and a small bar of solidified fat from the floor, dipping both in the water before handing them to her with his shining arm. "Please…"

She whimpered and reached out a shaky arm, quickly retrieving the cloth and the slippery bar from his hand before turning away. She bit the inside of her lip to try to keep herself from crying out of fear. "Please leave…" her tiny voice squeaked to him. "Mister Stratego… please… you're scaring me."

The teen gave a barely noticeable flinch, nodding to the girl in the tub. "As you wish, Miss Celena." He reached down with his heavy, metal arm and retrieved his cloak, stepping from the enclosed area to dry off. He heaved a sigh and slung the long, black cloth back around his shoulders, suddenly aware of how hideous he actually was. He felt like a monster for having scared such a young girl like that. He felt ashamed of his metal appendage all over again. His softer hand snaked out of the depths of the heavy material and touched the slightly swollen mark under his right eye. "This… is my shame," he muttered quietly.

Having been bathed and recently fed, Celena tried to put herself into a better mood by shutting out the thoughts of that hideous arm. She shuddered at the very thought of it. The trip to the girl's new living quarters was walked in a thick, uncomfortable silence that seemed to cloud the air and choke the both of them. Once at the girl's dormitory, Stratego made extra careful to use his left arm to open the door. Celena was so happy to be away from him that she barely even noticed the luxury of a bed and a new set of clothing.

The room that she was to be staying in was not very big, only just slightly more so than the cell that she had once been confined in. There was not, however, a window like she had been blessed with in the upper levels. The floors were made of the same smooth tile that had lined the halls, but these seemed to be even more neglected than the world outside of her new room. The bed was hard and made almost entirely of wood save for the few blankets that she now owned. Sitting upon the bed was a pair of loose-fitting slacks and a pale violet shirt that had a small amount of lacing under the collar.

Celena was more than ecstatic to have these, and smiled happily as she crawled into them. They hung off of her small, thin body like curtains, but she could tell that she would need them later on, especially if she was in for a long stay with the sorcerers. She hopped up onto her bed and began to roll up the hems of the pants so that they no longer covered her feet and made her appear to be so much of a child.

After this task was accomplished, the small adolescent lay on her side, curled into a tight ball as she thought about her family who she missed so dearly. Allen… Oh, how she missed her brother's gentle, but playful embrace. She began to wonder if her mother ever received the flowers that she asked Allen to give to her. Her blue eyes seemed to dull before she closed them in thought and, hopefully, rest. The poor girl had no such luck, as memories and thoughts of her kind mother flooded her mind and sent her into unrest. Was her mother looking for her? Did her mother allow this to happen on purpose? She then shook her head, whining to herself. "No.… No, Momma loves me…. She loves me, she said that she does!" Celena's voice reassured her mind. "Momma loves me just like she loves Allen and Father!" She then stopped her thought process and began another. Did her mother love her father? The same man who abandoned her? She didn't know. All that she knew was that they had all been happy once, the four of them together.…

Stratego sighed softly as he placed the latch on the door, ensuring that escape was not to happen. His youthful eyes stayed locked on the door for a moment longer before a cold feeling creped up his spine and made him shudder. He was not sure of what his colleagues were going to do to the child, but he was certain that he was not going like it. He shook off the feeling and put it to the back of his mind before walking back to his quarters in silence to complete his day's research.

The next morning, Stratego was positive that the experiments on the child had begun. He listened in on various conversations that echoed the halls and passed outside of the lab that he was working in. Occasionally, he would catch bits that sounded like, "fate alteration", and "subject dilandau". After the first day, the sorcerers seemed to keep to themselves, and he never heard a word of or from Celena from that day forth. He never dared to ask a question of his superiors, for fear that he would be punished for his inquiry or that they might tell him something that he really did not want to hear. He merely continued his silent research into artificial invisibility

A few weeks had passed with few breakthroughs and nothing worth mentioning or recording into any logs. That is, until a series of loud crashes echoed down the halls and tore Stratego's attention away from his work. This had been the seventh time that this type of thing had happened, so it was slowly, but surely, becoming routine. However… something about this time really did not sit well with Stratego.

Another short series of crashes came from the direction of the laboratory, the sound of shattering glass resounding through the wide, spacious hallways. These noises were then followed by the strangled, choking cries of a child, immediately drawing Stratego's attention, as well as concern.

"It's happening again!!!" an older sorcerer cried, stepping out into the hall. Shortly after this, his colleagues, Stratego included, came rushing to see what the matter was. Crammed in near the back with the other eager men who were desperate to see the situation was Folken.

His dark mahogany eyes gazed out over the heads of his older companions to settle upon a sight that was completely foreign to his eyes. A small, loosely-clothed form was collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily with its head bowed. The body was androgynous, faintly familiar to Stratego, and had hair that almost appeared to be changing color in the dimly-lit room; from pale blonde, to obtaining a silvery sheen. Stratego proposed to himself that the small person was about seven or eight years of age, and he was surprised that the person was already doing such horrible damage to the valuable containers, serums, and other various liquids kept in this particular room.

The child lifted its head, finally showing a fair complexion and a pair of red eyes that seemed hungry for blood, growing redder and redder with each passing moment. The child panted heavily, and then finally spoke with a voice mixing between male and female. "Blood…" the voice snarled, its tone rivaling that of the most dangerous of demons. The eyes of liquid ruby left the sorcerers forms and moved to the torches and candles lining the wall. "Fire… Fire…" The body rose from its spot, revealing that the child had not been well-fed and still held a feminine figure. "Burn… burn it all to the ground…."  The adolescent then let out a cry, launching himself towards a torch that had been set low on the wall. "It must BURN!!!"

Stratego gasped and then pulled his heavy metal arm from his cloak. With it, he pushed past the other men and towards the young person. "No!!" he yelled.  He stepped behind the child and wrapped the strong arm around his belly.  "I'm sorry!  We can't let you do that!"

The silver in the young one's hair seemed to gain a complete silvery, almost pigment-less glow as he turned to face his captor. Untrimmed nails of a furious child reached up and began to claw at anything that was in reach for them. "Let me go!! Let me go, you bastard!! It must burn!! It must ALL BURN!!!"

Wincing at the pain brought to his neck and face, Stratego growled a bit and tightened his grip, placing a clawed hand at the child's neck. "I'm sorry…" He said in a soft voice before applying pressure to the soft spot just behind the child's jaw. Without any further fight, the young boy's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he promptly collapsed against the warm brace against his back.

Stratego gave a sigh of relief, looking at the child's limp form. The dark eyes of the young man caught the attention of something shiny at the boy's neck. Tags. His hand of flesh reached up and took hold of the cool, lightweight items, fingering them for a moment before reading the text carved into them.

What was written there was: "Project: Dilandau Albatou."

His eyes widened at the sight of this and he looked over to one of the older men who had been hit with a beaker and was now currently trying to stop the bleeding in his leg. Stratego growled softly and released the child, setting him on the cold, hard ground of the lab. "What is this?" he asked harshly. "This child….  What did you do to him!?" He was furious at the experimentation on such a fragile human life." He rose to his feet, his hands clenched dangerously under the cloth of his cloak.

One of the men, known to the youth as Reus, stepped forward, limping on his bleeding leg. "I… don't think that you… have the authority to ask that… Stratego," he hissed through clenched teeth. The man was maybe forty or fifty years along in his age, and every day of his life seemed to show on his already furrowed skin. "I think that the best thing for you to do right now, Boy… would be to leave… and forget everything that you saw here. These experiments are highly dangerous."

The teen clenched his jaw firmly, though he knew that his elder was right. "Why…why on humans?" he demanded, speaking in almost royal tone.

"I believe that I can answer your query, Stratego," croaked the elderly voice of Dolus as he entered the room. The crowd around the door shifted and moved aside for the older man to pass. Dolus gazed out at Stratego from behind a pair of small, rounded glasses that sat atop his large, beak-like nose. "You are curious, aren't you?" he asked, a smug look playing across his face as he raised a thinned eyebrow. "You ask, 'why', my dear Stratego… and I will give you the same answer that I gave you when you first arrived to the guild. For Emperor Dornkirk.

"This, however," he continued, gesturing towards the boy on the floor, "…was not ordered by our emperor. We believe it to be in the empire's best interest if we test out the equipment and methods that he wants so badly to obtain his ideal future: to have the power to change destiny, as it were."

Still highly disgusted by the events that he had just been witness to, as well as curious, Stratego inquired further. "What do these children have to do with fate?" he hissed in a dangerous tone. "What does altering destiny have to do with abducting and harming innocent children?!"

Dolus simply chuckled and took a feeble step forward. "Every creature on the face of the planet is in charge of their own fate. There are infinite possibilities altogether, but only so many are distributed to each individual. What if we decided to create another option?" he asked, quirking his head as he spoke. "We can do it. We can do it by creating a whole new human from a ball of clay. We cannot simply create a human being. Not yet. So instead of creating one out of nothing, we use an already-existing vessel."

"That's despicable…" Stratego's voice hissed. "Disgusting. How can you even think of destroying lives like this?"

"We're not 'destroying' lives, Stratego," Dolus's voice drawled. "We're repairing and rebuilding them." The older man laughed in a way that filled Stratego with rage. "Stratego… it is because of situations like this that we don't think you ready to become a full-fledged member of the guild. You are not fully mature and you cannot comprehend the reasons behind our experiments. You're still a child, Stratego. Go back to playing with your toys."

The young sorcerer gave another growl and then sighed, bowing his head to his elder. "Yes, sir." These words were said in the same quiet that the young man left the room surrounded by.

He could not help but thinking about the child, even though he was not to see him until just a few years later when he was enrolled into the Zaibach Empire.

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A/N: Wheee!  And there we have it! Chapter 2! Isn't it pretty? I know it is, I know. Well, I'd like to thank my Beta, the all-powerful, Croik for wasting her time in reading and editing this fanfic. Let's all give her a round of applause. Why? Because she's a goddess, I tell you! A GODDESS!!! Bow to the power that is Croik!

Also, read her fanfictions. Find "Blood Baptism" if you're really looking for a good Dragonslayers fic.

Anywhoo, this neko is out. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Read, Review, send comments. Whatever. My e-mail is dejimon_kaizers_slave@hotmail.com. Feel free to drop me a line anytime you want. I'm friendly and only bite when your hands smell of cheese.