The next installment of this story will continue (hopefully) this weekend.
Thanks again to everyone for their support.
* * *
Dilandau and Jajuka walked down the long corridor towards Dilandau's quarters. Their heels reverberated off of the floor. Click, click, click, just like his mind was at the present moment. The thought that – that bastard Morgreth was responsible for screwing around with his body and mind irritated him to no end. Bits and pieces came back to him: A crying child. Jajuka. A hissing voice. Needles. More needles.
"Lord Dilandau, where are you going?" asked Jajuka as Albatou turned down the corridor to the left.
"The infirmary, of course," he replied, without stopping.
The clicking hurried as Jajuka rushed after him. "No! Lord Dilandau, you mustn't! You promised Lord Folken."
Dilandau smiled. "I didn't promise him anything. I said I would leave Morgreth alone. I'm just going to pay the dear a little hospital visit, that's all."
Jajuka felt his fur turn gray once again. It happened every single time he was around Dilandau. He reached for Dilandau's shoulder. "Lord Dilandau! Please, listen to me! Morgreth is a dangerous man!"
Dilandau laughed and his eyes went dark. "Danger? You want to see danger, Jajuka? Real danger? I am danger incarnate!" he pulled himself from Jajuka and continued down the corridor.
"But if you kill him, how will you ever turn back into that gentle Celena?"
Dilandau shuddered. "What makes you think I want to turn back into Allen's sister? The very thought makes me ill!" He continued down the hall and chuckled. "Jajuka, have you ever dissected a Sorcerer before?"
Jajuka sighed and pursued the youth.
[In the Cargo Bay of the Vione]
"Welcome, Allen Schezar of Asturia," greeted Folken in his rich voice.
The knight carefully walked towards the tall man in the black cloak. The spiked, aqua- blue hair complemented the purple inside collar and contrasted with the deep wine colored eyes. A small, purple tear was on the right cheek. He was handsome, yet he seemed impassive, save for the blue eyebrows that hovered close to the eyes like a man deep in thought.
"Thank you, Lord Folken," replied Allen. "You have news of my sister?" The knight knew that impatience would not bode well in this situation. He was well aware that Folken's fortress was responsible for destroying their fort at Castile, but patience was called for.
"Yes. Please, follow me," he replied as the knight caught up with him. Allen was amazed how tall Folken really was. He stood way past the knight's own head.
"The Mystic Valley, is it?" asked Folken as they walked down a corridor.
Allen blinked. "What?"
"We've been shadowing you for quite some time," replied Folken, matter-of- factly.
"It's nothing but a legend," replied Allen, trying to wave it off.
"Obviously one worth investigating," answered Strategos.
"Just like the disappearance of my sister," said Allen.
"Precisely."
"Lord Folken, if you could..." Allen was interrupted by a group of soldiers shouting.
"Lord Folken!" shouted one of the soldiers.
"What is it, Arashi?" Folken asked calmly.
"Lord Folken, Dilandau has entered the infirmary."
"I thought I told you to keep that area under surveillance, Arashi," Strategos replied coolly.
"You did, sir. But we were ordered to leave."
"Ordered?" inquired Folken. "By whom?"
"It's hard to say, sir. At one minute it sounded like you. Another minute it sounded like Dornkirk."
Folken cursed inwardly. Apparently the anesthetic wasn't strong enough...not even for Morgreth. "This order...did you hear it in your mind?"
"Yes, sir. We left, and then Jajuka came back to retrieve us. He said Dilandau was on his way to the infirmary."
Interesting, thought Folken. Morgreth's MindBending did not affect Jajuka. In ordinary circumstances, only a trained Sorcerer could resist it.
"Arashi, tell your men to fall back at once!" ordered Folken.
"Yes, sir!"
"I beg you pardon, Allen, but I must ask you to stay here with my men."
"What's wrong?" inquired the knight. "My sister isn't in there, is she?"
Folken had to suppress the urge to laugh...if he only knew. "I'm afraid Dilandau has decided to burn the wrong piece of wood. Please, I must ask you to stay here. He's in there with a very dangerous man who can bend the thoughts of others. Only another Sorcerer can resist him." Folken left, saying no more.
Strategos felt his blood heat up. // Calm down. You cannot give him anything to work with// he told himself. Folken was well aware of the various dark projects that the Sorcerers were engaged in. It wasn't enough to alter a person's fate. No. Morgreth went beyond that point, tearing the very fabric himself. // Calm. Blank// he thought again.
Jajuka approached him. "Lord Folken," he bowed. "I'm sorry. I failed you and Lord Dilandau."
Strategos regarded him. "You did not hear anything in your mind at all, Jajuka?" He looked at Folken in bewilderment. "No, sir." The garnet eyes searched Jajuka. "I need you to do a favor for both of us..."
To Be Continued
* * *
Dilandau and Jajuka walked down the long corridor towards Dilandau's quarters. Their heels reverberated off of the floor. Click, click, click, just like his mind was at the present moment. The thought that – that bastard Morgreth was responsible for screwing around with his body and mind irritated him to no end. Bits and pieces came back to him: A crying child. Jajuka. A hissing voice. Needles. More needles.
"Lord Dilandau, where are you going?" asked Jajuka as Albatou turned down the corridor to the left.
"The infirmary, of course," he replied, without stopping.
The clicking hurried as Jajuka rushed after him. "No! Lord Dilandau, you mustn't! You promised Lord Folken."
Dilandau smiled. "I didn't promise him anything. I said I would leave Morgreth alone. I'm just going to pay the dear a little hospital visit, that's all."
Jajuka felt his fur turn gray once again. It happened every single time he was around Dilandau. He reached for Dilandau's shoulder. "Lord Dilandau! Please, listen to me! Morgreth is a dangerous man!"
Dilandau laughed and his eyes went dark. "Danger? You want to see danger, Jajuka? Real danger? I am danger incarnate!" he pulled himself from Jajuka and continued down the corridor.
"But if you kill him, how will you ever turn back into that gentle Celena?"
Dilandau shuddered. "What makes you think I want to turn back into Allen's sister? The very thought makes me ill!" He continued down the hall and chuckled. "Jajuka, have you ever dissected a Sorcerer before?"
Jajuka sighed and pursued the youth.
[In the Cargo Bay of the Vione]
"Welcome, Allen Schezar of Asturia," greeted Folken in his rich voice.
The knight carefully walked towards the tall man in the black cloak. The spiked, aqua- blue hair complemented the purple inside collar and contrasted with the deep wine colored eyes. A small, purple tear was on the right cheek. He was handsome, yet he seemed impassive, save for the blue eyebrows that hovered close to the eyes like a man deep in thought.
"Thank you, Lord Folken," replied Allen. "You have news of my sister?" The knight knew that impatience would not bode well in this situation. He was well aware that Folken's fortress was responsible for destroying their fort at Castile, but patience was called for.
"Yes. Please, follow me," he replied as the knight caught up with him. Allen was amazed how tall Folken really was. He stood way past the knight's own head.
"The Mystic Valley, is it?" asked Folken as they walked down a corridor.
Allen blinked. "What?"
"We've been shadowing you for quite some time," replied Folken, matter-of- factly.
"It's nothing but a legend," replied Allen, trying to wave it off.
"Obviously one worth investigating," answered Strategos.
"Just like the disappearance of my sister," said Allen.
"Precisely."
"Lord Folken, if you could..." Allen was interrupted by a group of soldiers shouting.
"Lord Folken!" shouted one of the soldiers.
"What is it, Arashi?" Folken asked calmly.
"Lord Folken, Dilandau has entered the infirmary."
"I thought I told you to keep that area under surveillance, Arashi," Strategos replied coolly.
"You did, sir. But we were ordered to leave."
"Ordered?" inquired Folken. "By whom?"
"It's hard to say, sir. At one minute it sounded like you. Another minute it sounded like Dornkirk."
Folken cursed inwardly. Apparently the anesthetic wasn't strong enough...not even for Morgreth. "This order...did you hear it in your mind?"
"Yes, sir. We left, and then Jajuka came back to retrieve us. He said Dilandau was on his way to the infirmary."
Interesting, thought Folken. Morgreth's MindBending did not affect Jajuka. In ordinary circumstances, only a trained Sorcerer could resist it.
"Arashi, tell your men to fall back at once!" ordered Folken.
"Yes, sir!"
"I beg you pardon, Allen, but I must ask you to stay here with my men."
"What's wrong?" inquired the knight. "My sister isn't in there, is she?"
Folken had to suppress the urge to laugh...if he only knew. "I'm afraid Dilandau has decided to burn the wrong piece of wood. Please, I must ask you to stay here. He's in there with a very dangerous man who can bend the thoughts of others. Only another Sorcerer can resist him." Folken left, saying no more.
Strategos felt his blood heat up. // Calm down. You cannot give him anything to work with// he told himself. Folken was well aware of the various dark projects that the Sorcerers were engaged in. It wasn't enough to alter a person's fate. No. Morgreth went beyond that point, tearing the very fabric himself. // Calm. Blank// he thought again.
Jajuka approached him. "Lord Folken," he bowed. "I'm sorry. I failed you and Lord Dilandau."
Strategos regarded him. "You did not hear anything in your mind at all, Jajuka?" He looked at Folken in bewilderment. "No, sir." The garnet eyes searched Jajuka. "I need you to do a favor for both of us..."
To Be Continued
