Chapter 2: Dead Man and Dragon Bait
I sorted through everything in the room, desperately trying to find my sword. Then it occurred to me that the Zaibach empire wasn't stupid enough to leave a prisoner armed. Maybe Albato had it...
As I scrambled through the hallways, hardly a soul was to be seen. However, as I rounded one corner, a voice called to me from behind. "Stop running, girl, he gave it to me."
I immediately stopped and turned to see who had called my name. A young boy sat in an inlet in the wall. He had short silver hair that curled out at the bottom, and flaming blood red eyes. The young boy was not wearing a uniform like everyone else. He chuckled. The boy's voice was rough and cold. "Welcome to the vione," he said sarcastically. I just stared at him. How could he be so rough? Then I realized, this boy was Albato's brother! I dropped to the ground and bowed to the young boy. Again, I feared to look up—his father's cold malice was reflected in the boy's eyes.
"Please, don't. I won't hurt you... I promise," he said in a softer tone. I risked a glance up (a mistake that often saw me to a great deal of pain), and found his hand waiting to help me up. I took it, and he helped me to my feet. "Forgive me, I did not mean to frighten you... It happens a lot..."
When I looked up, I saw that his eyes had softened. He was smiling—not the grim, sarcastic smile that he used before, but a real smile. I smiled back. "C'mon, let's go get your sword."
He led me back to the iron doors. I nearly fell back at the very sight of them. Then I remembered the kindness I was shown, and forced myself to continue forward. But Albato was not there... It was completely devoid of life and color. The boy pulled me through the doors.
Then he took me behind the chair, where there was a trap-door in the floor. He led me through it, and down the hall concealed within it. There, at the end of the hall, stood two doors. Each was on the opposite side of the hall from the other.
We went into the one on the left. I stayed in the doorway, while he went in and pulled my sword out from under his bed. "I'm Dilandau, by the way," he said to me while he handed me the sword. "What's your name?" My voice got stuck in my throat. I would have told him my name, but I couldn't remember it.
"I...uh...can't remember."
"Well, what do you want to be called?" I smiled. No one had ever asked me that before.
"Shade."
He smiled back. "Shade..."
A puzzled look spread over my face. "Where's Albato?"
"Oh, uh, I think he went to fight a dragon or something. Some idiotic blue- haired dude was trying to fight it alone. They said he lost an arm, or something.
My heart skipped a beat. "Folken?!"
"Yeah, somethin' like that, how'd ya know?" he asked with a suspicious look.
"He's...my brother..." I would have burst out crying if I was at home in my room, but I thought it best to keep shut, for Folken's sake.
"Your brother's an idiot," Dilandau said flatly. "An idiot with blue hair." I couldn't help but laugh at the remark. "Unfortunately, the best thing we can do now is wait."
"We aren't going to help them?!"
He sat thinking for a moment. "You're right- we should ground the vione. It's the least we can do." Dilandau stood up and left the room. I started to follow him. "You wait here; I'll take care of it." I sat back down, and watched him disappear through the trap-door.
About five minutes later, the vione began to sink. The feeling resembled the one you get on an elevator. Then it stopped, having hit the ground. Not but ten minutes later, Dilandau came back. He looked sad. The boy walked much slower than he usually did. I ran and met him half way through the hall. "Dilandau, what's wrong?"
"He's...dead..."
*SIX YEARS LATER*
I woke up from my memories suddenly. Part of me wished I could have stopped time that day... The day I got here... But there was no way to prevent it, Dilandau would have become his father, whether he was happy with his existence or not...
I sorted through everything in the room, desperately trying to find my sword. Then it occurred to me that the Zaibach empire wasn't stupid enough to leave a prisoner armed. Maybe Albato had it...
As I scrambled through the hallways, hardly a soul was to be seen. However, as I rounded one corner, a voice called to me from behind. "Stop running, girl, he gave it to me."
I immediately stopped and turned to see who had called my name. A young boy sat in an inlet in the wall. He had short silver hair that curled out at the bottom, and flaming blood red eyes. The young boy was not wearing a uniform like everyone else. He chuckled. The boy's voice was rough and cold. "Welcome to the vione," he said sarcastically. I just stared at him. How could he be so rough? Then I realized, this boy was Albato's brother! I dropped to the ground and bowed to the young boy. Again, I feared to look up—his father's cold malice was reflected in the boy's eyes.
"Please, don't. I won't hurt you... I promise," he said in a softer tone. I risked a glance up (a mistake that often saw me to a great deal of pain), and found his hand waiting to help me up. I took it, and he helped me to my feet. "Forgive me, I did not mean to frighten you... It happens a lot..."
When I looked up, I saw that his eyes had softened. He was smiling—not the grim, sarcastic smile that he used before, but a real smile. I smiled back. "C'mon, let's go get your sword."
He led me back to the iron doors. I nearly fell back at the very sight of them. Then I remembered the kindness I was shown, and forced myself to continue forward. But Albato was not there... It was completely devoid of life and color. The boy pulled me through the doors.
Then he took me behind the chair, where there was a trap-door in the floor. He led me through it, and down the hall concealed within it. There, at the end of the hall, stood two doors. Each was on the opposite side of the hall from the other.
We went into the one on the left. I stayed in the doorway, while he went in and pulled my sword out from under his bed. "I'm Dilandau, by the way," he said to me while he handed me the sword. "What's your name?" My voice got stuck in my throat. I would have told him my name, but I couldn't remember it.
"I...uh...can't remember."
"Well, what do you want to be called?" I smiled. No one had ever asked me that before.
"Shade."
He smiled back. "Shade..."
A puzzled look spread over my face. "Where's Albato?"
"Oh, uh, I think he went to fight a dragon or something. Some idiotic blue- haired dude was trying to fight it alone. They said he lost an arm, or something.
My heart skipped a beat. "Folken?!"
"Yeah, somethin' like that, how'd ya know?" he asked with a suspicious look.
"He's...my brother..." I would have burst out crying if I was at home in my room, but I thought it best to keep shut, for Folken's sake.
"Your brother's an idiot," Dilandau said flatly. "An idiot with blue hair." I couldn't help but laugh at the remark. "Unfortunately, the best thing we can do now is wait."
"We aren't going to help them?!"
He sat thinking for a moment. "You're right- we should ground the vione. It's the least we can do." Dilandau stood up and left the room. I started to follow him. "You wait here; I'll take care of it." I sat back down, and watched him disappear through the trap-door.
About five minutes later, the vione began to sink. The feeling resembled the one you get on an elevator. Then it stopped, having hit the ground. Not but ten minutes later, Dilandau came back. He looked sad. The boy walked much slower than he usually did. I ran and met him half way through the hall. "Dilandau, what's wrong?"
"He's...dead..."
*SIX YEARS LATER*
I woke up from my memories suddenly. Part of me wished I could have stopped time that day... The day I got here... But there was no way to prevent it, Dilandau would have become his father, whether he was happy with his existence or not...