{{Ayeee….it's never going to stop amazing me that there is absolutely no definitive list of characters' names in Esca (And it's probably that way in other anime too, but this is the only one I really know.)
I'm sorry if I don't get the right names for any of the Dragonslayers, or if I don't include one.(I'm thinking of a soldier named Ryonne, or something like that. I know absolutely nothing about him, or even what he's supposed to look like.)
Dirandau and some of his companions were having a bit of fun, waiting for a meeting to start. He was quite popular there. Nearly everyone wanted to spend time with him, if they got the chance. He was enigmatic and very interesting.
In some societies, soldiers play cards in their off-hours, but here in Zaibach, the favoured type of play was with marbles. Most everyone carried them, in little bags.
Right now, they were playing a game that Dirandau had come up with.
It was to practice how to strategically place troops, and how to attack.
Dirandau: "Alright, Migueru. Do your best."
He watched on, as Migueru tried to figure out how to ensure that no attack from Dirandau could kill all his troops. Such a difficult task.
Dirandau had already found three people he wanted to be in his command, who were at his side at that moment. Migueru, Guimel, and Kotei.
Dirandau had chanced upon meeting Guimel.
He had been waiting for Folken, because of something foolish that he couldn't remember. There was a group of soldiers, taunting a young man with a very odd haircut.
He attacked them verbally and physically. He was tough.
Dirandau surmised that he must have been forced to defend himself like that all his life, and that kind of tenacity would definitely be useful on the battlefield.
Kotei had always been an overachiever. He had a list of awards and merits the size of Texas.
Dirandau was glad that he had found Kotei's name while looking through records. He seemed just perfect…until Dirandau saw him. Kotei had the misfortune of needing glasses. That was very bad when it came to guymelef fighting. The glasses were too apt to fall off, and then the fighter would be useless.
However, his merits and talent were far too good to pass up simply because of that. There were ways to make glasses tailored to the specific needs of a guymelef pilot, even though they did happen to be a little restricting in regards to fighting. Besides, Dirandau would only need about six men on any given mission. He wouldn't have to use Kotei all the time.
As for Migueru…Dirandau never did check over his record, like Folken suggested.
He refused to be told what to do by Folken when it came to things like this. Migueru was too good to pass up, and from his experience thus far, Migueru would also be fiercely loyal to him.
And, the four had been spending a great deal of time together, getting used to each other. They'd start training fairly soon, when Dirandau had gotten at least half the number he needed. They felt very lucky to be able to spend time like this, just being people interacting with people. It was rare to be able to get a frank look at the higher-ups, if a person were only some nameless part of a group. And they'd always remember Dirandau this way - as a young man, on the brink of a very exciting life; always happy and hopeful, and full of high expectations. At first, they'd only been glad that they would be so respected, that they had such a high position in the army. However, once they got to know Dirandau, they began to care deeply for him. He seemed so happy, and yet….so frail.
No one else was ever that happy. Not in this sterile, cold environment. It was difficult for the young soldiers enduring it to ascertain just exactly what was wrong. They couldn't stop being miserable, and there was no one else that they could talk to about it. Many just went along with it, hoping for better things in the future. They hoped that maybe this feeling would end once they were allowed to go to actual battles, instead of constant drills or other exercises which became meaningless after so much repetition.
However, the feeling never did go away. It only lessened with the distraction of battle. To see someone die at one's own hand…that was something real. That was something tangible. It made perfect sense, and seemed to make everything else understandable.
Migueru finished setting up his country.
He smiled.
Migueru: "I think you'll be pleased with this one."
He had made several rectangles connected together, in the form of one of those imaginary countries they used in battle drills. He wondered if Dirandau would be angry with him, for beating him.
However, that fear was not one he had to contemplate for long. Dirandau simply smiled, made the shot, and killed every last one of those marbles.
Migueru looked on in shock.
Dirandau: "Don't expect me to ever ask you to help plan out troop placement."
Dirandau wrote some numbers down on a nearby notepad.
Dirandau: "You owe me thirty credits now."
Migueru handed over the last of his credits, only 10.
There was no such thing as money in Zaibach. They didn't need it, because every necessity was taken care of. However, the leaders realized awhile ago that it became very difficult to motivate these soldiers to become better if they had nothing to obtain. Awards and medals could only go so far, and if they handed them out to everyone that needed motivation, they would lose their meaning.
Therefore, someone came up with the idea of credits - little pieces of metal that could be used to get extra things. Food was a popular one. Candy, and other things that aren't very healthy, were never provided to the soldiers. They were expected to live off of what the nutritionists deemed necessary. However, a small treat now and then seemed to lift their spirits. And, because credits were difficult to get, then the soldiers wouldn't overdose.
There were the extra uniforms. Uniforms were hard to take care of, very difficult to keep clean. They had to be in perfect order all the time. It was useful to have at least one extra around. That cut maintenance time in half, and nearly all the soldiers who got a second uniform were better at their jobs, because they could concentrate more on them.
And then there were the 'frivolous' items. The ones that served no purpose whatsoever, except to bring pleasure, such as books or civilian clothes. One man was known to have bought thirty evening gowns, which seemed foolish because no one was ever allowed to wear anything except their uniform or their undergarments. When asked why he had spent so much on them, he simply replied that they were beautiful and he liked them, even if they did just sit in his closet.
These things all came from foreign countries. They sat in a large storeroom, where anyone was allowed to go. It was to the soldiers what other countries would call a 'marketplace.'
All of these things cost a large amount of credits. That was why the lower soldiers had so little. It would take them a long time to save anything up. At most, they might be able to afford a book, or a piece of jewelry. However, since that was something they could call their own, something different from what everyone else had, it helped them immensely. They had something that they could aspire to, something that would affect them personally.
"If I work hard, I can get this," was a prevalent thought.
The better a soldier was, the more credits they could earn. Dirandau often bragged that he had enough to buy twenty guymelefs with. Some thought that was an exaggeration, but it wasn't. Folken had started using them as bribery to study without complaint. There was nothing Dirandau really wanted, but Folken told him that he could also use them to buy time to be by himself and do whatever he wanted. There was nothing like the promise of getting rid of Folken for at least a little while to motivate Dirandau.
This had been the tenth game today. Dirandau decided he should take a break from it for awhile, and started back for his quarters. However, Migueru was still puzzling over what Dirandau had just done.
Migueru: "If you please…sir…how did you do that so easily?"
He was trying to get used to calling Dirandau by title, but it was odd to be calling someone his own age 'sir'.
Dirandau came back, and started laying out the marbles into two different designs. The first was exactly like what Migueru had laid out.
The other design was different from the type everyone else made. He had made several little groups, and there were huge gaps between each of them.
Dirandau: "You set yours up in squares, or circles, or other familiar things like that. But…"
He shot one, and manage to knock them all over again.
Dirandau: "When you set your troops all in a line, right next to each other like that, then it becomes very easy to knock them all out, one by one. All I have to do is get the first one, and that will take care of all the others for me."
He then shot at his own design. He managed to get one group, and the rest were untouched.
Dirandau: "You see? Only one group was killed. The rest are intact, and if they were real people, they'd be able to come after the troops shooting at them. If you spread out, then it's harder to find out where you are, and how large your numbers are, and planning is very difficult for the enemy."
It was a good thing for Dirandau that he didn't remember in the least bit what he'd told Folken about how useless learning strategy was.
Dirandau scribbled down on the notepad again.
Dirandau: "And that makes it fifty credits, for having not figured that out yet."
Dirandau smirked, and walked away, leaving Migueru to contemplate the lesson, and to wonder how he was ever going to be able to pay that debt.
Dirandau was very happy with himself these days. In about a month, he'd have chosen all his soldiers, and they would be able to begin training. No more useless studying, no more spending so much time preparing for the future. And this was only a short while before he'd earn a promotion. Everything was bright and exciting.
He walked down the cafeteria. 1 credit was equal to a bag of sugar candy. Folken had banned Dirandau from eating anything with sugar in it, but since Folken wasn't here there was no reason not to take advantage of the opportunity.
He walked happily back to his quarters, munching on the candy. Nothing could've made this day bad. Well….almost….
He turned the corner to a dark, deserted hallway. At least, he thought it was deserted. He continued walking, until he practically tripped over two young soldiers, doing who-knows-what. They were all surprised at having run into one another, and the situation was awkward. Dirandau ate one more piece of candy while he thought of what to say.
Dirandau: "What the hell are you two doing down here?"
Their clothes were completely in shambles, and not put on the right way. One of them stood at attention.
"Forgive us, sir. We are Liezel and Cora. We apologize for disturbing you, and we'll leave now before causing anymore-"
Dirandau: "You still haven't answered my question."
Cora explained that they were to be separated the next day, and they'd never see each other again. Very bashfully, he said that they had wanted just one night to remember each other by. Everywhere that they were normally allowed to go to was in use, and this darkened hallway was the only place they could find privacy in.
However, Dirandau didn't believe that story. If what they were doing was innocent, then why would they have to hide?
He intended to give them both a sound thrashing, but Cora cared about Liezel too much. He stepped forward, and took a blow that was intended for Liezel.
Cora: "Get out of here!"
And Liezel took off running. Dirandau tried to run after, but lovers are not easy to defeat. Cora put up a good fight, and it wasn't until Liezel had gotten completely out of sight that Dirandau was able to knock Cora out.
He knew that it was pointless now to run after Liezel. He'd never be able to find that damned soldier now.
Luckily, he had both their names, so it didn't matter. They'd be punished well when he turned them in. And, for their impudent behavior, he would also come and 'take care' of them later.
Dirandau was exasperated. Not only was Folken unwilling to have those two idiots punished, but now he was acting as if Dirandau were wrong.
Dirandau: "Folken! What the fuck is wrong with you??"
He wished he could kill Folken. He planned to do it someday, when Folken wasn't in charge of him anymore.
:: "I'll be a General some day, and then he'll be sorry."::
Folken: "You shouldn't swear like that all the time. You'll get yourself in trouble."
That was a foolish request, which led, as usual, to Dirandau shouting a series of his favorites.
Folken sighed. Sometimes he wondered if this boy was hopeless.
Folken: "Why do you have your heart so set on getting rid of these two? Their story seems quite understandable to me."
Dirandau: "They were obviously doing something wrong."
His face was set in fortitude. He was a very righteous individual, well aware of what was right or wrong.
He knew that one must not ever say anything against Dornkirk. He knew that one must never associate with enemies, if they can help it. He knew that the lower orders needed constant reminding of the things they did wrong. He knew all about broad-swords and hand-to-hand-combat, and what the easiest ways to kill any given individual were.
He did not, however, know anything about the sorts of things most people did in their off-hours.
The only contact he ever had with others was tainted by the fact that they had to behave in an artificial fashion. The army had certain standards, and expected all of its soldiers to follow them.
Folken and others in charge of Dirandau always dragged any information they could out of him, regarding other people's actions. They had turned him into a spy without his knowing, and he couldn't do anything about it.
Unwittingly, he had even managed to have a favourite instructor of his executed, for conduct unbecoming his station. He had always allowed his students to use the free time they had left over as they saw fit. Dirandau had been so glad of that, that he couldn't help but tell Strategos all about it. He had often wished that instructor could've taken over for Strategos.
They told him later that the instructor was a treason-ist, and was executed. Dirandau thought no more about it, and tried to forget that he ever had the least bit of respect for that man.
Folken: "They were doing absolutely nothing wrong. Even if your moral convictions lead you to believe that this is something sick or disgusting, you can't truly let that-"
Dirandau: "What do you mean….disgusting?"
From Dirandau's tone of voice and facial expression, Folken surmised that Dirandau had no idea what those two were really doing. He was simply following the theory that anything secretive is an offense and deserving of punishment.
This left Folken in a very awkward position. How the hell was he going to explain this?
Folken: "Uh…I think we need to have a talk…"
Through much difficulty, and a skim through a medical textbook, Folken was able to explain the whole thing to Dirandau, who was thoroughly disgusted with the whole human race now. He didn't stop cringing for an hour.
Dirandau: "I don't give a damn if you say that nearly everyone does this. My soldiers will not be allowed to do this."
Folken pitied the soldiers that would be working with Dirandau. They were definitely going to have to deal with a lot.
Folken: "You can't control them when they're not working.
Dirandau: "Then they will never be off duty."
Folken: "What about when they're asleep? Or washing? You can't keep track of them all the time."
Dirandau: "I…"
Damnit, why did Folken always have to question him like this?
Folken should have just accepted that Dirandau knew what to do, and moved on.
Dirandau: "They just won't. That's all. It's not like this is a necessary thing for survival. They'll live without doing it."
Folken: "Oh. So, you think you can ban romance, just like that?"
Dirandau glared at Folken, very annoyed. It was very irritating when Folken constantly used words that Dirandau didn't understand.
Dirandau: "What does that word mean?"
Folken shut his eyes. This was too much to cover for one day.
Folken: "It's a type of love. Do you know what that word means?"
Dirandau nodded.
Dirandau: "Oh, sure...I love annoying you, I love my katana, I love serving Dornkirk-sama, I-"
Folken: "Fine, fine. This'll be easier then."
Folken walked over to a locked box, and pulled out a burgundy-colored book. He handed it to Dirandau.
Folken: "You read that, and it'll help make it more understandable."
It was entitled, "A Heart Alove in Silence." Folken had picked it up once as a souvenir from some country a long time ago.
Dirandau started to walk away, to go to his quarters to study it, but Folken refused to let him go. If anyone else found out that he was making Dirandau read a romance novel, it would be impossible to explain,. After all, why would someone who only had to know how best to fight wars need to know about that? It's not like he was ever going to feel it anyway.
However, if Dirandau didn't know about how other people function, how could he deal with them? He had been so willing to have those two innocent people executed, because he didn't understand what was going on.
Dirandau hadn't even gotten past the first page, when he came across something incomprehensible. To set the story, the author had started thus:
"A young man walked across a field of violets, mired in emotions and desperation.
His old life, gone, given up for a chance at love. Given up in one chance at love…and amounting to nothing.
He was to be a great man, a leader of men. He had the respect of all. He had all the gold he could ever want at his feet, and all the servants he would ever need at his fingertips. And, he gave it all up for one chance.
But, the poor girl he loved grew cold towards him. In a moment of distraction, caused by her disdain of him, he was defeated, rushed out of his homeland by a long time enemy. The enemy would search high and low through this countryside, until he found the young man, and killed him.
And now the young man wandered through the violets, looking for a way out…"
Dirandau: "I don't get it. If he had so much, why did he give it up?"
Folken: "Because he wanted Love more."
Dirandau: "And, what will love get a person?"
Folken: "They say it makes a person very happy, and can make life worthwhile."
Dirandau: "But it says he was miserable."
Folken: "That happens sometimes. But, still…it can often be worth it in the end, or so I'm told."
Dirandau: "But, his life was already good. Why did he decide to fall in love?"
Folken: "He didn't decide. That just sort of…happens."
Dirandau raised an eyebrow. It just sort of happens? Like the rain falling, or a person breaking a leg?
Folken: "Is this making sense to you?"
Dirandau nodded, just so that he wouldn't have to hear anymore about it. Folken dismissed him.
Dirandau hurried out of there faster than he ever had in his entire life.
Aya…did Folken really think that was necessary??
Dirandau swore that he'd never ever let anyone work for him who had anything to do with…that.
Love…it was some kind of disease. That was the only way Dirandau could make sense of it. Some debilitating illness, which destroys the mind and obscures a person's vision.
It makes a person weak.
It makes a person vulnerable.
Even if idiots like Folken tolerated this, Dirandau wouldn't. And, it didn't matter if it was something natural.
:: "People are naturally naked, but they don't go around like that. They cover up, don't they?" ::
They could deal with it. Soldiers know how to deal with many things, and to change themselves to be able to work in given standards. And, if they couldn't, then there were plenty of consequences to suffer.
And he certainly wouldn't work with anyone who was so likely to be disloyal to him. If it really was such a strong emotion, then then there would be great chance that they would rather defend their love than him. They'd always be thinking of their love. It would distract them from the fighting. And, if it were between anyone in his group...they'd always be concentrating on eachother. It could lead to a failed mission. Many failed missions.
It was unacceptable.
{{Ayeee..I can't believe I devoted a whole chapter to love, romance, etc. _
::Cringes, and goes off to burn some random pink object, just to get rid of that girly feeling::
However, he seemed to hate this little fact of life, and others who submit to it [Namely Allen]. I felt there had to be some kind of reason for it. And since this fic is my attempt to explore possibilities for why he is the way he is in the series, I thought it appropriate.
.
I'm very worried right now, because with the stuff I've been writing [This chapter and a new fic], people might think that's all my writing is going to be from now on, dealing with only that subject. However, my opinions and beliefs don't fall that way, and I'm usually not fond of writing about love, romance, etc.
[The kinds of views I have Dirandau expressing here are really hard to get over.]
So, I'm stating right out that in this fic, I'll have no more about any of this.
.
.
Okay….here's the deal with the whole thing about Folken's wings in the last chapter:
If I had taken a little longer to write it, I most likely wouldn't have written that in. Thankfully, the story can live or die with out it. I won't be going back and taking it out, though.
I've got many things to do…I really don't want to waste it on reworking things I've already done.
I can only apologize that I'm very tired, as always, and that when I write chapters so quickly like that, all that tiredness catches up with me, and I start to forget what it is I was trying to write.
If it bothers you too much, please feel free to pretend it never happened.
[Which is what I intend to do.]
{{And, I have a beta-reader now, so hopefully things like that won't happen in the future.}}
Speaking of Folken and pretending that something never happened, I've got to mention a new fic that I'm writing.
I had a dream, because of watching Esca all the way through in one day[::Smiles:: I call it 'studying'] , about Dirandau and Folken.
They had to get married. _ ::Cringes at every mention of it::
It's not exactly yaoi, because there's no romance between them [Or anyone else, for that matter.].
Well, I found it all very interesting, and all the characters managed to stay in-character throughout the whole dream, so I felt it would make for a nice fic.
I'm also going to use it as practice for using something other than script-style for writing when a character speaks. (And, it's very annoying thus far, but I hope it'll be worth it.)}}
Next chapter, I introduce all the rest of the DSlayers, and they start their training.
One more thing.
My Chid fic is begging to be killed. I lost what I was doing with that somewhere along the line.
I've got the next three chapters outline, but do forgive if I don't finish them. I've got a lot of stuff to do for the Navy, and I leave in two months.
I'm sorry if I don't get the right names for any of the Dragonslayers, or if I don't include one.(I'm thinking of a soldier named Ryonne, or something like that. I know absolutely nothing about him, or even what he's supposed to look like.)
Dirandau and some of his companions were having a bit of fun, waiting for a meeting to start. He was quite popular there. Nearly everyone wanted to spend time with him, if they got the chance. He was enigmatic and very interesting.
In some societies, soldiers play cards in their off-hours, but here in Zaibach, the favoured type of play was with marbles. Most everyone carried them, in little bags.
Right now, they were playing a game that Dirandau had come up with.
It was to practice how to strategically place troops, and how to attack.
Dirandau: "Alright, Migueru. Do your best."
He watched on, as Migueru tried to figure out how to ensure that no attack from Dirandau could kill all his troops. Such a difficult task.
Dirandau had already found three people he wanted to be in his command, who were at his side at that moment. Migueru, Guimel, and Kotei.
Dirandau had chanced upon meeting Guimel.
He had been waiting for Folken, because of something foolish that he couldn't remember. There was a group of soldiers, taunting a young man with a very odd haircut.
He attacked them verbally and physically. He was tough.
Dirandau surmised that he must have been forced to defend himself like that all his life, and that kind of tenacity would definitely be useful on the battlefield.
Kotei had always been an overachiever. He had a list of awards and merits the size of Texas.
Dirandau was glad that he had found Kotei's name while looking through records. He seemed just perfect…until Dirandau saw him. Kotei had the misfortune of needing glasses. That was very bad when it came to guymelef fighting. The glasses were too apt to fall off, and then the fighter would be useless.
However, his merits and talent were far too good to pass up simply because of that. There were ways to make glasses tailored to the specific needs of a guymelef pilot, even though they did happen to be a little restricting in regards to fighting. Besides, Dirandau would only need about six men on any given mission. He wouldn't have to use Kotei all the time.
As for Migueru…Dirandau never did check over his record, like Folken suggested.
He refused to be told what to do by Folken when it came to things like this. Migueru was too good to pass up, and from his experience thus far, Migueru would also be fiercely loyal to him.
And, the four had been spending a great deal of time together, getting used to each other. They'd start training fairly soon, when Dirandau had gotten at least half the number he needed. They felt very lucky to be able to spend time like this, just being people interacting with people. It was rare to be able to get a frank look at the higher-ups, if a person were only some nameless part of a group. And they'd always remember Dirandau this way - as a young man, on the brink of a very exciting life; always happy and hopeful, and full of high expectations. At first, they'd only been glad that they would be so respected, that they had such a high position in the army. However, once they got to know Dirandau, they began to care deeply for him. He seemed so happy, and yet….so frail.
No one else was ever that happy. Not in this sterile, cold environment. It was difficult for the young soldiers enduring it to ascertain just exactly what was wrong. They couldn't stop being miserable, and there was no one else that they could talk to about it. Many just went along with it, hoping for better things in the future. They hoped that maybe this feeling would end once they were allowed to go to actual battles, instead of constant drills or other exercises which became meaningless after so much repetition.
However, the feeling never did go away. It only lessened with the distraction of battle. To see someone die at one's own hand…that was something real. That was something tangible. It made perfect sense, and seemed to make everything else understandable.
Migueru finished setting up his country.
He smiled.
Migueru: "I think you'll be pleased with this one."
He had made several rectangles connected together, in the form of one of those imaginary countries they used in battle drills. He wondered if Dirandau would be angry with him, for beating him.
However, that fear was not one he had to contemplate for long. Dirandau simply smiled, made the shot, and killed every last one of those marbles.
Migueru looked on in shock.
Dirandau: "Don't expect me to ever ask you to help plan out troop placement."
Dirandau wrote some numbers down on a nearby notepad.
Dirandau: "You owe me thirty credits now."
Migueru handed over the last of his credits, only 10.
There was no such thing as money in Zaibach. They didn't need it, because every necessity was taken care of. However, the leaders realized awhile ago that it became very difficult to motivate these soldiers to become better if they had nothing to obtain. Awards and medals could only go so far, and if they handed them out to everyone that needed motivation, they would lose their meaning.
Therefore, someone came up with the idea of credits - little pieces of metal that could be used to get extra things. Food was a popular one. Candy, and other things that aren't very healthy, were never provided to the soldiers. They were expected to live off of what the nutritionists deemed necessary. However, a small treat now and then seemed to lift their spirits. And, because credits were difficult to get, then the soldiers wouldn't overdose.
There were the extra uniforms. Uniforms were hard to take care of, very difficult to keep clean. They had to be in perfect order all the time. It was useful to have at least one extra around. That cut maintenance time in half, and nearly all the soldiers who got a second uniform were better at their jobs, because they could concentrate more on them.
And then there were the 'frivolous' items. The ones that served no purpose whatsoever, except to bring pleasure, such as books or civilian clothes. One man was known to have bought thirty evening gowns, which seemed foolish because no one was ever allowed to wear anything except their uniform or their undergarments. When asked why he had spent so much on them, he simply replied that they were beautiful and he liked them, even if they did just sit in his closet.
These things all came from foreign countries. They sat in a large storeroom, where anyone was allowed to go. It was to the soldiers what other countries would call a 'marketplace.'
All of these things cost a large amount of credits. That was why the lower soldiers had so little. It would take them a long time to save anything up. At most, they might be able to afford a book, or a piece of jewelry. However, since that was something they could call their own, something different from what everyone else had, it helped them immensely. They had something that they could aspire to, something that would affect them personally.
"If I work hard, I can get this," was a prevalent thought.
The better a soldier was, the more credits they could earn. Dirandau often bragged that he had enough to buy twenty guymelefs with. Some thought that was an exaggeration, but it wasn't. Folken had started using them as bribery to study without complaint. There was nothing Dirandau really wanted, but Folken told him that he could also use them to buy time to be by himself and do whatever he wanted. There was nothing like the promise of getting rid of Folken for at least a little while to motivate Dirandau.
This had been the tenth game today. Dirandau decided he should take a break from it for awhile, and started back for his quarters. However, Migueru was still puzzling over what Dirandau had just done.
Migueru: "If you please…sir…how did you do that so easily?"
He was trying to get used to calling Dirandau by title, but it was odd to be calling someone his own age 'sir'.
Dirandau came back, and started laying out the marbles into two different designs. The first was exactly like what Migueru had laid out.
The other design was different from the type everyone else made. He had made several little groups, and there were huge gaps between each of them.
Dirandau: "You set yours up in squares, or circles, or other familiar things like that. But…"
He shot one, and manage to knock them all over again.
Dirandau: "When you set your troops all in a line, right next to each other like that, then it becomes very easy to knock them all out, one by one. All I have to do is get the first one, and that will take care of all the others for me."
He then shot at his own design. He managed to get one group, and the rest were untouched.
Dirandau: "You see? Only one group was killed. The rest are intact, and if they were real people, they'd be able to come after the troops shooting at them. If you spread out, then it's harder to find out where you are, and how large your numbers are, and planning is very difficult for the enemy."
It was a good thing for Dirandau that he didn't remember in the least bit what he'd told Folken about how useless learning strategy was.
Dirandau scribbled down on the notepad again.
Dirandau: "And that makes it fifty credits, for having not figured that out yet."
Dirandau smirked, and walked away, leaving Migueru to contemplate the lesson, and to wonder how he was ever going to be able to pay that debt.
Dirandau was very happy with himself these days. In about a month, he'd have chosen all his soldiers, and they would be able to begin training. No more useless studying, no more spending so much time preparing for the future. And this was only a short while before he'd earn a promotion. Everything was bright and exciting.
He walked down the cafeteria. 1 credit was equal to a bag of sugar candy. Folken had banned Dirandau from eating anything with sugar in it, but since Folken wasn't here there was no reason not to take advantage of the opportunity.
He walked happily back to his quarters, munching on the candy. Nothing could've made this day bad. Well….almost….
He turned the corner to a dark, deserted hallway. At least, he thought it was deserted. He continued walking, until he practically tripped over two young soldiers, doing who-knows-what. They were all surprised at having run into one another, and the situation was awkward. Dirandau ate one more piece of candy while he thought of what to say.
Dirandau: "What the hell are you two doing down here?"
Their clothes were completely in shambles, and not put on the right way. One of them stood at attention.
"Forgive us, sir. We are Liezel and Cora. We apologize for disturbing you, and we'll leave now before causing anymore-"
Dirandau: "You still haven't answered my question."
Cora explained that they were to be separated the next day, and they'd never see each other again. Very bashfully, he said that they had wanted just one night to remember each other by. Everywhere that they were normally allowed to go to was in use, and this darkened hallway was the only place they could find privacy in.
However, Dirandau didn't believe that story. If what they were doing was innocent, then why would they have to hide?
He intended to give them both a sound thrashing, but Cora cared about Liezel too much. He stepped forward, and took a blow that was intended for Liezel.
Cora: "Get out of here!"
And Liezel took off running. Dirandau tried to run after, but lovers are not easy to defeat. Cora put up a good fight, and it wasn't until Liezel had gotten completely out of sight that Dirandau was able to knock Cora out.
He knew that it was pointless now to run after Liezel. He'd never be able to find that damned soldier now.
Luckily, he had both their names, so it didn't matter. They'd be punished well when he turned them in. And, for their impudent behavior, he would also come and 'take care' of them later.
Dirandau was exasperated. Not only was Folken unwilling to have those two idiots punished, but now he was acting as if Dirandau were wrong.
Dirandau: "Folken! What the fuck is wrong with you??"
He wished he could kill Folken. He planned to do it someday, when Folken wasn't in charge of him anymore.
:: "I'll be a General some day, and then he'll be sorry."::
Folken: "You shouldn't swear like that all the time. You'll get yourself in trouble."
That was a foolish request, which led, as usual, to Dirandau shouting a series of his favorites.
Folken sighed. Sometimes he wondered if this boy was hopeless.
Folken: "Why do you have your heart so set on getting rid of these two? Their story seems quite understandable to me."
Dirandau: "They were obviously doing something wrong."
His face was set in fortitude. He was a very righteous individual, well aware of what was right or wrong.
He knew that one must not ever say anything against Dornkirk. He knew that one must never associate with enemies, if they can help it. He knew that the lower orders needed constant reminding of the things they did wrong. He knew all about broad-swords and hand-to-hand-combat, and what the easiest ways to kill any given individual were.
He did not, however, know anything about the sorts of things most people did in their off-hours.
The only contact he ever had with others was tainted by the fact that they had to behave in an artificial fashion. The army had certain standards, and expected all of its soldiers to follow them.
Folken and others in charge of Dirandau always dragged any information they could out of him, regarding other people's actions. They had turned him into a spy without his knowing, and he couldn't do anything about it.
Unwittingly, he had even managed to have a favourite instructor of his executed, for conduct unbecoming his station. He had always allowed his students to use the free time they had left over as they saw fit. Dirandau had been so glad of that, that he couldn't help but tell Strategos all about it. He had often wished that instructor could've taken over for Strategos.
They told him later that the instructor was a treason-ist, and was executed. Dirandau thought no more about it, and tried to forget that he ever had the least bit of respect for that man.
Folken: "They were doing absolutely nothing wrong. Even if your moral convictions lead you to believe that this is something sick or disgusting, you can't truly let that-"
Dirandau: "What do you mean….disgusting?"
From Dirandau's tone of voice and facial expression, Folken surmised that Dirandau had no idea what those two were really doing. He was simply following the theory that anything secretive is an offense and deserving of punishment.
This left Folken in a very awkward position. How the hell was he going to explain this?
Folken: "Uh…I think we need to have a talk…"
Through much difficulty, and a skim through a medical textbook, Folken was able to explain the whole thing to Dirandau, who was thoroughly disgusted with the whole human race now. He didn't stop cringing for an hour.
Dirandau: "I don't give a damn if you say that nearly everyone does this. My soldiers will not be allowed to do this."
Folken pitied the soldiers that would be working with Dirandau. They were definitely going to have to deal with a lot.
Folken: "You can't control them when they're not working.
Dirandau: "Then they will never be off duty."
Folken: "What about when they're asleep? Or washing? You can't keep track of them all the time."
Dirandau: "I…"
Damnit, why did Folken always have to question him like this?
Folken should have just accepted that Dirandau knew what to do, and moved on.
Dirandau: "They just won't. That's all. It's not like this is a necessary thing for survival. They'll live without doing it."
Folken: "Oh. So, you think you can ban romance, just like that?"
Dirandau glared at Folken, very annoyed. It was very irritating when Folken constantly used words that Dirandau didn't understand.
Dirandau: "What does that word mean?"
Folken shut his eyes. This was too much to cover for one day.
Folken: "It's a type of love. Do you know what that word means?"
Dirandau nodded.
Dirandau: "Oh, sure...I love annoying you, I love my katana, I love serving Dornkirk-sama, I-"
Folken: "Fine, fine. This'll be easier then."
Folken walked over to a locked box, and pulled out a burgundy-colored book. He handed it to Dirandau.
Folken: "You read that, and it'll help make it more understandable."
It was entitled, "A Heart Alove in Silence." Folken had picked it up once as a souvenir from some country a long time ago.
Dirandau started to walk away, to go to his quarters to study it, but Folken refused to let him go. If anyone else found out that he was making Dirandau read a romance novel, it would be impossible to explain,. After all, why would someone who only had to know how best to fight wars need to know about that? It's not like he was ever going to feel it anyway.
However, if Dirandau didn't know about how other people function, how could he deal with them? He had been so willing to have those two innocent people executed, because he didn't understand what was going on.
Dirandau hadn't even gotten past the first page, when he came across something incomprehensible. To set the story, the author had started thus:
"A young man walked across a field of violets, mired in emotions and desperation.
His old life, gone, given up for a chance at love. Given up in one chance at love…and amounting to nothing.
He was to be a great man, a leader of men. He had the respect of all. He had all the gold he could ever want at his feet, and all the servants he would ever need at his fingertips. And, he gave it all up for one chance.
But, the poor girl he loved grew cold towards him. In a moment of distraction, caused by her disdain of him, he was defeated, rushed out of his homeland by a long time enemy. The enemy would search high and low through this countryside, until he found the young man, and killed him.
And now the young man wandered through the violets, looking for a way out…"
Dirandau: "I don't get it. If he had so much, why did he give it up?"
Folken: "Because he wanted Love more."
Dirandau: "And, what will love get a person?"
Folken: "They say it makes a person very happy, and can make life worthwhile."
Dirandau: "But it says he was miserable."
Folken: "That happens sometimes. But, still…it can often be worth it in the end, or so I'm told."
Dirandau: "But, his life was already good. Why did he decide to fall in love?"
Folken: "He didn't decide. That just sort of…happens."
Dirandau raised an eyebrow. It just sort of happens? Like the rain falling, or a person breaking a leg?
Folken: "Is this making sense to you?"
Dirandau nodded, just so that he wouldn't have to hear anymore about it. Folken dismissed him.
Dirandau hurried out of there faster than he ever had in his entire life.
Aya…did Folken really think that was necessary??
Dirandau swore that he'd never ever let anyone work for him who had anything to do with…that.
Love…it was some kind of disease. That was the only way Dirandau could make sense of it. Some debilitating illness, which destroys the mind and obscures a person's vision.
It makes a person weak.
It makes a person vulnerable.
Even if idiots like Folken tolerated this, Dirandau wouldn't. And, it didn't matter if it was something natural.
:: "People are naturally naked, but they don't go around like that. They cover up, don't they?" ::
They could deal with it. Soldiers know how to deal with many things, and to change themselves to be able to work in given standards. And, if they couldn't, then there were plenty of consequences to suffer.
And he certainly wouldn't work with anyone who was so likely to be disloyal to him. If it really was such a strong emotion, then then there would be great chance that they would rather defend their love than him. They'd always be thinking of their love. It would distract them from the fighting. And, if it were between anyone in his group...they'd always be concentrating on eachother. It could lead to a failed mission. Many failed missions.
It was unacceptable.
{{Ayeee..I can't believe I devoted a whole chapter to love, romance, etc. _
::Cringes, and goes off to burn some random pink object, just to get rid of that girly feeling::
However, he seemed to hate this little fact of life, and others who submit to it [Namely Allen]. I felt there had to be some kind of reason for it. And since this fic is my attempt to explore possibilities for why he is the way he is in the series, I thought it appropriate.
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I'm very worried right now, because with the stuff I've been writing [This chapter and a new fic], people might think that's all my writing is going to be from now on, dealing with only that subject. However, my opinions and beliefs don't fall that way, and I'm usually not fond of writing about love, romance, etc.
[The kinds of views I have Dirandau expressing here are really hard to get over.]
So, I'm stating right out that in this fic, I'll have no more about any of this.
.
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Okay….here's the deal with the whole thing about Folken's wings in the last chapter:
If I had taken a little longer to write it, I most likely wouldn't have written that in. Thankfully, the story can live or die with out it. I won't be going back and taking it out, though.
I've got many things to do…I really don't want to waste it on reworking things I've already done.
I can only apologize that I'm very tired, as always, and that when I write chapters so quickly like that, all that tiredness catches up with me, and I start to forget what it is I was trying to write.
If it bothers you too much, please feel free to pretend it never happened.
[Which is what I intend to do.]
{{And, I have a beta-reader now, so hopefully things like that won't happen in the future.}}
Speaking of Folken and pretending that something never happened, I've got to mention a new fic that I'm writing.
I had a dream, because of watching Esca all the way through in one day[::Smiles:: I call it 'studying'] , about Dirandau and Folken.
They had to get married. _ ::Cringes at every mention of it::
It's not exactly yaoi, because there's no romance between them [Or anyone else, for that matter.].
Well, I found it all very interesting, and all the characters managed to stay in-character throughout the whole dream, so I felt it would make for a nice fic.
I'm also going to use it as practice for using something other than script-style for writing when a character speaks. (And, it's very annoying thus far, but I hope it'll be worth it.)}}
Next chapter, I introduce all the rest of the DSlayers, and they start their training.
One more thing.
My Chid fic is begging to be killed. I lost what I was doing with that somewhere along the line.
I've got the next three chapters outline, but do forgive if I don't finish them. I've got a lot of stuff to do for the Navy, and I leave in two months.