Chapter 5
Dilandau entered the slave and livestock portion of the market place, happy to leave all the peasant like shoppers in the goods portion of the market. None of them could afford to buy a slave let alone a starving animal.

If he was to find Sierra anywhere, it would be here.

He had headed in this direction and would have seen that none of that insane mob of people were in this part of the busy section of city.

And she definitely knew better then to flee Dilandau and his Dragon Slayers entirely. She knew that they would hunt her down and have her tortured until she was only within half of an inch of death.

Dilandau's eyes scanned the crowd frantically.

'Where the hell is she?' He thought, quickly becoming worried, she couldn't possibly have gotten very far.

"Lord Dilandau!" Chest and Dalet came running up to the albino General.

"What? Have you found her?" Dilandau demanded.

"Yes my Lord." Chesta bowed his head.

"Well? Where is she?" Dilandau looked behind his subordinates, expecting to see Sierra trudging along, mopey and with a somewhat amusing expression on her face, at least amusing for himself.

"This way my Lord, but there is a problem." Dalet replied turning to lead his Commander through the crowd.

"What sort of problem?" Dilandau asked skeptically after a few seconds.

"Well…" Chesta started, then they broke free of the main part of a rather large crowd of slave traders, gladiatorial dealers and Lord's looking for a new concubine or servant.

On the platform, Sierra sat on her hip, she knees bent, her feet tucked behind her. Her eyes wild with panic and fear.

A metal mask was fastened over mouth and nose. Slits in it allowed the crowed to see her full lips and her white teeth flashing as she tried to snap at them but could because of the metals confining restraint.

Her hands and feet were in manacles, and the chain length attached to each were nailed to the floor, her nails crudely painted red. Vast amount of makeup covered her true beauty and disgusted Dilandau for they had greatly diminished her worth by doing that.

"Gentlemen, my Lords, this women here can serve you in so many ways!" They men cried out to the crowd. "She has the strength of a man, and could win you vast amounts of money. Under the right restraint mind you, this beauty can provide you with endless hours of pleasure! I challenge you to look into her eyes and try to deny your desire to break this creature of the gods!"

The man waved his arms extravagantly catching more attention, looking through the crowd. His eyes quickly found the albino man who stood out against the tanned merchant traders and painted Lordlings.

"My friends!" He yelled again, "It seems that even the greatest man in the army of Ziabach has succumb to the wiles of this women. Lord Dilandau himself may wish to have this woman for himself. And as we all know Lord Dilandau never settles for less then the best. So I say to you, who would like to have what this Lord wants? Even if you do manage to purchase this incredible beauty, imagine how much our whimsical Lord will pay you for her?"

Chesta and Dalet unsheathed their blades in the General's defense.

"You have stolen from me you worthless whore get!" Dilandau called forth.

"You are mistaken my Lord." The trader quickly saw that his life may end here and poking fun at Dilandau had not helped him.

"No you are mistaken, you have captured my consort and I demand her restored to me. NOW!"

Sierra's eyes widened, the tears that had welled there from panic quickly dissolved as she stared at Dilandau in disbelief.

"I am sorry my Lord but I captured this woman many weeks ago in the exotic mountains to the east, there I saw her bathing in a spring..."

"You lie you captured her less then an hour ago once she left my sight. I wish not to kill you in front of her, but I will." Dilandau drew his own blade and made his way towards the stage. "Sierra my sweet, do close your eyes."

Sierra played along as the innocent maiden and whore of a powerful man, she squeezed her eyes shut dramatically and turned her head.

The trader backed away as Dilandau stepped onto the stage. The crowed quickly dispersed not wishing to provoke Dilandau's wrath and make themselves the next subject of his disdain.

"Please my Lord, perhaps we can make a deal!" The Trader said in a panic tripping over himself.

The second he hit the floor Dilandau had the blade at the man's throat. "Return her to me and I will let you live."

"Please my Lord she destroyed me best net, and killed two of my slaves!"

"I care not!" Dilandau's eyes blazed with insanity, a clear sign that bargaining was useless. "If she tells me that you raped her I will not only kill all of your slaves and you but I will hunt down your entire family and kill them for the disgrace you've caused her.

"Please my Lord." The man begged, tears welling in his eyes.

Sierra made a muffled noise from off to the side.

Dilandau's attention quickly redirected itself. "What is it my sweet?" He cooed clearly loving the situation she was in.

Sierra rolled her eyes the shook her chains.

"Unbind her you worthless piece of shit!" Dilandau kicked the man who scrambled on his hands and feet over to where Sierra sat.

Once Sierra was free of the manacles, her mouth still encapsulated, she seized the fat man's throat and raised him a foot off the ground.

"Sweetness." Dilandau laid a hand on her shoulder.

Sierra sent him a look of venom but could still say nothing. She simply dropped the man who crumpled at their feet.

"I do enjoy this mask!" Dilandau laughed. "I say give me the chain that attaches to this," he flicked the metal loop on the front of the mask, "and I will pay…" he tossed a sack of gold at the man, "more then enough for your losses."

"Yes my Lord." The man crouched at the War Lord's feet and scooped up the money then gestured to his assistant. "My Lord, there is a collar that may interest you as well…"

"Shut up bitch." Dilandau kicked the man in the face. "You have more then enough money." Dilandau seized the chain form the boy and before Sierra could form any sort of protest he had it attached to her face mask and she was being leading off of the vendor's stage.

The other Dragon Slayers had gathered and followed their master and his struggling 'mistress', who more or less literally growled at being dragged along in such indecency, through the crowd.

Dilandau's sadistic smile cleared all who crossed his path on his way back to his fortress.

Dilandau watched the Shira from the doorway, her sword's metal gleam reflecting the fire light onto the walls, lighting the shadows.

She had headed there as soon as he had released her from her mask, but not before she punched two of his slayers and pushed he himself.

The sheen of sweat over her tanned skin told him she had been in there for a very long time, and that she was tired, and would pose little competition for him. The thought of finally getting a taste of her intrigued him to such an extent he could no longer bide his time.

He came towards her drawing his blade silently. She swung around absently, still not realizing he was there until her sword scraped down his, ending it's screech once it hit his hilt.

Her eyes grew wide, then narrowed dangerously, "What do you want?" Dilandau raised an eyebrow so she added, "My Lord."

Dilandau's features relaxed then pushed Sierra's blade aside. "You like to believe you are more powerful then me don't you?" He questioned.

She remained silent, but he felt the tension in her sword increase as her grip tightening on her blade.

"You think that you can win against me, don't you?" He stepped closer, catching her metal with his own and applying force to keep her blade down, and so that he would have a warning as to when she would attack. "You think that I don't have a chance against you, that I can never take you down?" He stared into her eyes, they were filled with anger and disgust. He smiled, knowing that her pride was her weakness. He came forward again, their faces almost touching, he could see the surprise surge forth in her eyes. "Shall we see?"

It took only a second before she forced her blade up against his.

Dilandau jumped back a few feet, and continued back and she came forward, her sword poised for the kill.

But he knew that she was allowing her emotion to control her, as she always seemed to. He dodged her thrust and kicked the back of her knee, causing her to fall forward.

She kicked out behind her trying to trip him, but Dilandau jumped up and came back down to spin and slam his heal into her ribs smiling as he heard a satisfying crack.

Sierra rolled onto her back, but only for a second. She spun fully around on her back, and rolled over at the same time, kicking her legs out, and coming up on one knee.

Dilandau faltered for a second, he had never seen nor expected such a move after the force he had put in the kick, he had felt her ribs crack under the brief pressure, but she hadn't even winced. But even with that in mind, her breathing was becoming labored, as his was still calm and even. She was weakening, and he knew it.

She may have known it as well, or she was so focused that she didn't care, because it didn't stop her from lunging forward off the ground and hitting him in the chest.

He slid across the floor, with her on top of him, but it gave him the time needed to push her back and to get his feet up onto her chest. As he somersaulted backwards he kicked her off of him.

She flew back and landed on her ass. She spun around and got onto her knees.

Her grip on her blade loosened and Dilandau caught it the second it happened, throwing a wave of power at her.

Her sword flew from her hand and clattered against the wall behind her. Her head snapped around and stared at it.

In her moment of distraction, Dilandau lunged.

Sierra's head came back and her hand snaked out instinctively. She clasp the blade of his sword as it came towards her. The entire sword slipped through her hand ravaging her hand, until the hilt hit her fingers. Her hand tightened, causing more blood to gush forwards, but she wrenched the blade from her commanders hand.

Dilandau stumbled forwards from the sudden lack of an opposing force. He grabbed her throat and steadied himself.

He ripped her up off the floor and threw her forward into a nearby table and slammed into her from behind curling his arm around and seizing her throat, crushing her windpipe and restricting her breathe. Dilandau smiled at her predicament and how vulnerable she was, perhaps he could have his way with her finally.

"My god woman, I don't think I've ever wanted anything so badly." He hissed in her ear before sinking his teeth into the side of her throat, revealing in the metallic taste that seeped through his lips, and over his tongue.

An elbow in the ribs forced him back a few inches. He kept hold of her throat with his left hand and wrapped his right arm around her waist, spinning her around. He threw her onto her back on top of the table. He released her throat, he grabbed the back of her head with his left and clamped his right on the back of her knee forcing her leg to bend so she couldn't push him away with her foot, and came up between her thighs, pressing himself against her warmth.

With her slightly dizzy and dazed he forced a kiss upon her lips.

While his eyes closed hers flew open in shock and horror. She struggled hopelessly against him as he was on top and could use his weight to keep her down. She thrust her head forward forcing him to back up slightly, then jerked her face back and away from him.

Dilandau looked down at the venomous look she was giving him, and oh how he loved it.

"Calm down Shira." Dilandau cooed.

"Get off." She snarled.

"Oh I will." He smiled and leaned down to lick at the blood flowing from her neck. "I will…" He whispered taking her ear lobe between his teeth, feeling sudden pressure on his own chest due to her sharp intake of air.

"I kill you." She growled.

"Not before I break you." He smiled, and flicked his tongue one last time over her wounded neck. Then before she knew it the door swung shut with a echo of a click.


Darkgoddess TakaShira