Chapter 8: Wounded

Setsuna unsheathed her sword and griped the hilt tightly. Her lips twitched and formed a sinister smile. The raven-haired king removed his sword from its sheath and held it proudly. He bit his lip and regretted agreeing to this. Knowing his enemy was woman was definitely going to make it difficult to fight.

She waited for him to make that first move but he didn't. She narrowed her eyes into a deadly glare and charged forward. The force she put behind the blow was almost enough to knock Van off his feet. He didn't expect that such a petite looking girl had such strength.

He was amazed at how young and talented she was. She looked to be no older than seventeen years of age, making her two years younger than himself. He blocked her blows and tried to get past the fact that she was a woman. She's just another piece of Zaibach scum, he told himself over and over. It did help somewhat. He was able to find to strength to move from defensive to the offensive.

As Dilandau fought off the Asturian guymelefs with ease he sensed something wasn't right but what, he wondered. He noticed that the Dragon was missing, as was a Ziabach Guymelef. His eyes quickly scanned the battlefield. He didn't see any wreckage of the missing guymelef. Then who's missing? He wondered.

All fifteen of his Dragonslayers were present but he couldn't see her. That's when something came over him. A sense of worry and protectiveness rushed through his veins. The strange feeling he had about her before began to return.

"Gatti, where's Setsuna?" He asked calmly over the radio.

"I last saw her fly off with the Dragon in the northern direction." Gatti replied.

Dilandau quickly finished off his opponent and flew off to find her. He had a bad feeling about this. With all his might he tried to force those feelings away knowing that they would blurr his thinking and making him do something completely foolish.

"Why are you with Ziabach? I've always wondered why anyone would even want to join a country that puts so much hate into the world?" Van asked Setsuna as she blocked his attack with her sword.

"What do you mean by putting so much hate into the world? We're only fighting those who try to invade us!" She broke away from him and lunged forward.

"They must of not told you about the destiny war then!"

"Destiny war?" she let down her guard temporally.

"Ya, it was when Ziabach tried to take over all of Gaea by using their Fate Alteration Engine which caused so much suffering to innocent people!" It was something about how he had said it that made Setsuna hesitate on attacking him. She tried to put it all together but her instinct to fight took over her. She drove her sword towards him but what he had said was getting to her. Was she really on the right side? That's where she got foolish. She didn't pay attention to where his sword went after he had blocked her attack.

As soon as Dilandau saw the Dragon he landed his guymelef and jumped out of the cockpit quickly. He noticed that Setsuna wasn't fairing to well against him. Then he saw it. The Dragon had driven his sword into her right arm. She screamed out in pain as the blade cut through the leather and into her flesh.

Van then pulled his sword out and waited for her to make her move. Setsuna stumbled backwards and eventually fell onto the dirt ground. She held her hand tightly over the wound. He grew inpatient so he held his sword high above his head and prepared to strike. As he brought his sword downwards it was stopped by another sword. He looked to see whom it was. To his surprise it was the cold-blooded killer, Dilandau Albatou.

From that moment on, the battle became a blur to Setsuna. All she knew was that he had saved her. Dilandau saved her from death's cold hand. But why? She wondered. He had told her he hated her and had hit her. It made no sense to Setsuna one bit.

Setsuna awoke not in her room or in the infirmary. The room obviously belonged to someone but who? As her vision cleared the room began to look familiar. Her upper arm then began to throb immensely with pain. Small tears rolled down her cheeks. She had been careless and that almost cost Setsuna her own life.

Dilandau sat in his study in the dark, swirling the vino in his glass around. Why did I save her? He wondered. I hate her! Right? Uh! All this thinking hurts my head! He ran his fingers through his silky silver locks of hair in frustration.

As Setsuna studied the room she realized who it belonged to, Dilandau. But what am I doing here? She wondered. How did I even get here? Quickly she sat up but then laid back down. Bad idea…She rubbed her forehead after receiving the head rush. She looked at the chair off to the side and she saw all of her armour fold in a neat pile. Why would he put me in his own room and not mine? He said he hated me….so then why…why did he save me? She pondered as she stared up at the ceiling, slowly drifting off to sleep.

He looked at her sleeping figure. She looked so peaceful and innocent. She looked angelic. He walked over to the bed and sat down beside her. He caressed her face gently. She looked more that an angel, she looked like a goddess. What am I thinking! He wondered as he began to stand up. But when he looked at her, he was forced to stay. His heart began to control his mind.