Disclaimer: For the eighth time, I don't own Escaflowne or any of the
characters!
Chapter 8: Kiss of Misunderstanding
Before Cevena blinked, multiple cries of "Lord Dilandau!!" echoed each other. Chesta, Dalet and Miguel finished off the old mercenary and his companion and then all ran up to the railing, desperately casting their eyes around for their lost commander.
The fighting seemed to have died down. The other boy, who looked very similar to Chesta, caught sight of Cevena and glared. His cheeks were flushed and he looked a bit hysterical. "You, you are not supposed to be out here! You must have distracted Lord Dilandau, this is your- "
Chesta made an angry and at the same time pleading sound. Miguel stepped up between the angry boy and Cevena. He looked quite shaken also but his voice was calm, "Gatti, calm down. What has happened has happened, lets turn our efforts to saving our captain." He made as if to leap over the railing himself.
"Whoa, hold on! You guys can swim right?!" Cevena inquired anxiously. Miguel glanced at her, "We were never trained in swimming, no, but we must do all we can do to save Lord Dilandau." Cevena gaped for a second then exploded exasperatedly, "Get down from there! Don't be stupid! If you can't swim, then that is definitely NOT going to help your "beloved" commander! Now, are there life boats on this ship?"
Dalet nodded, taking control after the slayer's brief moment of confusion. He led the group to where the lifeboats were suspended. "We need two people to operate the pulleys that lower the life boats, I shall stay behind, who else?"
Gatti, ashamed of his earlier outburst, volunteered quickly. The rest of the Slayers piled into the boat. Cevena stood hesitantly. She was a strong swimmer; thank God for the swimming lessons her mother made her take when she was young; she had gone all the way to bronze cross.
The Slayers definitely seemed to be in need of a swimmer at the moment, but on the other hand, Dilandau would give his right arm to see Cevena die a horrible death. What exactly was in it for her? Nothing, except for maybe a nice little torture and promised skinning.
The Slayers had also paused, looking like they didn't know what to do with her. Chesta finally spoke up.
"Umm, Miss Cevena. We believe that you may know some things from your Mystic Moon that we do not. This knowledge may be valuable in saving our captain. We would ask you to aid us......" He trailed off. The Dragon Slayers would have looked almost embarrassed if they weren't so desperate.
Cevena sighed, how did they suspect that I knew how to swim. She thought sadly as she hopped into the boat. Chesta kept shooting her grateful puppy dog looks as they were lowered. She ground her teeth.
The quiet slayer with his dark curly haired tied in a ponytail and the other sheep-haired slayer called Guimel rowed them to the back of the ship.
The whole crew shouted Dilandau's name and stared intently down into the dark unfathomable depths as if, if they wished for it enough, their captain would materialize before them.
Cevena scanned the waves, squinting to try and pick out any splashing. Or that silver hair that should be reflecting the moon like a beacon.
Chesta cried out at last, "Over there! About a hundred metres to our right!!!" "Viole, Guimel! ROW!" The two boys needed no prompting; they had spotted the thrashing Dilandau also. The two rowed as if possessed.
Cevena could just make out the desperate figure in the water. He was definitely Dilandau and it was obvious that he hadn't received any "swim training" either. He had somehow managed to keep afloat that whole time, but Cevena could visibly see him tiring. The Slayers were all screaming for him to "hang on", but he obviously couldn't hear them or even see them. "All his energy is being used to stay alive." Cevena thought, almost becoming anxious for him. The feelings of the slayers were leaking into her.
75 metres, and then 50 metres away. They seemed to crawl. It was at about 5 metres that he suddenly sank like a stone out sight. Miguel swore. Chesta looked pale.
They finally arrived at around where he had been. All of them leaned far over the boat, searching, seeking. Cevena screamed, "You'll tip the boat!!" They scrambled back to even out the balance. As everyone seemed to give up hope, Cevena's pendant suddenly blazed. Looking out into the waters, the light reflected and gleamed off a silver fish that was swimming down to the bottom of the sea.
Cevena did a double take. That was no fish. "I see him!!" She screamed, without thinking, she threw off her shoes and grabbed the other side of the anchor rope. She fastened it too her waist and then dove in.
It was dark, and she couldn't see a thing. "Damn," she thought to herself, "there I go again! I never think before I act! Now what am I going to do?" The water numbed her limbs.
Once again her pendant flashed. "My pendant is being very weird." she thought dizzily, her lungs starting to explode. The water was illuminated. This time the light stayed however. As if it sensed Cevena's need.
She saw the captain again. Forcing her frozen legs to kick, she reached desperately for him. "Ariel makes it look so easy." She mused hysterically.
Just when she thought she had missed him, her arm came around his waist. Black and red spots flashed before her eyes for the second time that night. "Just keep swimming up! Keep swimming." She kicked like mad towards the surface. Luckily, Dilandau had already shed his heavier layers of clothing and the sword or she would never have been able to even rise even a centimetre.
Even then, she didn't know where she was getting the strength for this crazy act of heroism. Was it the pendant? Somewhere in her mind she wondered. Then the pain around her own waist jerked her and she remembered the rope she had attached. "Thank you God," she blubbered silently.
Blessed air rushed into her deprived lungs as she broke the surface. The lifeboat was right beside them. Even with the rope that was digging excruciatingly into her stomach she could barely keep Dilandau's head above the waves.
Gauntleted hands reached for her, pulling her out. Dumped clumsily on the boat bottom, she coughed up water and took great gasps. Subconsciously she noted that the pendant was back to normal again. At the moment though, she concentrated on getting some feeling back into legs and arms.
She felt wet to the bone marrow and she was shaking uncontrollably. Someone dropped a thick wool blanket over her shoulders. Teeth chattering, she looked up at Chesta and Guimel. Chesta rubbed her back. "The blanket should help warm you up, it's got a charm on it supposedly." The two were kneeled around her, staring at her with a revered look and she felt irrationally shy all of a sudden.
Viole and Miguel were caring for Dilandau, covering him with a similar blanket. Viole suddenly shouted out. "He's not breathing!"
"Oh, shit." Was all Cevena's brain could respond with. Chesta and Guimel immediately jumped up to where their captain lay prone.
Miguel pounded on the albino's chest. Muttering frantically, "breathe, breathe." with every thump. The Slayers jostled about trying to help.
"Stop it! You'll tip the boat!!" Cevena exclaimed again, her throat was hurting like crazy. She half crawled over to where they had flocked around their captain. The Slayers turned to her imploringly. She stared right back at them, completely exasperated.
"Don't you people know CPR in this world?!" She was practically in hysterics. This world did that to her. Blank stares. "You know, CPR!! No fire, no wire, no gas, no glass??" She nearly giggled. She was definitely losing it. More blank stares, tinged with bewilderment.
"Oh what the hell, here goes nothing." She muttered. "That should be my motto. "Move out of the way." She was still freezing; charm or no charm, wet and miserable, and these so called "elite" Dragon Slayers really didn't know a thing.
Her annoyance melted away as she neared Dilandau Albatou. He was very still, his shocking silvery-ash hair plastered to his forehead and his pale, pale skin bluish and practically translucent.
He didn't look like a military captain. He looked ten years old, with his face all softened and so frail looking. First things first, she took his pulse. His skin was surprisingly rough, considering he looked porcelain. The pulse was weak but steady. She exhaled. Still alive. Now here came the hard part.
Time slowed again as Cevena reached to pinch the captain's nose and tip up his chin. She could practically hear the Dragons Slayers holding their breaths.
Screwing her eyes shut, she latched her mouth over his.
"Breath, breath." She went over it in her head. Then she tipped her head to the side. "One Mississippi, two Mississippi." She counted aloud.
She put her ear over his mouth and watched his chest. Nothing. "DAMN, him."She thought vehemently.
She leaned forwards to repeat the process. Her lips were right above his when two red orbs fluttered open and stared up at her.
Cevena all but screamed and jumped back, nearly over the side. She crashed into Guimel, who steadied her. A cheer went around, but Cevena could barely hear it over her pounding heart and blood rush.
The commander coughed and sputtered. Then rolled over on his side, retching out his lungs. Seawater and vomit splattered onto the deck. The Slayers went to his side, asking him if he was all right and patting him on the back.
Dilandau pushed them away and sat up, death glare focused on Cevena. Cevena seriously contemplated jumping over the edge. Blazing garnet eyes met petrified emerald ones. Hours seemed to pass and then he finally spoke, or rather spluttered.
"Did you f*cking kiss me??"
Cevena blinked. Then in her rage, spluttered just as badly as he. "K-k- kiss?! You ungrateful bastard! I saved your life!" She could barely speak because she was so angry. "That pig-headed, unthankful, idiot!" She thought furiously.
"What? SAVED me?" He leered mockingly at her. "With what?" He continued. "A "kiss of life", whore? He sneered.
Cevena's cheeks flared. Her face must have been brighter than a tomato. Tears began to well up in her eyes, she desperately tried to hold them back. She couldn't cry and show weakness in front of this jerk!
But she was tired, cold, and this night had stretched her thinner than she thought she could ever go. She couldn't stop the rising tide. She spoke in a whisper. "F*ck you, you asshole. I don't know what Folken sees in you. I wish I had left you to drown." She sniffled loudly, ruining the whole effect.
The Dragon Slayers thankfully came to her rescue. They stopped Dilandau from whatever retort he was going to say.
They could see that Cevena was really in no condition to take any more of that kind of abuse. Cevena could hear Chesta talking, but she couldn't make out the words. Her head felt all fuzzy and her teeth wouldn't stop chattering. She felt like her jaw was going to break off.
She knelt down, trying to stop from shaking. Miguel or somebody was trying to talk to her but her brain would not let her hear.
The deck seemed to swing up into her face and the world faded to black.
Chapter 8: Kiss of Misunderstanding
Before Cevena blinked, multiple cries of "Lord Dilandau!!" echoed each other. Chesta, Dalet and Miguel finished off the old mercenary and his companion and then all ran up to the railing, desperately casting their eyes around for their lost commander.
The fighting seemed to have died down. The other boy, who looked very similar to Chesta, caught sight of Cevena and glared. His cheeks were flushed and he looked a bit hysterical. "You, you are not supposed to be out here! You must have distracted Lord Dilandau, this is your- "
Chesta made an angry and at the same time pleading sound. Miguel stepped up between the angry boy and Cevena. He looked quite shaken also but his voice was calm, "Gatti, calm down. What has happened has happened, lets turn our efforts to saving our captain." He made as if to leap over the railing himself.
"Whoa, hold on! You guys can swim right?!" Cevena inquired anxiously. Miguel glanced at her, "We were never trained in swimming, no, but we must do all we can do to save Lord Dilandau." Cevena gaped for a second then exploded exasperatedly, "Get down from there! Don't be stupid! If you can't swim, then that is definitely NOT going to help your "beloved" commander! Now, are there life boats on this ship?"
Dalet nodded, taking control after the slayer's brief moment of confusion. He led the group to where the lifeboats were suspended. "We need two people to operate the pulleys that lower the life boats, I shall stay behind, who else?"
Gatti, ashamed of his earlier outburst, volunteered quickly. The rest of the Slayers piled into the boat. Cevena stood hesitantly. She was a strong swimmer; thank God for the swimming lessons her mother made her take when she was young; she had gone all the way to bronze cross.
The Slayers definitely seemed to be in need of a swimmer at the moment, but on the other hand, Dilandau would give his right arm to see Cevena die a horrible death. What exactly was in it for her? Nothing, except for maybe a nice little torture and promised skinning.
The Slayers had also paused, looking like they didn't know what to do with her. Chesta finally spoke up.
"Umm, Miss Cevena. We believe that you may know some things from your Mystic Moon that we do not. This knowledge may be valuable in saving our captain. We would ask you to aid us......" He trailed off. The Dragon Slayers would have looked almost embarrassed if they weren't so desperate.
Cevena sighed, how did they suspect that I knew how to swim. She thought sadly as she hopped into the boat. Chesta kept shooting her grateful puppy dog looks as they were lowered. She ground her teeth.
The quiet slayer with his dark curly haired tied in a ponytail and the other sheep-haired slayer called Guimel rowed them to the back of the ship.
The whole crew shouted Dilandau's name and stared intently down into the dark unfathomable depths as if, if they wished for it enough, their captain would materialize before them.
Cevena scanned the waves, squinting to try and pick out any splashing. Or that silver hair that should be reflecting the moon like a beacon.
Chesta cried out at last, "Over there! About a hundred metres to our right!!!" "Viole, Guimel! ROW!" The two boys needed no prompting; they had spotted the thrashing Dilandau also. The two rowed as if possessed.
Cevena could just make out the desperate figure in the water. He was definitely Dilandau and it was obvious that he hadn't received any "swim training" either. He had somehow managed to keep afloat that whole time, but Cevena could visibly see him tiring. The Slayers were all screaming for him to "hang on", but he obviously couldn't hear them or even see them. "All his energy is being used to stay alive." Cevena thought, almost becoming anxious for him. The feelings of the slayers were leaking into her.
75 metres, and then 50 metres away. They seemed to crawl. It was at about 5 metres that he suddenly sank like a stone out sight. Miguel swore. Chesta looked pale.
They finally arrived at around where he had been. All of them leaned far over the boat, searching, seeking. Cevena screamed, "You'll tip the boat!!" They scrambled back to even out the balance. As everyone seemed to give up hope, Cevena's pendant suddenly blazed. Looking out into the waters, the light reflected and gleamed off a silver fish that was swimming down to the bottom of the sea.
Cevena did a double take. That was no fish. "I see him!!" She screamed, without thinking, she threw off her shoes and grabbed the other side of the anchor rope. She fastened it too her waist and then dove in.
It was dark, and she couldn't see a thing. "Damn," she thought to herself, "there I go again! I never think before I act! Now what am I going to do?" The water numbed her limbs.
Once again her pendant flashed. "My pendant is being very weird." she thought dizzily, her lungs starting to explode. The water was illuminated. This time the light stayed however. As if it sensed Cevena's need.
She saw the captain again. Forcing her frozen legs to kick, she reached desperately for him. "Ariel makes it look so easy." She mused hysterically.
Just when she thought she had missed him, her arm came around his waist. Black and red spots flashed before her eyes for the second time that night. "Just keep swimming up! Keep swimming." She kicked like mad towards the surface. Luckily, Dilandau had already shed his heavier layers of clothing and the sword or she would never have been able to even rise even a centimetre.
Even then, she didn't know where she was getting the strength for this crazy act of heroism. Was it the pendant? Somewhere in her mind she wondered. Then the pain around her own waist jerked her and she remembered the rope she had attached. "Thank you God," she blubbered silently.
Blessed air rushed into her deprived lungs as she broke the surface. The lifeboat was right beside them. Even with the rope that was digging excruciatingly into her stomach she could barely keep Dilandau's head above the waves.
Gauntleted hands reached for her, pulling her out. Dumped clumsily on the boat bottom, she coughed up water and took great gasps. Subconsciously she noted that the pendant was back to normal again. At the moment though, she concentrated on getting some feeling back into legs and arms.
She felt wet to the bone marrow and she was shaking uncontrollably. Someone dropped a thick wool blanket over her shoulders. Teeth chattering, she looked up at Chesta and Guimel. Chesta rubbed her back. "The blanket should help warm you up, it's got a charm on it supposedly." The two were kneeled around her, staring at her with a revered look and she felt irrationally shy all of a sudden.
Viole and Miguel were caring for Dilandau, covering him with a similar blanket. Viole suddenly shouted out. "He's not breathing!"
"Oh, shit." Was all Cevena's brain could respond with. Chesta and Guimel immediately jumped up to where their captain lay prone.
Miguel pounded on the albino's chest. Muttering frantically, "breathe, breathe." with every thump. The Slayers jostled about trying to help.
"Stop it! You'll tip the boat!!" Cevena exclaimed again, her throat was hurting like crazy. She half crawled over to where they had flocked around their captain. The Slayers turned to her imploringly. She stared right back at them, completely exasperated.
"Don't you people know CPR in this world?!" She was practically in hysterics. This world did that to her. Blank stares. "You know, CPR!! No fire, no wire, no gas, no glass??" She nearly giggled. She was definitely losing it. More blank stares, tinged with bewilderment.
"Oh what the hell, here goes nothing." She muttered. "That should be my motto. "Move out of the way." She was still freezing; charm or no charm, wet and miserable, and these so called "elite" Dragon Slayers really didn't know a thing.
Her annoyance melted away as she neared Dilandau Albatou. He was very still, his shocking silvery-ash hair plastered to his forehead and his pale, pale skin bluish and practically translucent.
He didn't look like a military captain. He looked ten years old, with his face all softened and so frail looking. First things first, she took his pulse. His skin was surprisingly rough, considering he looked porcelain. The pulse was weak but steady. She exhaled. Still alive. Now here came the hard part.
Time slowed again as Cevena reached to pinch the captain's nose and tip up his chin. She could practically hear the Dragons Slayers holding their breaths.
Screwing her eyes shut, she latched her mouth over his.
"Breath, breath." She went over it in her head. Then she tipped her head to the side. "One Mississippi, two Mississippi." She counted aloud.
She put her ear over his mouth and watched his chest. Nothing. "DAMN, him."She thought vehemently.
She leaned forwards to repeat the process. Her lips were right above his when two red orbs fluttered open and stared up at her.
Cevena all but screamed and jumped back, nearly over the side. She crashed into Guimel, who steadied her. A cheer went around, but Cevena could barely hear it over her pounding heart and blood rush.
The commander coughed and sputtered. Then rolled over on his side, retching out his lungs. Seawater and vomit splattered onto the deck. The Slayers went to his side, asking him if he was all right and patting him on the back.
Dilandau pushed them away and sat up, death glare focused on Cevena. Cevena seriously contemplated jumping over the edge. Blazing garnet eyes met petrified emerald ones. Hours seemed to pass and then he finally spoke, or rather spluttered.
"Did you f*cking kiss me??"
Cevena blinked. Then in her rage, spluttered just as badly as he. "K-k- kiss?! You ungrateful bastard! I saved your life!" She could barely speak because she was so angry. "That pig-headed, unthankful, idiot!" She thought furiously.
"What? SAVED me?" He leered mockingly at her. "With what?" He continued. "A "kiss of life", whore? He sneered.
Cevena's cheeks flared. Her face must have been brighter than a tomato. Tears began to well up in her eyes, she desperately tried to hold them back. She couldn't cry and show weakness in front of this jerk!
But she was tired, cold, and this night had stretched her thinner than she thought she could ever go. She couldn't stop the rising tide. She spoke in a whisper. "F*ck you, you asshole. I don't know what Folken sees in you. I wish I had left you to drown." She sniffled loudly, ruining the whole effect.
The Dragon Slayers thankfully came to her rescue. They stopped Dilandau from whatever retort he was going to say.
They could see that Cevena was really in no condition to take any more of that kind of abuse. Cevena could hear Chesta talking, but she couldn't make out the words. Her head felt all fuzzy and her teeth wouldn't stop chattering. She felt like her jaw was going to break off.
She knelt down, trying to stop from shaking. Miguel or somebody was trying to talk to her but her brain would not let her hear.
The deck seemed to swing up into her face and the world faded to black.
