Gabrielle padded down the empty hallways at an unhurried pace. Her feet made a very light slap noise on the cold ground as she moved, uniform in hand. She shivered from the cold and turned a hallway corner. Gabrielle stopped for a second. The heavy silence seemed to weigh down on her, almost like it was a taboo to make the smallest sound. Clicking footsteps were approaching behind her. The girl half turned her head. Someone in a blue and black uniform was walking down the hallway, his head down, muttering to himself. No trouble. She resumed walking, and his head snapped up at the sound of shifting fabric.

"Gabrielle!" The boy behind her said, surprised.

"Yes?" She asked politely, turning to face him.

"Oh, hello, Gatti." She said with a polite smile.

"Hi. Why aren't you in uniform?" He asked, curious.

"I just came back from the showers." She replied. "Now I'm heading back to my quarters." She explained.

"Oh. I'm going to mine, too. I just got back... My mecha got a pretty hard punch in the engines today." He said, embarassed at the memory.

"About what I said, I-" He started, glancing nervously behind him.

"Gatti, it's okay. Dilandau's not around. Why do you bring this up?" She asked in a polite tone, suggesting that he could change the topic easily if he wanted.

"I meant what I said to you." He said, and looked at the floor. A small blush appeared on each other's faces.

"I'm flattered. I really am," She said. He smiled shakily.

"… And I wanted to know if you would come with me to dinner sometime. Away from the group." He continued, barely able to spit it out.

Uh-oh. What do I do? If I accept, I make him happy, but Dilandau will have poor Gatti's head. If I refuse, I crush this boy's feelings... And I know only too well what that feels like... Think fast, Gabrielle. You've always been quick on your feet... She thought rapidly, disguising her mental figuring with a smile and a polite bow as was customary. Gatti stood nervously, fidgeting and awaiting her response.

"Please accept, Gabrielle. I just want to talk to you... And, um, maybe... Go out again... Sometime... Just to talk, you know." He said rapidly, but there was a hint of eager desperation in his voice.

"Okay, Gatti. Just as friends, alright? Call me Gabbi, if you will." The girl replied, twisting a strand of her hair as she spoke, and he nodded happily.

"Okay, great, um… I need to get going... So, I'll see you this morning, and then we can eat together tomorrow evening?" He asked, running a hand through his pale hair, attempting to flatten a stubborn strand.

"Yes. Sounds good, Gatti," Gabrielle said, "I'll look forward to it." She said with a smile, and turned to leave. She went to her quarters and lay down. She worried for the boy. When Dilandau questioned this, because it was only a matter of time before he found out, Gabrielle would back up Gatti. She confirmed this in her head, and rolled over, falling swiftly asleep.

In the morning, they were gathered around a table for breakfast. Gabrielle waited patiently for the slop, tapping her finger against the table. Maybe, if she held her breath and plugged her nose, she could down some of the stuff. The meals were eventually served, and she stared at hers, her nerve lost.

"My Lord, do you think it's possible I could talk to Gabrielle alone this evening?" Gatti asked very quietly. Dilandau's eyes flicked up from the table to burn in his gaze.

"Excuse me?" Dilandau said, standing up. "Repeat yourself. Clarify." He hissed. Gatti repeated himself. "Why?" He spat at Gatti, and Gabrielle stood up, unnoticed by the two of them. She went to stand by them.

"J-just as friends, sir. I asked your permission. I just wanted to talk to her, sir." Gatti asked, and any lesser soul would have cowered. Dilandau seethed with rage at the very suggestion, and he aimed a slap. At that moment, Gabrielle stepped in between them, and she voluntarily received the heavy hit meant for Gatti's apparent transgression.

Her canine tooth cut open part of the inside of her cheek from the impact, and she swallowed some of the metallic, salty blood. The pain from the wound inside her mouth and from the hit washed over her, the sting on her face remaining. Her head had snapped to the left when he'd hit her, and she could tell that the muscle was probably pulled. She let out a very small whimper of discomfort and spat out a mouthful of blood onto the floor. Dilandau was absolutely horrified. He didn't know what to do.

"I hit you." He said dumbly. She put one cold hand to her face that was gently pulsating with the hot aftermath of pain. Her mouth was still bleeding. She swallowed some more blood, but when she couldn't stand the taste anymore, she spat it on the floor.

"It was just as friends, Dilandau, sir. I don't understand why you're acting like this." She said, some of her speech garbled because of the bleeding in her mouth. She stepped back from them.

"Friends." She said, spitting out another mouthful of blood. "I'll be back." She said, and she walked out of the room.

There was a stunned, angry silence amongst all of the Dragonslayers. Dilandau was stupefied at what he'd done. He'd hit her. He hadn't realized she had been there until it was too late. Chesta fumed. He looked Dilandau square in the eye.

"What?" Dilandau practically shrieked at him. He turned to all of them. "It was an accident! I didn't mean to hit her, I-" He stopped talking. They all stared at him darkly. Gatti was the most angry of all.

"She took that for me." He said, amazed.

"But..." Dilandau muttered, calculating. The interjection was almost underneath his breath. He lifted his gaze from the floor, looking quite lost.

"She..." He started to say, and Gatti cut him off.

"Is a beautiful, kind angel, unspoiled and true, and the likes of you don't deserve someone like that! Ever!" By the end of his statement, Gatti was near screaming. He was wild eyed, and his face had gone a little extra coloured. Dilandau stood stock still. One tiny muscle that controlled his bottom eyelid twitched, but not from anger. He blinked.

"You're right." Dilandau said, so quietly that it was barely a whispered breath, but they heard him. He looked at the floor to his left, contemplating his path of exit. Their behaviour was not on trial here, they could be dealt with later.

"You're right."He repeated. He turned, his shoulder facing his subordinate. Gatti still stood, still pointing accusingly at Dilandau.

"T-that's right, I'm right!" He stuttered, his pose wilting. As his commander seemed ready to speak, he snapped again.

"You could never understand something like that. She is beautiful, intelligent, and look what she did! She barely knows me, and she protected me. Someone like you could never understand that. Doubtless you are attracted to her, and I do not blame you for that. Every single one of us who sits in this room right now is. But I blame you for you. You! I can't even describe it! Simple words don't fill the blank! As I said, and I reiterate, you will never have her, because fate won't allow scum like you to have the privilege of being with such a beauteous creature! You didn't, don't, and never will deserve her." Gatti snarled at Dilandau, cast in shadows.

"And you think that my intention?" With an expression cut from stone, he walked along the wall of the room and ripped open the door. Stepping through it, he vanished, slamming the heavy metal behind him.

"Gatti, was that really necessary?" Chesta asked in a lamb-soft voice. Gatti was shaking still, and he let his tensed body relax.

"I don't know, Chesta. He's going to kill me now." Gatti's gaze fixed on the shadowy exit.

"I doubt it," Sighed Viole. The others looked at him, surprised, as he normally was silent. "He thinks there's something wrong with him. That will be what's on his mind right now, not you or what you said. You guys forget, he's never been through this kind of crap before." The others nodded in slow assent.

"Where do you suppose he's going?" Dalet asked.

"Don't know." Chesta replied, his chin resting on his hand.

Hours later, Dilandau had started to walk down the long dim corridor back to where the Dragonslayers had been eating. He took himself into the room, and glanced around it. Everyone had gone, as he'd known, and there were dark blood spots on the floor.

His gaze followed them out the exit Gabrielle had taken. Every few steps there was a very small spatter of time-darkened red. With every step he took closer to Gabrielle's door, he felt more and more guilty. By the time he'd arrived there, he had an inexplicable lump in his throat. He didn't know what to say to her, but he pressed the entrance request button. After a few seconds, the door hissed and drew up into the ceiling, revealing Gabrielle standing in front of him. The young Dragonslayer had a cloth up to her cheek, which was red with pain. She had stopped the bleeding, but her cheek still hurt.

"It was meant for Gatti, I didn't see you until it was too late... I-" He managed.

"Please, come in." She said in a kind voice. He obliged, and the door closed behind him.

"Are you hurt?" He asked.

"The bleeding's stopped, and my cheek is still hot. But the pain is almost all gone now." She lied. It still hurt a fair amount, but she didn't want to complain. His hard gaze burning into her eyes made her almost want to revoke what she'd said.

"Please, Gabrielle, don't lie to me."

"Well… " Gabbi finally admitted, looking at the floor. The slap had reopened the sword cut, and it stung worse than ones given by paper. It had begun to heal over.

"I'm sorry." He said haltingly, but genuinely. "I was acting... Strange. The thought of you being alone with Gatti just made me so... So..." He searched for the words.

"Protective, angry, and jealous?" She offered.

"Yes." He said. "Exactly."

"I don't see why. But if that's how you feel… It was only as friends. He said he wanted to talk to me." She insisted.

"I know that now," Dilandau shifted his weight, looking very uncomfortable.

"It was supposed to be for Gatti." He said, and apologized again.

"Hey, it's okay. I already accept." Shyly, she touched his armour-clad wrist in signal for him to stop apologizing. "I honestly don't see why you should act so, but if it's how you feel, then you're entitled to that. It's not bad that you feel like that, but if I might make a suggestion…" Gabbi touched her hand to her cheek.

"Yes?"

"You might learn a little… What's the word…"
"Restraint," Dilandau finished, lowering his eyes.

"Subtlety was more what I was after." Gabbi looked up at him.

"It's okay to feel things, Dilandau. I think because you hold back so much for whatever reason, emotions like anger take you over quickly." She expressed, delicately dancing with words. He studied her hard, and the girl of seventeen shyly looked away. "Please, forgive my boldness. I only say this because I'm a lot like that myself… Except I feel things, but I don't express them very often. A lot of things about me are kept to myself. I'm really quite surprised I'm even talking this much," Gabbi offered a small, shy smile as she folded her hands.

"It seems like a lot of the good things about life are a bit of a stranger to you. I'll admit I know next to nothing about you, but I'm willing to bet you had a hard time growing up. If that's so, we're similar in that respect."

Standing more than a head taller than her, Dilandau digested her words as he looked on. Gabrielle lifted her gaze from the floor to meet his own for a moment.

"Very sorry if I've offended, sir."

"You didn't. Thank you." His reply was curt as it always was. "I need to go sort some things out."

"Of course." She bowed. "Bye for now."

"Mmm," Was his only response as he left.

Gabrielle sat on the edge of the bed and put her head in her hands.

Thus, Dilandau's hunt for his second in command began. Walking the halls like some sort of stalking feline, his efforts were eventually rewarded as the pale blonde boy stood at a terminal, typing. Probably fixing something or other.

"Gatti!" He called to him, and the young man froze. Dilandau continued to walk until he reached him.

"S-sir, if this is about-" He started.

"No. I'm here to tell you I'm letting you go with Gabrielle tonight. But, if you make any moves on her, I swear, I'll throw your flea-bitten carcass off the edge of the Fortress and laugh at you as you fall." He snarled. Gatti shrank away from him.

"Y-yes sir. Acknowledged, sir. Thank you, sir." Gatti said.

"I'm not done yet, you insolent fool. And," Dilandau continued. "You're taking her to Badikara tonight." He added. Gatti blinked.

"Badikara? That's all the way to the far West sector... And it'll eat a pretty nice chunk out of my pay." He mumbled.

"What's that? Do I hear the sounds of complaining? Because if I do, I could change my mind and have you thrown off the edge anyways..." He growled.

"Not a problem…! What am I going to wear?" Gatti asked himself.

"Something that goes well with black and silver. Something... How to put it... Sharp." He hissed to the subordinate officer.

"How do you know what she's going to wear, my Lord?" Gatti asked, curious.

"Because I just know, that's why. Be at her quarters to pick her up at the hour when the rest of us are eating." Dilandau replied with an air of cockiness.

"Now go. You have to get something to wear. And remember, one move you put on her, and..." Dilandau made a gesture with his hand like a figure falling from a great height. "You'll take some flying lessons." He sneered.

"Yes, sir!" Gatti replied enthusiastically, bowed, and turned and walked down the hall at a quicker pace.

Since I have nothing to do... I should get Gabrielle's clothes ready. He thought to himself, and planned to go down to the local seamstress. Dilandau formed and discarded ideas in his mind as he walked to the Railers. Snapped his fingers, a thought came to mind. He paced as he waited for the car to take him. Down in the southernmost part of the massive floating city he went, idly staring out the window. Dilandau was always known to be more than efficient. The commander swiftly bothered about what was to be done with the dress, eventually paying thrice what the thing was worth because he couldn't be bothered to listen to them complain about deadlines. They would have it in that size, done, and that evening.

With that sorted, Dilandau then weaved his way to the Rails again, trains of cars that sped between the different sectors of the city lined up in columns. They rain along rails at the top of the cars, and could travel at impressive speeds. Some of the older models looked about as aerodynamic as a pillow, but even they could go at speeds of around seventy kilometres per hour. He could either use the Rails, or take a very long walk on the streets far below him, in the residential part of the fortress. He chose the Rails, disliking the wait but disliking even more the stares his red armour and rank got. The boy stepped in the first car that was headed to the South. It was a newer model, and this particular was so new that the interior still smelled like it. The car was completely empty, save himself. He chose a seat and let his head rest against the glass of the window, gazing at the outside city, waiting for the slight lurch that would signify the car had begun to move.

The leader was still jealous in a way of Gatti, but he kept in mind what Gabrielle had said to him. He didn't really know why he'd been so infuriated when Gatti had asked to be alone with Gabrielle, but perhaps he was beginning to understand. It had made his blood boil with steaming anger – And such a possessive kind he had never felt before. So why, amidst all this internal terror and confusion was there this pleasant association with it all?

There was a series of almost musical whirrs. Three, each sounding low but going high in frequency, the next note starting lower. The car shuddered slightly as it began to move forwards. He watched the scenery shift slightly, and then faster as the car accelerated. The city was ugly in a beautiful way. Most of the colours were ranging browns and blacks, and a brownish light fog was covered over certain parts. The fog looked like it was poisonous, but it actually wasn't. It didn't smell any different than normal air, and there were no reaction to the people in the fortress to the gas.

The car started to climb, following the rails as they ascended in front of them. A vibration rocked the glass on the windows. Another car screamed past them, heading for the North sector. A 'swoosh' noise announced it's departure as the tail end of the other Railer disappeared. Dilandau's gaze turned back to the glittering lights of the brown city of Zaibach. It would be getting to evening in a matter of hours. He had better hurry. He thought for a moment of all the places in the South that sold jewelery. Zaibach was much more that a gigantic floating military installment. It was a fully functioning city. In time the silver-haired commander remembered the name and whereabouts of a well-respected store.

It's a pity I'll probably never see her in this outfit. He thought to himself. Again, perhapsshe'd go to a dinner with me, even simply out of politeness, Dilandau's mind reasoned. Get a reservation at a ritzy kind of restaurant on the ground... He smiled to himself, a lopsided smirk that belied a plotting mind. Asturia has the best restaurants. Or so I've heard. We're flying over there... When was it? Two weeks ahead? I think so, because we pass Fanelia first.

The car slowed, and it eventually stopped at a platform. The door opened with a rumbling whine, and he stepped out into the South sector.

Dilandau fumbled in his mind about what he should have said to Gabrielle when she'd spoken to him earlier, as he headed for the direction of the store he'd been thinking of. After a good while of walking the nearly empty streets, he finally came upon theplace, near hidden with stone and black grime. He stepped into the store, and the long-eared, shriveled old woman of an indeterminate race at the counter greeted him respectfully. She had a blunt face with a snub muzzle and a flaring nose that was a pale brown in colour. Guessing she must have been one of the enslaved race of forest folk, Dilandau moved on. At her greeting, he halfheartedly nodded as he wandered over to the glass case with all of the necklaces in it. Wordlessly, he selected one, pointing at it through the glass.

"Good choice, sir. It brings luck." The old woman said with a crooked-toothed, yet charming smile as she flicked her bent ears and took it from the case. Her feline-like eyes flashed a milky yellow.

"Especially to the young couple." The jewelry store keeper placed it in a small velvet lined box. Dilandau gave her a nod, taking a strange liking to this old woman as he looked almost lazily at the rest of the things. Most were beautiful, but not beautiful enough.

Two bracelets caught his eye. Dilandau selected them after admiring earrings for a moment. The old one bustled at the counter took them out and placed them in a separate box. He assured himself that those were good. He had to get going back if he was going to pick up the dress and deliver it in time. "Those will do." He said. "How much?"

"These ones are quite pricy, young sir. If you wish, we have ones that are not so pure of metal and stone," The forest folk elder said with a concerned and reasonable tone. "They are forty thousand credits, altogether." Most people would cringe at that cost, but Dilandau could make more than that in the space of time it took someone to breathe.

"Fair enough." He said, and withdrew a small card. He placed it on the counter. The elder took it with clawed hands and scanned the card, then passed it back. Dilandau put it back away. He took the two velvet boxes, thanked the creature at the counter, and left, headed away. He still had two other stops to make.

Gabrielle lay in her quarters, fresh as she could be from a short cold shower. She was only supposed to be alotted three minutes, but she had been allowed six for some reason... Some reason being the repeated abuse with large blunt objects the timer machine. The ridiculously cold water took some getting used to, but after a spluttering, gasping moment it was alright. She was reading a book, absorbed in it. It was about the culture of the Melchian people, who lived high up in the mountains, above the mist. In their own tongue, Melchia meant 'Wolves of the mist.' The book said they were covered in fur, wore clothes somewhat like humans, and their faces were almost just like that of wolves. Their stature was typically long and lanky, and their eyes were human-like. Unfortunately, a majority of the Melchian people had been hunted down and destroyed by superstitious townsfolk that lived across from the mountains. They had recently been accepted as a sentient race. They'd been given rights the same as humans, and their population was growing.

She was reading about the Melchian language and writing system when there was a buzz from the door. Her eyes flicked up from the book, which she placed a bookmark in, and she went to answer the door. There was nobody there, but a small box with a note. She picked it up and examined the box, trying to read the writing on it, but it was in a foreign language she did not understand. The note read,

Wear this tonight. Gatti will be here to pick you up at the dinner hour. Sorry I didn't stay and talk, but I had to go. I'll see you tomorrow.

She stepped back into her quarters and shut the door. She opened the box. At first she only saw two velvet lined boxes on something. She picked up the smaller of the two boxes and opened it.

They were a pair of silver bracelets. They were in the form of two dragons, their wings outspread and joining. Their heads were turned to the side, and their eyes were of jet. In each of their jaws, they held small white jewels that shone with bands of bright pearl when exposed to light. She gently closed the lid. Where had he gotten all this? She picked up the next box and opened it. It was a collar-like silver necklace, from which a very short chain dangled. Upon the end was another dragon, curled protectively around a gleaming red stone. Gabrielle closed her eyes in amazement. Why had this been done for her? There was something else inside the box. Lifting it up, she saw it was a gorgeous dress, made of a silky, crisp black. It was strapless and came with a long piece of velvet that looped through the corset-like back and were meant to rest draped from her arms in trailing ribbons.

There was also gloves that came up to her elbows. Along the forearm was stitched a silver dragon, slender and elegantly curling. There was with a tube of deep red lipstick, and knee-length black boots that laced up. The legs of the boots fit very nicely to her calves. Gratefully and near breathlessly putting these on, Gabrielle then sat like a proper lady on the chair beside the desk and waited, politely reading her book.

Gatti was nervous. He had to walk by the place where the rest of the Dragonslayers ate, and he'd have to face theirs, and Dilandau's, criticism. He blinked his blue eyes as he gathered the courage to walk across the room and out the other side, in the direction of her quarters. He sighed and stepped out into the room, walking across.

"Looking sharp, Gatti!" Called Migel.

"Yeah, it looks good," Chesta seconded. Guimel nodded, and Dalet smiled. Viole merely winked. Dilandau was silent, and as expressive as stone. The leader in red sat with his hands folded on the table, looking across at Gatti. Chesta turned and looked.

"Well, my Lord, what is your judgement?" He looked up warily at Chesta.

"Hurry up." He grunted, and then continued at being unexpressive and silent.

"Okay, I'll be back in a while, guys." Gatti said.

"Later, Gatti." All of them said at once, all except Dilandau.

Gatti left the room, and headed down the hall. When he reached room 237, he pressed the button. After a few seconds, the door drew up, revealing her standing there. He merely blinked.

"I must say, you look wonderful." Hey, it was lame, but his blood wasn't all in his head at the time. Gabrielle was shy.

"Thanks! … Um, where are we going? Why do I have to be dressed like this?" She asked very quietly, looking like a fantastically elegant bird afraid of its plumage.

"We're going to the West sector, about forty minutes away. We have to take a Railer. There's a place there that I'm taking you to. Come on. The table's reserved and if we're not there in time, they'll give the table away." Gatti explained. Gabrielle stepped out of her quarters, sealing the door behind her. They walked together to the Rails.

"Gatti, what are these things you call 'Rails?'" She asked him. "They're a form of transport system. They're long strings of cars suspended by metal rails that span the distance from sector to sector. We call the cars Railers. The actual system is just called the 'Rails.'" He said as they stepped onto the platform. "Badikara has it's own Railer car. It should be here any minute." He added. With impeccable timing, the vehicle was seen on the horizon.

"Well, here's the car." He said as a fancy looking box screeched to a stop in front of them, the brakes at the top making a little shower of sparks.

"Is it … safe?" She asked as she looked at it. "Oh, yeah. Hasn't been an accident on one of these things in years. Some say it's safer than walking, where there's the danger of getting mugged."

They stepped inside and chose seats. The car was very nicely designed, with red seats and real gold designs on the interior walls. She got the window seat. Gabrielle gazed out at the metropolis splayed out before her. There was a series of humming noises as the engines started, and the car lurched slightly. It began to slide forwards on the rails. The painted vehicle swiftly accelerated to a very high speed, moving so smoothly that it felt as if they were barely moving at all.

"So... How many languages can you speak?" Gatti asked, to make some conversation.

"Four." She replied. "Which? You speak ancient languages?" He asked, very interested.

"Well, I speak English, of course, and French, Norwegian, and I'm learning Japanese." She said. "Norwegian? I've never heard of it. I do know that Japanese is the second language here, all over the world. Though I've never heard of somewhere called Japan. Well, except for in myths and legends about the Mystic Moon."

"I came from there. It's actually called 'Earth.'" She said.

"Are you okay?" He asked her. "There's only one other that I know of who supposedly came from there... Her name is Hitomi. She's with that cursed White Dragon. From what I hear, she's pretty strange…" He scoffed at the thought of the enemy. Gabrielle merely tilted her head. What had this White Dragon done to awaken such rage?

Back at the base, the Dragonslayers were all very quiet during dinner. Nobody really spoke any words other than "Please pass the water." They ate quietly, and even Dilandau only picked at his food. His thoughts, as they often were as of late, dwelled on the newcomer Gabrielle. It seemed every time he shut his eyes, there she was. He couldn't get her out of his head, and he didn't really feel he wanted to, either.

"Lord Dilandau," Chesta began. "is Gabrielle coming with us on the mission tomorrow?"

"I don't want her to particularly, but she has to. All of us have to go." He said in a hollow tone.

"What do we have to do this time?" Chesta wondered aloud.

"We're going straight into Fanelia. Wipe out anything and everything we can." Dilandau told him.

"Oh." Said Migel. "And how are you going to tell Gabrielle that?" He asked.

"Very carefully." Dilandau replied, and the others took it as a joke. "I'm serious, you fools." All of them ceased laughing. He sighed.

"She doesn't like it when we kill innocent people. I never used to care... But now, I'm not so sure anymore." He said, and the table grew even quieter.

"So... My Lord? Do you feel for her, or something?" Migel asked inquisitively and rather casually.

"I don't know! I've never felt like this." He snapped, while looking straight across the table at the wall with unseeing eyes, a troubled and irritated expression making itself known.

"Well, do you always want to be around her?" Migel asked.

"… Yes. What purpose does this interrogation serve, Private Migel?" Dilandau snarled, defensive.

"You feel kind of... 'Giddy' when you are?" Migel insistently questioned.

"Of course not," He answered with an air of dispondence.

"Well, then you describe it, my Lord." Migel said. Dilandau cleared his throat.

"I've had enough of your questions." He said with a flick of his eyes.

"Well, it looks like Lord Dilandau actually has feelings about girls that the rest of us boys have." Migel said, faking surprise as he leaned back in his chair. "So, how far have you gotten?"

"Migel, don't think I won't break that jaw again." Dilandau menaced, his fist hitting the table. "Don't speak that way again."

"Okay, okay... You're right, it was not my place." The private apologized profusely.

"You know, you should take her to dinner sometime and tell her how you feel," Guimel piped up, who had previously been silent, just listening. "I'll bet she'd like that." He added, and turned back to his bowl of food, half-finished. "What?" He asked innocently when he realized all the stares. "It's only a suggestion." He said, shrugging a shoulder.

In the West, Gatti and Gabrielle got off the car and headed towards the restaurant. It was a massive building, elegantly structured. It had arches and curves, and the architectury was obviously done by a master. They walked in, and the person at the door showed them their table after Gatti had confirmed who he was. A band was playing soft music from near the front of the lobby, and there were many people there, all as well dressed as Gabrielle and Gatti. She found that while all the women's dresses were vastly different, a lot of the men's clothing were very similar. The men were dressed in mainly blues and blacks, like the uniforms. These clothing were lacking the armoured plates and guards, but in their place were ornate designs. They were high collared, like the uniforms, and close fitting to the upper body. The pants that they wore were neat, and looser than the shirts. She noticed that all of the people in the restaurant were young, the oldest looking was probably in his late twenties. They were seated at a table on the top floor, which had a clear ceiling. A crystal chandelier hung from the middle of the roof, casting a pleasant glow on the glinting ground. The waiter said he'd be back in a few minutes to take their orders.

"Gatti, why are we here?" She asked politely.

"Well, before Dilandau nearly bit my head off, I wanted to court you. Well, in fact, I still do... Even more so now, but Dilandau said that if I made any kind of move on you, he'd have me thrown off the edge of the fortress. I know for a fact he's not bluffing, because a year or so ago he had it done to somebody. It wasn't a pretty picture." He said.

"He actually had that done?" She asked.

"Yes. Sometimes, we think he's insane... You should see how he gets when he razes things to the ground. He's… indescribable, but we're all faithful to him in the end. He's got a good side about him, somewhere... Dilandau's also never really displayed any kind of emotion other than extreme anger. You seem to have brought out something good in him." Gatti said.

"Um, thank you. I really don't know much about him, though. He's so distant… It's hard to even get on a personal level at all, let alone…" Gabbi looked to the scenery as she spoke.

"Let alone…?"

"Well, let alone anything else, I mean. He certainly doesn't make it easy. He makes what could be considered an advance, but then…Acts like it never happened. I don't know."

"Do you like him or something?" Gatti asked, tilting his head.

Gabrielle smiled in amusement. "It's been a long time since I've heard someone use the word 'like' in that context. I'm not really sure what to feel, honestly. Yes, and I'm somewhat afraid to. You say he's had people thrown off walls and razed towns… This scares me, but at the same time there's a softer side of him that's not really been seen yet. There's a lot of good in him, I know that." Gabrielle watched stars glitter overhead, in strange constellations that made no sense to her.

"And that's why I write poetry about you." He said with a soft smile.

"Pardon?" She asked.

"You're kind, and such." He said.

"I'm flattered." She said, and she truly was so.

The waiter came back and handed them two menus. She looked it over. It was written in strange characters that she didn't recognize. She'd never seen them before. They look kind of like ancient Runes, She thought to herself. She looked at Gatti, who was reading it at a fast speed, occasionally pausing.

"Gatti, I can't read this." She said softly.

"Oh? Sorry." He said, and he pulled it flat so he could read it upside-down and tell her what the things were. He read and translated.

"Okay, there's salads, and fish, birds, ... Blah, blah, ... You wouldn't like that... Got loads of alcohol... Hmmm..." He was busy reading when she spotted a picture.

"Pizza!" She exclaimed.

"Pizza? Yeah, it's a delicacy." He explained.

"Really? Where I come from, you can get pizza just about anywhere." Gabrielle blinked, amazed.

"How much is it?" She asked.

"Doesn't matter. Get what you want," Gatti replied swiftly.

"Well, I guess I'll get pizza then." She said.

"Right then." He replied.

Most of the Dragonslayers had left the table, except Dilandau, who was still poking at the food, Migel, and Chesta. Migel sat avidly chewing on a wood toothpick, and Chesta was clearing the dishes.

"Can I take the glass, Lord Dilandau?" Chesta sked politely. Dilandau snapped out of his train of thought. "What?" He asked.

"I asked if I could take your glass for you, my Lord." Chesta said.

"Oh. Mmm. Thanks." Dilandau said, and resumed thinking. Chesta and Migel looked at each other.

"Dilandau said 'thank you!'" Chesta mouthed to Migel.

"I know. He's been acting polite. I like it." Replied Migel.

"Same." Chesta said as he took away another plate.

"I'm going to go consult the the Oreides about something." Dilandau muttered absently. Migel smiled with an air of knowing mischieviousness.

"You mean, you're going to go ask the Libreia what Gabrielle thinks about you. It'll answer to the best of it's ability because it's her 'melef. You know that as well as we do, my Lord." Migel laughed.

Dilandau shot him a venomous glare. "Yes sir. Sorry sir, I'll be quiet now." Migel bowed his head deeply, not rising even when Dilandau had his back turned.He half turned, and Dilandau squinted at him suspiciously.

"Migel... You're in charge. I'll be back in a while." He said carefully, and turned back away and walked down the hall. Chesta and Migel shared a smile after he was gone.

"I just hope he finds the answer he's looking for." Chesta added wistfully, and then stepped in the kitchen to wash the dishes he'd just collected.

The commander moved with catlike agility and silence along the rows upon rows of guymelefs, until he came to the lineup that was the Dragonslayers'. The Libreia sat in stasus, charging from the power supply it was connected to. Its yellow eyes were sealed shut with a camera's spiral shutter. Dilandau stepped up directly in front of the gigantic evening orange dragon, poised in front of the thing's pointed nose. He touched the tip of it's beak-like upper jaw.

"Libreia," He said to it. The thing didn't move, but he thought he heard a click somewhere deep within the mechanical beast. "Libreia?" It still didn't move. "I know you can hear me." He uttered darkly. Unnoticed to the armour-clad officer, one of the camera-shutter eyelids twisted and opened slightly.

"You're bonded with her, as the Oreides is to me. You and the Oreides always know what Gabrielle and I think, what we know, everything. That's partly why we can control you so well. You know that."

.:What is it your query, Commander Dilandau:. The Libreia's sudden voice startled Dilandau.

"Good, you were listening," He said.

.:I am always listening.:. It replied, and Dilandau got the strange feeling that 'it' was, and should be called, a 'she.'

"I want to know what she thinks of me." He narrowed his eyes as he spoke in a hushed voice.

.:I should not tell you. That is personal, unrelated information. Why don't you simply ask her yourself?:. The dragon replied with a question, its digits whining as it readjusted itself to the most efficient angle of balance. It was stupid to argue with a guymelef, Dilandau knew. Especially a bonded one. They were not like regular machines – They were sentient when spoken to, and could be quite volatile.

"Because I do not know how." He admitted stubbornly.

.:You are fluent in English. You asked me the same thing.:.

"I know that, it's just it's more complicated than that. I could never expect you to understand..." He grunted irritably.

.:Oh, but I do. You see, I am her, and she is me. It is a wonderful poetic concept. I know exactly what you mean. She still is unaware that I am connected with her. Therefore, any information I give you would be completely unbeknownst to her... But, I should not. It is against regulations.:. The Orange End model dictated.

"Please, Libreia. I order you. You may not be an official soldier… But you are a tool of one in my squadron." Diladnau was involuntarily leaning slightly harder on the dragon as he attempted to get to eye level. The Libreia moved her head down and glared him in the eye with her clear, orb-shaped bright eyes. The way the light played in them reminded Dilandau of how Gabrielle's eyes had sparkled when she watched the fire... The Libreia was silent for a moment, seemingly studying him.

.:I will not dignify that ignorant comment with a response otherwise, Commander Dilandau.:. The guymelef arced its neck, her triangular beak opening absently as a mechanical trill whirred from inside her. She seemed so alive.

.:Gabrielle thinks you are confusing. She feels for you, however, she is somewhat intimidated by you, and she doesn't know how to act. She is hesitant and afraid to express herself to you, so she holds back for fear of rejection. She often thinks of you, even though she is afraid.:. Her explanatory voice rang clear, and Dilandau listened attentively.

"Afraid? Afraid of what?" He asked finally.

.:As I said. Rejection. You kissed her, and yet she seems to feel you have distanced yourself from her after that. She feels lost and completely alone. All her friends she used to know are gone, and she knows she'll never see them again. She never says anything because she doesn't want to cause a problem to other people. She had a lover where she came from, and is slowly getting over this loss whilst at the same time feeling betrayal by feeling the way she does about you.:.

Dilandau looked down at the floor. Goddammit. What do I do? He snarled to himself.

.:Will this information suffice?:. The Libreia asked.

"One more thing. How does Gabrielle feel about ... Gatti?" He asked, trying to mask his feelings.

.:She finds Private Gatti respectful, charming, attractive, and easy to talk to. She is speaking to him currently. She is flattered by him. However, she is holding back from him. The Libreia explained. Dilandau glowered. The Libreia had used none of those words in her description of Gabrielle's feelings for him, but he felt a glimmer of hope at the last sentence.

"Why?" He asked.

.:You.:. The Libreia said, as if she were speaking to an incredibly thick child. .:She doesn't want to attract Gatti, because she doesn't want the boyi to do anything that would make you hurt him.:. She said.

"Oh." Dilandau further glowered. This was not the answer he was looking for. "So... She likes Gatti more than me?" He asked, half to himself.

.:I was not finished... She values Gatti as a friend for now, and nothing more nor less. May I add a suggestion?:. She asked, and didn't give him time to answer, just in case he refused. .:Tell her how you feel. Do something nice for her.:. The Libreia said plainly. .:Before you regret your silence. She desperately needs someone to be close to, and I can tell by your irregular body posture and the dents you seem to be trying to make in my nose that this is important to you. She needs to hear it, and you need to tell her. I can also tell by your level of adrenaline and endorphins present in your blood that you may in fact care for her more than you know yourself.:. She squawked, and he could have sworn that Libreia had smiled. But that was impossible. Her mouth was just hinged metal...

"Do I love her?" He asked, looking the Libreia deep in her shining eyes. With a slight mechanical whine, she brought a single claw forward.

.:I cannot tell you that. You will know here.:. She said, and the claw stopped with computerized accuracy at the exact point that his heart was beating inside his chest. .

:Or so they say.:. She said.

"Libreia!" Dilandau shouted angrily, desperately. "Tell me what is going on inside my head! What are all these swimming feelings? What are these dizzying things happening to me that have never happened before? What is it all?" He huffily ranted, not really expecting to get an answer.

.:You will know in time, Commander. That is all I am really at liberty and knowledge to say. I cannot tell you what goes on in your head – You yourself speak in defense of that point many a time! Nobody can describe love fully or any other emotion with precision, as you have read. That is why there are no files stored on the mother computer. To many theories, too many philosophies. You will just know. However I can relate to you on one aspect,:. She continued.

.:Emotion is a stranger to me. I am a computer. The emotive responses I give are from the blood of Gabrielle that flows within me, giving me some semblance of intelligence when it comes to these things. I am unsure of how to categorize and file away these emotions myself, Commander. They are new, and strange, and unfathomable.You and I are both aliens to this world of natural chemical and exotic reasoning.:. The robotic creature towered above him, glinting metal so deceptively still, hiding the power inside.

"Exotic. That's a polite way of putting it," He growled. Words failed him.

.: Illogical, then… They are done eating. They will be back in approximately two hours, if my estimates are correct. Now, if you'll excuse me, I would like to get back to listening to her music. I rather like it.

Dilandau merely grunted in response.

.:Tell her of your confusion and your happy, sorrowful, joyous, painful emotion..:. The dragon had hit the nail on the head more accurately than Dilandau would have liked. He left.

As the boy of high rank walked absently through the halls, wondering where to go, he reviewed what Gabrielle's guymelef had said to him. He remembered every word. It pained him, no, irritated him that she was out having a pleasant time with his second in command. It made him want to wring Gatti's neck for being so … normal? Dilandau hadn't a clue at the reason for the rage. He just didn't know how he was supposed to tell her how he felt, when he couldn't find the words to describe it to himself. The commander wandered aimlessly for two hours, completely forgetting about everything, favouring mindless droning instead. He walked out on a bridge that was exposed to the direct outside. It joined two complexes together in open air. He stood in the middle and watched the clouds below him twist and turn endlessly as they went by. They looked like a massive sea, white and blue with touched silver moonlight. The breeze changed direction and headed for him, stirring his hair and making his cloak gently flare and flap behind him. Dilandau watched the clouds and listened to the wind whisper for a moment more, trying to decypher what it was saying, but in vain. He slowly made his way back to where he'd come from, heading towards his quarters. Hearing a very soft noise, he ceased movement and halted his breath. He headed for the noise, pausing every so often to hear for it. It was very late at night, so the long corridors were practically silent, with the occasional far-off echo. He heard the soft noise again, and it seemed fairly close by. There was the sound of the opening of a door, and the hissing as it shut. It then occurred to him that he was near quarters. There were footsteps coming in his direction.

There was a small hallway next to him that harboured a computer terminal; He could duck in there unnoticed and let the person pass. He did so silently, and pretended to be typing on the computer, lest they see him. He waited there for only a few moments until the footsteps grew slightly louder, announcing the presence. He turned his head just in time to see Gabrielle walk past, changed into a newly washed uniform. Where could she be going? He wondered. The young man cautiously stepped away from the computer terminal and back out into the hall. He began to follow her, quietly as he could. He'd catch up eventually, no need to make is own presence announced. She stopped and listened. She shook her head to herself and continued walking. Gabrielle walked down the curved stone walls, lit by torches placed every few metres, casting blue streaks on the leather and metal that adorned her. She eventually came to the door that led outside to the bridge. She opened the door and shut it gently behind her.

He weighed his options. He could go immediately after her, but then she would know she'd been followed. But what if she was going to jump off the bridge? She wouldn't do that. Would she? She hadn't seemed mentally stable. But then, was he? Who could call someone else crazy if they themselves were? Dilandau could wait for a moment and then go outside... That would be better. Then she wouldn't think she'd been followed. Then again, she wasn't stupid. She could more than likely put two and two together and figure out he'd tried to dupe her by waiting... So then he should go right now. But... How would he explain that he'd followed her? He didn't quite know himself. Then tell her that, quit with your stalling. Snapped a harsh voice in his head. Dilandau took himself down the last section of the hall to the doors, not being one to argue with his conscience often.

Gabrielle was standing in the middle of the bridge, exactly like he had done earlier, staring at the endless expanse of clouds and sky. The wind whipped her hair behind her, and she had her head at such an angle from him that she didn't notice him opening the door. The wind snatched any words or sounds away from her and onto the breeze. The girl sighed and faced straight ahead, her eyes closed. He cleared his throat. She spun around to face him, surprised at the sudden sound. Gabrielle recognized him, and her guard relaxed.

"What are you doing out here?" She asked him in a surprised, broken voice. The cold was beginning to get to her.

"Watching you." He replied, his arms crossed.

"Why? Why are you watching me?" She asked, sounding rather afraid, or sad, or something. He was never one for identifying those sorts of things. It was all the same.

"Well... Because I noticed something was wrong. You look sad lately. Did something go wrong with Gatti?" He asked, and involuntarily his right hand formed into a fist at the thought of him.

"No, I-" She shivered. "I just miss home, that's all." She coughed.

"Why don't you tell people?" He asked.

"There's nobody to tell," Gabbi looked up at him with a wry grin.

"There's me."

"You don't want to hear it. I don't want to be a problem." She insisted, and her gaze turned back to the swirling vortex of clouds beneath them, nature's ever changing painting.

"Well, you're not a problem. Come inside, you're cold."He said.
"I like it out here," She replied, but she could not hide her shiver. He stood beside her.

"Inside." He said as he took her hand very gently to lead her back to the door. She looked down at her hand. It looked so small compared to his. Her hands, in reality, were actually quite large for a girls', but they seemed almost dwarfed.

"Big hands... Kind of run in my family." He said. Not that he really remembered much else about his family. Her hand was spread against his, and she noticed that his were about two digits bigger than hers. He folded his fingers down inbetween her own and stepped back towards the door, pulling her in with him. Her hair settled back into place with the sudden absence of the breeze. She looked up into his eyes, with such a look of distance.

"Please don't be, however you are. Like that. Upset." He said, almost like it was an order. Her gaze slid away.

"Why?" She asked innocently.

"Because it makes me so." He explained.

"I'm sorry." She shyly said to him as Gabrielle observed her hand in his.

"We have a mission to go on tomorrow morning," He cleared his throat and released her hand from his grip. "We have to get up very early. You should get to sleep now." He said.

"Yeah." She nodded. She smiled politely, but it wasn't anything true. Even Dilandau could see that. She gently turned from him and began to walk to her room, her hand gently rising to hold her shoulder. It made her look very small.

The girl who had swum with dreams of dolphins had begun to turn the curved halls. He steeled himself and caught up to her.

"I want to stay with you." He said. "To take you to your room."

"Okay. You can stay for a bit if you want." Gabrielle shrugged and said.