Chapter 13: The Command

A/N: Okay, this chapter gets a little bit more interesting. That is all I will say. And not in a weird lemony way either. Just interesting. Teehee.

Dilandau tapped his foot against the cold stone floor in an effort to release some of his pent-up energy. It was ridiculous having to sit here with no idea what was going on inside their heads and twiddle his thumbs, which, depressing as it was, he had actually been doing for the last few minutes. How long did this take? Though it couldn't have been more than a half an hour, it felt like an eternity.

If the woman was so talented at her art then why was she still in that bitch of a prophet's mind? He shook his head. It had been too long. She had been in there too long. Maybe something had gone wrong, maybe the stupid prophet whore had trapped her inside her own mind—he wouldn't put it past her.

His eyes traveled to Karina's profile, and he sat for a moment, studying her face in the dim light of the room. Her brow furrowed a little and he wondered what she was thinking, what was going on inside her head. A few strands of titian hair escaped the severe bun, one falling into her closed eyes as she sat. Almost without thinking he reached forward to brush it out of the way behind her ears, his crimson gloves a stark contrast to her brighter locks.

Dilandau's gloved hand brushed her cheek and he sucked in a breath as her eyelids fluttered. Could she feel that? That slight touch of the skin that made him want to—

Karina's eyes opened and for a moment she looked confused, disoriented as she had the last time she had read another's mind. She shook her head as if to clear it, and then seemed to notice the hand that had frozen in midair as she had awoken. Her eyes were on his for a moment, a question in them that he didn't have the answer to, and then she glanced back at Hitomi, checking to see if the other girl was all right.

Dilandau was relieved to have her grey eyes looking somewhere else; never before had he been so affected by the stare of another human being, but now her steady grey eyes were causing a feeling in him that was like the fear he had felt when the Sorcerers had experimented on him, but somehow a different sort of terror entirely.

he said shortly, trying to get some sort of response out of her that would let him know she was okay. She looked a little pale.

She turned to him again and blinked. What, Dilandau?You have finished interrogating the prisoner? he inquired briskly, gesturing over to Hitomi. She had only just begun to wake, her eyes opening slowly and blinking against even the dim light of the chamber.

Yes, I have. There's no important information to report. Dilandau wasn't sure whether or not she was being truthful—she had become an expert liar in her time here—but he didn't think she was lying.

We can leave then. he stated, rising to his feet and heading for the door. The guards will take care of the prisoner.

Karina got to her feet as well and leveled her gaze at him. Actually the guards won't be taking care of the prisoner. Not in the way you mean them to take care of her.

Dilandau narrowed his eyes; what the hell kind of plan had she created now? What do you mean?I mean that she will be leaving this facility with our help and that she will be a free woman. He had a fleeting wish that she was joking, but Karina's voice had a no-nonsense tone to it, and so he quickly banished the thought from his mind.

he replied simply. There was no way in hell he was going to let the one girl he wanted nothing more than to kill to get away—not only away, home, and in one piece too. Was he even going to be able to take an ear, maybe as compensation?

But of course he wasn't going to comply with this ridiculous idea. No way.

Karina ignored his last words and went to the door of the dungeon, peeking out the bars at the two guards that had led them down there. They were still outside the door, lounging against one of the walls in a way that would be most ineffective if an enemy should actually attack them. She grinned, and then called to them.

Excuse me, Soldiers, she began politely, fluttering her eyelashes a little. They looked up at her and one raised his brow in question. Would you come in here for a moment? I'm afraid that the prisoner is being difficult and I wish for you to subdue her.

Neither of the men could understand why Dilandau didn't just subdue her, seeing as he was the most infamous and bloodthirsty general in the history of Gaea.

The General and I are under strict orders not to harm the prisoner until the interrogation is complete, she continued, and if you two could urge her along a little in her telling of information, you wouldn't get in any trouble and it would really help me.

They shrugged and rose to their feet, coming to the door of the dungeon with their keys to open it. Karina glanced at Dilandau, knowing he wasn't going to help her but unsure whether he was actually going to stop her, and readied the hilt of her dagger. The guards came through the door and with a quick strike she knocked the first one out. She moved to disable the second one but he was already on the ground, unconscious, with Dilandau standing over him and surveying him coldly.

I hate stupid guards, he said by way of explanation. Karina grinned at him appreciatively and he looked away, a little frown appearing between his brows. She had no notion as to why he was suddenly being so weird—not that he wasn't always weird—and she didn't particularly care, so long as he didn't get in her way while she was trying to help rescue Hitomi.

So, Dilandau, she began slyly, stripping the armor off one of the guards as she spoke, are you going to help me out here or not? She looked him in the eye then, hoping to whatever deity would listen that he was going to help her. Things would be much more difficult if he got sudden bloodlust while Hitomi was trying to escape.

Yes, I will. But not for the stupid Mystic Moon bitch.Then for who? We're both stupid Mystic Moon bitches. she pointed out, not understanding his logic in the matter.

Dilandau didn't answer and instead stepped carefully over the bodies of the unconscious guards, walking to the open door and glancing down the hall both ways. How could he answer a question he himself didn't know the answer to? He had no idea why he was helping her with her insane plan. Not that they would be caught since the guards had been conveniently knocked out; they had never seen what hit them so what conclusions could they come to? But why the hell was he bothering to save the little prophet bitch's life? He hated her almost as much as he hated little wonder-boy Van, and killing her would give him such great pleasure.

And Gaea knew he wasn't doing it for the telepath.

Karina, a nagging piece of him corrected.

Shut up, he told it firmly.

Let's go, he muttered, stalking out without bothering to see if they were following him. He had memorized the way they had come just in case—that was what he was trained to do, after all—and the identical stone labyrinth was easily navigated by his excellent memory.

Karina followed closely with Hitomi, who was now wearing the outer layer of armor that had been removed from the Zaibach soldier. Dilandau led them flawlessly, and Karina was amazed despite herself at his impeccable memory.

They reached the door in the wall in almost no time, and after Karina had checked outside to make sure nobody was near, she turned to Hitomi and smiled.

Thank you, she said softly, though she wasn't entirely sure what she was thanking the prophet for. All she had done was force her to relive some of the worst moments of her life. With the exception of one other moment that she would never forget... but she couldn't think of that now. But somehow it felt as if her fellow Earthling—she giggled at how silly that sounded even in her head—had genuinely helped her.

Thank you, Hitomi replied, seizing Karina in a hug. For deciding not to pry harder into my mind. You're right; I wouldn't have been able to keep you out, and I couldn't have hurt you, so thanks again.

Dilandau rolled his eyes. Let's cut the girly hugs so you can get the hell out of my presence, he said bitterly, glaring at Hitomi with venom.

She smiled sweetly at him and gave him a mocking salute. But of course, General. With that she left, wandering off into the woods in the direction of the nearest city.

Dilandau stood staring after her for a few moments with Karina, watching her form disappear among the thick foliage. There was something you forgot to think of when you decided on her brilliant escape plan, he remarked casually, as if it didn't really matter to him. Which it didn't, come to think of it.

she snapped, irritated that he had to bring up something to ruin her day even more.

How did she supposedly escape? What are you going to tell your lover? he asked, turning and walking in the direction of his guymelef.

For the last time, Dilandau, he isn't my lover. Why don't you believe that? She sighed in exasperation and continued, And I'm going to tell him that you were in the forest keeping watch and that she knocked me out while I was still disoriented from reading her mind, that you revived me and the guards were mysteriously unconscious when I came to. She grinned. How does that sound?You're quite an accomplished liar, he observed drily.

Thank you, she said sweetly. Now let's go home and— Karina froze as she realized what she had said. Home. Home and the Vione in the same sentence. She referring to the Vione as home. Oh, God. What was happening to her that she had come to think of that place as home? Though in reality it was just as much of a home as every other place she had been in the last few years.

Dilandau watched her as she realized what she had said and came to her conclusion. He wasn't sure exactly what she was thinking, only that it couldn't have made her that happy considering the expression on her face.

We need to get going, he commanded briskly, strangely anxious to get her thoughts away from whatever was making her unhappy.

Right, let's go. Karina shook her head to clear it—she couldn't afford such stupidly upsetting thoughts right now—and marched toward the clearing Dilandau's guymelef was residing in. She could see it only because they were unable to use the stealth cloak with him carrying her transport pod, and as she walked into the clearing she couldn't help but be a little nervous about flying back without a stealth cloak.

Dilandau silently moved to help her into her pod, holding out his hand to her for the second time that day. He still didn't understand why he was displaying such ridiculous acts of gentlemanliness, nor was he particularly interested in understanding why. Let the shrinks of the world figure that out.

Karina took his hand and hauled herself into the pod, muttering a word of thanks as she released his gloved fingers. An odd feeling went down her spine as she did so, a cold feeling like she had let go of something important. She shook off the feeling in the same way she had shook off her other thoughts.

But she couldn't help keeping her eyes locked with his as the lid to her shuttle was closed.

In minutes they were flying, Dilandau maneuvering the machine out of the clearing with unparalleled grace. Karina could see everything below because of the pod's transparent casing, and she kept herself occupied by watching the trees speed by her below.

A thought occurred to her and she raised her head, glancing at the closed hatch to the flying guymelef.

she said hesitantly, hoping he was in a reasonable mood.

he snapped in reply. Well, she thought bracingly, he's progressed at least from calling me Woman to calling me nothing at all. I guess that's a good sign.

You never told me when you were going to die. You said you knew. When is it? She was careful to keep her tone neutral, unthreatening, uneager. She wasn't at all eager for him to die, actually, and she didn't want him thinking that she was just asking out of spite. For some reason the thought of him hating her didn't inspire indifference.

I am going to die when... she heard him take a breath over the com channel and she leaned forward a little, waiting for him to speak. Look, a prophet told me once, it's stupid.Which prophet? she asked, genuinely interested.

The one you just set free. he said shortly.

Karina pressed. She was curious now, she had to know. Partially to sate her own curiosity, and partially because, because...

I don't want him to die on me.

Dilandau bit his lip inside the cockpit of the guymelef. Why the hell did this woman want to know when he was going to die? She could just find out by grabbing his bare hand—he would make sure he never took his gloves off—and yet she was asking him. He opened his mouth to speak, whether to tell her the truth or to lie to her, he would never know.

A completely different voice came out of the com speakers this time and Dilandau frowned. What the hell was Folken doing speaking to him in the middle of the sky? It was too easy to have the channel picked up—what was he thinking?

What is it, Strategos? The only thing Dilandau was currently interested in was getting back to the Vione and out of the company of the telepath. She was far too disconcerting for his peace of mind.

There are Asturian scouts in the area; I want you to land briefly and bring Karina into the cockpit so you can use your stealth cloak.

Dilandau blinked. You want me to what?Bring Karina into the cockpit; you have to be able to use your stealth cloak. They might be able to find you anyway on the radar; I will give you further orders if the situation changes. There was a dull click to signal the end of the conversation.

It was Karina's voice again, coming from the transport pod, small and hesitant. Did he just say that I'm supposed to—Come into the cockpit? Yes. Dilandau looked doubtfully at the small cockpit and wondered how the hell she was supposed to fit in here. It was definitely a one-man place, and though Dilandau wasn't a huge man, she definitely wasn't going to be able to sit next to him...

I guess we'd better land for a minute then. Karina's voice was matter-of-fact, far more calm that he was feeling about the whole thing.

Dilandau set the guymelef down in the next clearing that he saw, deciding that it was probably best to obey Folken's orders for once. They did need the stealth cloak, especially if there were soldiers out. Asturian soldiers tended not to like Zaibach very much, ever since the last war. And if Karina were in the transport pod outside not only would he be visible, but he'd be hampered by having her held in one of the guymelef's hands.

Dilandau kept telling himself that those were the only reasons he was obeying Folken's orders.

He opened the cockpit and helped Karina out of the transport pod once more, and then climbed the machine to the cockpit with her close behind him. Once he had been seated she just stood there for a moment, staring at him blankly and looking at the cockpit dubiously, wondering how the hell she was supposed to fit in there without straddling the General.

How are we going to work this? she asked bluntly.

Dilandau shook his head. Figure something out. You're the telepath.That has nothing to do with the fact that this frickin' cockpit is too damned small. You're the General, figure out some tactics for it.Shut up, Woman.

Dilandau closed his eyes; he wasn't going to get pissed with her right before he had to spend several hours in her company. He just wasn't going to. For one thing he might kill her. Or worse, spend the hours arguing with himself about whether to kill her or—

Let's just not argue, okay? Karina suggested wearily. I'm going to get in and we'll see how this works.

She climbed in and they could both immediately see that this was going to be difficult. She was unable to sit next to him which had had already figured out, and she couldn't sit sideways on him either. She tried sitting on his lap and facing the door, but that got in the way of his line of vision.

How the hell are we supposed to do this? he shouted in frustration after the fourth position they had tried that didn't work.

Karina bit her lip. She had an idea, but god knew she didn't want to do it. I have an idea, she sighed in resignation.

he snapped irritably.

Karina repositioned herself and Dilandau's eyes widened as she moved into a position that worked. She was straddling him, her legs tucked into the space on either side of his seat, and her head was over his right shoulder, out of the way of his vision and comfortable for her.

Does that work? she asked quietly, and her breath tickled his ear.

Something strange had happened to his breathing and so he was a little hard pressed to answer. His voice was less harsh than it usually was.

Then let's go.

A/N: Yeah. Awkward straddling scenes. Gotta love them. The next chapter is really important so I'll probably have it up in about a week. Muahahahahahaha! Review for me. Criticisms, compliments, flames, loveness, I adore it all.