*~* Author's Note: Thank you for all of the great reviews, I love getting mail! For anyone who is wondering if or when Celena will be in the story again, don't worry I have plans for her…muhahahahaha!! Ok, ok, I'll stop. *~*
Disclaimer: Yup, yup, I own Escaflowne and Gundam Wing, Sonic the Hedgehog and Ninja Turtles, Skittles and Snickers… though I wonder where the hell all my money is going, I haven't seen a dime of it! (I'm kidding ;)
Chapter 4
The next few days passed without incident. Dilandau was at every practice, waiting for his slayers before the start of every practice looking impatient, and tense as always. He worked them hard, never failing to demonstrate how he'd like things to be done. His slayers followed him without question, still in awe of his skill, and how much they still had to learn from him, but they also whispered about him. The change in his physical appearance was becoming apparent to more than just Shesta and Gatty. The Captain was losing weight, he looked haggard, and his hands shook when he held his wine glasses.
He sat with them during meal times, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, picking at the meager portions he would get for himself with a faraway look in his eyes. He appeared to be much younger than he was, when his eyes were unfocused, and his face unlined with thoughts of upcoming battle. "...and then he actually tried to come on to me. Bald, ugly, liver spots...and he thinks I'd be interested in him. So he takes my shoulders like this, and he's like come on kid, you know you want this too. It gets lonely up here, and you're so pretty. I was like, I wish I could say the same about you, and wow, when's the last time you've brushed. So anyways, he started trying to touch my hair, so I broke his hand."
"So that's what Captain Crud (Crudgales) was complaining about," Gatty rolled his eyes at Viole, who grinned impishly with a shrug. "I wish you'd have told me, so I could have told him to tell his men to keep their hands to themselves and they wouldn't have such problems with them getting broken."
"Eh, they get the message. They forget who we are after a few weeks of nothing rough happening to them, and then they try to pull a fast one and get knocked down again. They won't bother us for another two weeks I bet ya."
"Yeah, but what if it hadn't have been you down there, what if it had been Franz, or Tristan? They may have been hurt. We really need to speak up about these problems..." Shesta began, and was interrupted by Dilandau, "Just tell me who the main problems are and I'll deal with them. No one touches my Dragonslayers, but me."
Viole smirked, "This is gonna be fun. Can I make the list? I already know who I'm going to put at the top of it. I swear it's time we set the Vione down to let some of these men off to work off some of this sexual frustration they got building here. It's getting gross, and frankly I'm afraid Refina's going to resort to castrating half the army on board this ship. She's been sharpening her knives constantly, and she threw one at me cause I surprised her. She thought I was that dirty old man, Graff."
Dilandau flushed angrily, and directed his narrowed eyes at Viole, "You will make me this list of yours Viole, but you'd better be serious about it. Anyone whose name appears on that list I'm carving a new perverted smile....on their necks." He set down his fork, completely ignoring his untouched food, and pulled out a long dagger that he stared at mesmerized by its milky sheen.
Viole looked more than happy to begin a list of lewd men on board, but Shesta eyed him warily. Dilandau was serious, and Folken would not appreciate a bunch of corpses of dead Zaibach soldiers that could have been used in battle aboard the ship. Viole pouted a bit, but resigned himself to keep his list short, only the real problems would be exposed. "Lord Dilandau, is Lord Folken giving you our next assignment today?"
Dilandau's looked away from his knife to meet Gatty's eyes briefly, "Yes he will be, and after I receive the orders I will come to you all in your quarters and give you the details of what it is we will be required to do. All of us will be in attendance for this mission, and I will lead you down."
The eyes of the second string slayers glowed with excitement, while the third string soldiers paled and looked nauseated. "I believe Emperor Dornkirk has located the dragon for us, and our mission will be a simple retrieval. Catching the dragon should prove to be no problem with all of us on the attack. I expect no damage reports."
"Yes sir"'s were echoed around the table.
"Flight training in an hour, until then you have free time. Do something useful with it," Dilandau stood, and everyone rose with him to show respect as he left. He walked out of the room, still holding the long dagger as if he was going to stab anyone who walked by him.... and knowing Dilandau he just might.
"Did he eat?" Dallet was trying to get a good look at Dilandau's plate. Gatty shook his head, "Not a bite."
"He's sick, I know it," Viole said shoving the last of his food into his mouth. "He's been acting stranger than usual since he got back from that place with those Sorcerers. I swear they're doing something evil to him, but what can we do to keep them from taking him away?"
"Nonsense, if they were doing something bad to him, no way would Lord Dilandau let them take him!" Miguel said cutting his meat neatly and tucking a small piece into his mouth.
"I agree with Miguel on this one," Guimel said. "Lord Dilandau is not one to be dragged anywhere he didn't want to go."
Shesta closed his eyes as he remembered the night he and Lord Folken hovered over the pale Captain, wanting to take him to the infirmary. "Yeah well, they are sorcerers, what if they mess with him, and like make him believe he wants to go or something."
"You're being stupid Viole," Miguel rolled his eyes, "as usual."
"And you've got your head stuck up your ass, Miguel, as usual," Viole scoffed. He dropped his napkin in his plate and purposefully licked his fingers to annoy Miguel. "I'm going to go finish my homework."
"You mean, you're going to go finish copying MY homework," Dallet snorted.
"Yeah," Viole shrugged. "I'll do homework next week so you can copy."
"Which is what you said last week," Dallet reminded him, and Viole's eyes widened, "Oh..I did huh? Eh...uh.... Well geez Dallet, you don't really want to copy my homework. Like Miguel said, I'm stupid."
"You're not stupid Viole, just lazy and good at talking your way out of things," Shesta said absently staring at the full plate their leader had left behind.
"He didn't even eat the fruit, he always eats the fruit," Gatty commented.
"Can I have the fruit?" Guimel's hands were already reaching for the plate, and Gatty smacked him one.
"I'm going to wrap it up, maybe he'll want to eat something later."
"Good idea, if he eats anything it will be that."
They elite looked down the table at the other slayers. It was funny how they all could sit at the same table, but yet be so separated. They could talk about what they wanted without fear of someone butting into their business. The only times the table was fully attentive to each other was when Lord Dilandau ate with them. He was starting to do this more often, and Shesta was forming a theory. Lord Folken worried about Dilandau, though he wouldn't show it in his facial expression, and if Dilandau had meals with him and didn't eat, Folken would pull him from missions. He ate with his slayers because he knew none of them had the guts to jump on him about not eating, and taking care of himself.
Gatty wrapped the fruit up neatly in a napkin, even going to get more fresh strawberries to garnish on top to make the salad look more appealing. Dilandau liked red fruits.
"I'm going to take a nap," Guimel said, stretching out like the big lazy cat he so resembled.
"Who wants to spar with me?" Miguel asked, catching Dallet's eye and rising.
"Remember we only have an hour," Gatty said as the slayers began to scatter one by one, until only he and Shesta were left. "What do you wanna do Shesta?"
Shesta shrugged, "Wait for Lord Dilandau in our room."
Gatty sighed, holding the fruit carefully so not to spill, "I'll wait with you." The two officers walked side by side, their swords clinking in unison as they moved. Older soldiers, boys in their later teens from the Hexagon battalion fled past quickly upon seeing them averting their eyes and protecting their hands. Gatty and Shesta couldn't help but chuckle, who would have known people could be so sensitive about thoughts of having their hands broken. Broken hands seemed to be more effective than broken arms.
They had left the light on in the small room, and Shesta quickly stripped off his sword and heavy overcoat laying them over his desk chair and flopping down on his stomach on the bed. "I wonder how this next mission is going to go."
"Well, we can't lose with Lord Dilandau coming with us this time," Gatty said confidently.
"If he's better," Shesta agreed. "I can't see him dragging himself along for much longer. He's going to crash."
"Lord Dilandau will only crash after he's obliterated the enemy, and not any time sooner," Gatty said with a sigh. "Though, am I wrong for wishing he would so he'd have to start taking care of himself."
"Well, if you're wrong you're not alone. I wish it too. I want him to slip up in front of Lord Folken."
"Why him?" Gatty looked confused.
Shesta gave Gatty a smile, "Don't tell me you haven't seen the way they are with each other?"
"What do you mean?" Gatty's blond eyebrows drew together, ridiculous visions of his captain and Folken frolicking in fields invaded his mind.
"They squabble with each other like siblings. Remember the night after our mission, when we'd come in from flight training, and couldn't find him? Folken had taken him to the infirmary, and when I went out to take my walk."
"You went out?"
"Yes, you were still on Cloud 9 and didn't notice me leave. But anyway, that night Folken was arguing with him about him leaving the infirmary. I bet Folken could find some way to make him stay behind on this mission too."
"I'd love to see Folken trying to tell Lord Dilandau something like that," Gatty chuckled, "he'd go ballistic. I wish I had gone out with you that night. I bet Lord Dilandau put up a good fight."
"He passed out," Shesta said laying his face on his pillow, "I practically carried him back to his room. He didn't want me to talk about it though, so you can't bring it up again, especially not in front of that blabbermouth Viole.
"I won't, especially not in front of Viole, though I don't think Lord Dilandau would mind if he knew. I think Viole gets special treatment, there have been so many times when he should have gotten bathroom detail for speaking out of term, and he didn't!"
"It's because he's amusing Gatty, and even Lord Dilandau thinks so."
"Well I can be amusing too, and I still have ended up on my hands and knees in the community bath with my toothbrush and a bucket of soapy water."
"You're not amusing, you're annoying," Shesta cracked. "I've never had bathroom detail."
"I think he favors you too."
"But you're his first in command," Shesta reminded him, and he complimented you.
"Oh yeah," the starry look from days ago after their first Alseides mission wandered back into his eyes briefly. That was a good day.
"Yeah for you, I got slapped," Shesta recalled bitterly.
"You said it didn't hurt."
"I still got slapped."
"Baby."
"Jerk."
The door to their room opened, and both jumped to their feet as Dilandau entered, "We go to Astoria tonight with the Odyssey regiment, Dornkirk is sure his precious dragon is there. We are to try to extract the dragon with as little destruction as possible. Folken's so boring."
"Astoria sir? Are we going to be lodging with...?" _
"Allen Schezar," Dilandau sneered. He moved toward them, going straight for Shesta's bed to lie down. "This day just keeps getting worse."
Shesta stared at the back on Dilandau's silvery head. He was accustomed to the Captain's affinity to his bed. During their official study hours, the time they were supposed to devote to their schoolwork the Strategos gave to them weekly, Dilandau always sat on his bed. The Elite would all study together in Gatty and Shesta's room, and Dilandau usually joined them. He liked to let Shesta look over his homework. There was never anything wrong with it, in fact, Shesta corrected a lot of his own mistakes from looking at Dilandau's papers, so Shesta figured the homework hour was just another way for Dilandau to bond with his Elite slayers. They were all sure they'd have more fun without Dilandau there, for they had to be on their best behavior, but they did enjoy the quiet time with their master. He didn't yell at them, or hit them, or constantly berate them for not doing something right, there he was quiet and reflective. He appreciated their small jokes, though he added none of his own, and he occasionally let Viole copy an answer or two from his work.
"Would you like for me to lead flight practice this afternoon, Lord Dilandau?" Gatty asked frowning at the Captain, who laid flat on his face, not moving. He didn't answer for a while, and Shesta wondered if he had fallen asleep.
"No, I'll do it," was the soft murmur.
Shesta felt his stomach plunge, concern drenched his voice, "Are you alright, Lord Dilandau?" He never spoke softly, he didn't whisper... never in their presence, unless he was issuing a venomous threat.
The silver haired boy sat up slowly, his back to them, "Do you really care?"
"Of course!" Both Gatty and Shesta said in unison. They looked at each other, eyes large with fear, what was going on? What was happening to Dilandau...and more importantly, could they help?
The albino stood from the bed, finally turning to face them, his features gaunt and tired, his ruby tinted eyes were dull, missing their spark, "Something's wrong with me."
"What is it?" Shesta wanted to surge forward and take his master's hand... he looked so lost.
"How can we help?" Gatty clenched his fists.
"Just... It's stupid, really stupid...but..." he looked to the floor, an internal struggle going on behind his eyes.
"What, my Lord? What it is? Nothing you could ever want from us is stupid," Gatty's voice was firm, though through his hands ran a fine tremor.
"Never leave me..." his voice was very light, and hesitant, "I'm alone now, and... and I've never been alone before. If you were to desert me too... I haven't been the best leader lately, and..."
If it had been anyone else Shesta would have thrown his arms around him, pulled him close and ruffled his hair to comfort him. He looked like a little boy who'd lost his mother. He stood there trembling, looking so cold, and desolate. Who had left him? Who had he spoken of that had made him feel this way? "Lord Dilandau, we would never leave you... We are your Dragonslayers. You are the best leader any one of us could ever wish for, we have learned so much from you. We are the best soldiers Zaibach has ever seen, because of you. The only way we'd leave you, is in death. You have our allegiance forever... we are faithful to you even over Zaibach. Who has deserted you, Master? Who has made you so unhappy? We will kill this person for you, and bring you the head."Gatty nodded wholeheartedly in accordance to Shesta's speech, his eyes flew to the sword he had set aside.
Dilandau said nothing, he gazed at Shesta, eyes so heavy with a grief Shesta could not even begin to fathom, "We'll never leave you, Lord Dilandau. You are not alone as long as we're here."
"She told me she'd be with me too...that I would still be able to feel her, and I can't anymore..."
She? Who was she? It couldn't be Refina, if Dilandau had ever chosen her to court she'd never leave his side. She was bedazzled and completely enamored of him. "Who...?" Gatty began to ask, but then Dilandau blinked. All at once the uncharacteristic emotion of sorrow and pain left his eyes, his face lost its look of childish innocence, "Gather the troops for flight practice, I'll be in the hangar awaiting your arrival. You have 10 minutes."
"S...sir!" both Gatty and Shesta stood at attention, not daring to move until Dilandau walked by them, and closed the door to their room.
"What in Gaea was that?' Gatty gasped when the door closed and Dilandau's footsteps became faint. "Lord Dilandau...I thought he was going to start crying..."
Shesta shook his head, "Something is seriously wrong..."
"Who was he talking about? No one but Folken, and ourselves are with him all the time. All of us are still here...who could have deserted him."
"A servant girl?" Shesta wondered. "Perhaps he's become involved with the girl who changes his linens. I've never seen him speak to her, but that doesn't mean anything."
"So you think maybe he's just... love struck? My older brother, the one who was killed, he acted funny around girls. He said they made his head swim and his stomach queasy."
"No," Shesta disagreed. "That night with Lord Folken, he was very ill. His skin was hot, and he fainted."
"So maybe the servant girl's a witch, maybe¼"
"Gatty, you're being ridiculous."
"Well fine then," Gatty looked insulted. "Since you're the smart one, what do you think it is...and what do you think we should do to help?"
"We should tell the rest of the Elite for starters."
"Ok."
"Then, I think... We should go to Folken."
"What?"
"He's a scientist, an ex-sorcerer, and he likes Lord Dilandau. If we all got together, I'm certain we can help Lord Dilandau get better."
"He'll think we betrayed him."
"I'd rather him think that, than for him to go on suffering like he is. Gatty... I'm scared, for him. You saw him just now too... something needs to be done."
Gatty let out a great suspiration, "We'll hold a meeting before we leave tonight, and we'll go to Folken." Gatty went to his chair and began pulling on his overcoat and strapped his sword back to his side, "I never want to see him like that again..."
Shesta pulled on his own armor, "Me either."
"Come on, lets go."
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
He missed her. He couldn't believe he'd never realized what a big part of him she had been...he'd never even known she was there, but now that she was gone he felt a terrible voice inside himself. She was a comforting presence; she made him whole. He'd felt confident and well rounded with her there...she filled his aura with her own. Though he saw no physical difference, and his thoughts were still his... his steel resolve was gone. She had been his confidence, his esteem. She stroked his ego, and fueled his passion for warfare, for when he fought he felt nothing. He was not excited about the prospect of battle anymore. He thought of strategy and trained his soldiers with no fervor. It was like the life had been drained from him.
Celena... she had been part of him, and she'd been taken away.
How? Had they been two separate people somehow merged into one by the sorcerers...or had they always been one, and somehow the sorcerers had given her a body away from Dilandau's. What was she really? What was he? Normal people didn't have extra presences in their bodies, did they? But he wasn't normal... the sorcerer's had seen to that. He didn't have a real birthday, he could remember no parents, or siblings... He only remembered laboratories from his early years. There were no other children but himself. Celena was there, he knew, though he couldn't talk to her...he felt her. He, of course, didn't know it was Celena then.
Why had she never talked to him, or try to let him know she was there? He never really felt alone when he was abandoned by the sorcerers for the night...but he hadn't known why. Celena had been his silent company, and though he didn't know she did, she held his hands. He had strange dreams causing him to wake up in the middle of the night, and not be able to go back to sleep. He dreamed of instances in his younger years where Celena had been a voice in his ear. She spoke to him during the most frightening and trying times of his young life, giving him advice, courage, and skill. She'd kept them alive during his training, he knew. Why hadn't she ever introduced herself then, let him know that she wasn't his conscious or a figment of his overactive imagination. Why couldn't she have let him know she was real, she was with him, and he never felt alone because she was there? She could have prepared him for this.
It had taken a few days, but the last of his connection with Celena's light blue aura had faded, and he was cold...lonely. He now believed her tale of them being one...cause he now felt like a half. He felt weak, and ill, and so terribly alone. He'd never really felt the need to be nice to anyone, he hadn't needed friends... he hadn't needed anyone. He had been two people, and two was enough company. Now he feared his Dragonslayers were all he had, and they had no reason to really like him, and to want to stay close enough to him to fill the need of companionship he yearned for. They were simply his subordinates, they were in awe of him. They loved him, but not in the way he needed.
Celena, are you suffering as much as I am?
He wanted to go back to her. Was it possible for them to join again, even if he became part of her this time, and she was the one who walked about unaware of him?
Gatty and Shesta... they had looked so afraid, so worried...for him? They'd expressed their dedication to him, their pledges to give their lives for him... they'd even offered to kill the one who'd hurt him so. It touched him in a way he'd never been touched before. He was certain he cared for his Dragonslayers. The idea of someone harming any one of them drove him insane with rage. After he returned from Astoria, he would deal with the men who had dared to molest them. Though he was weak, and was not up to his usual level of combat, he was still by far the best soldier aboard the Vione. He could still take out the trash, and not be left winded. Folken seemed not to care about the type of men he let aboard his floating fortress. Some of the vilest excuses for the human species defiled its hallways. Folken had little to do with them, occasionally he'd meet with the captains of some of those platoons to discuss behavior, but he never gave them missions. Their missions came from their generals on other fortresses. Folken concentrated on the Dragonslayers, Dilandau supposed he was their general...though technically they fought under General Adelphus.
Folken had been watching him lately, inquiring of his appetite and of his hours of rest. He was being uncharacteristically worrisome, he usually kept to himself and left Dilandau alone for the most part. Did he know something more about Dilandau's situation? After all, he had, at one point in his life, been a sorcerer. Could he know about Celena, and how she had been taken from Dilandau? Maybe he knew how to get her back...
He glanced down the aisle of gleaming Alseides units, pausing at his red Oreades. He would take them to the forest near Astoria, that way he could train them and get them used to the terrain they would be in when in pursuit of the dragon. He climbed atop the guymelef and sat down on its broad shoulder gritting his teeth as his armor dragged across the large arm making a grating sound. He should have ordered for the doors to be opened already so he could get a breeze. It was hot...or rather, he was hot. No matter what he did, he couldn't seem to get rid of the fever he'd had since he'd arrived back on the Vione. He also couldn't rid himself of the sour stomach, or headache. He hadn't had a decent meal in he couldn't be sure how long. He didn't remember much of the time he'd spent with the sorcerers, so he didn't know if he had eaten there. He had no real appetite, so he supposed it didn't matter. He'd never really been that big of an eater anyhow. He preferred light meal of fruits and vegetables, meat and starches made him feel heavy and sluggish, and he had no taste for sweets. His Dragonslayers did, and he indulged them every once in a while by having a flavorful dessert put on their menu.
General Adelphus had complained once, that Dilandau let them have too much. But he really didn't find making sure his soldiers had: decent food to eat, good protective armor to wear, the best weapons available, nice living quarters, and bathroom area, spoiling them at all. It was to be expected. How could anyone do their job properly eating slop, using outdated material, sleeping in quarters equal to that of servants, and bathing in filth? If the other captains felt their men could flourish in such an environment, then so be it...for them. Dilandau had grown up in war camps seeing various treatments and receiving various treatments from commanders. He saw what worked, and what failed miserably. The best men were usually the ones treated as if they were the best men. Dilandau commanded the best, and Folken willingly let him have for his slayers, what he wanted.
He heard his Dragonslayers entering, their heavy boots noisy against the steel floor. They lined up single file before his Oreades, and knelt awaiting instruction. He rose from his sitting position and looked down on them, his perfect soldiers. They looked so beautiful, each of them in their own way, and each of these beautiful creatures entrusted their life to him. He would train them to be perfect, so that they would never fall in battle, so they would never be scarred and lose their outer beauty. "Everyone to their Alseides units, you will follow me in a diamond formation. We are going to the Astorian forest. "
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Folken. He stood at the door watching them all silently. Tonight, Dilandau promised, I will ask you about Celena.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Van couldn't believe he was being kept in a cell like a common criminal. He was royalty, dammit! Stupid Astorian Knight... he didn't care if was the great Allen Schezar. Yes, he'd recognized the knight's name when he'd given it. Van had been told stories about him from Fanelian soldiers when he was younger. He'd always wanted to see the "Knight of Heaven." Now he regretted ever having those thoughts. Jerk.
And what was worse, he'd taken Hitomi. He seemed to like her by way of attraction. He was much too old for Hitomi, in Van's opinion, but age between a man and woman really did not matter. Many women married as young as 12 to men as old as 50. Van couldn't see any of those women being very happy. His parents had been close in age, but they'd met under such unusual circumstance matters likes age hadn't really mattered to them either. It just so happened they were only a few years apart. But what did it matter to him about Hitomi and Allen anyway? It wasn't like he liked her in that way...or in any way really. She'd been a nuisance since he'd first met her. Though she had helped him out an awful lot with the land dragon...and in Fanelia. She had some sort of power, and he found it quite useful. Perhaps that was why it bothered him about Allen taking advantage of her. Van needed her, he still needed to figure out her secret. Allen could have her after that, and she would be more than happy it seemed from her previous behavior to go with him. He was tall blond and handsome, what more could a lady want?
Van scowled, he was jealous. He was neither tall, nor blond, and he didn't think he was very handsome at all. He'd taken his looks from his father, and his father had been a very plain man. His mother was beautiful, a delicate creature from beyond, and his older brother Folken looked just like her, except with pale sea tinted hair. He pictured his once happy family, all long dead and gone from him. He'd been raised mostly by his sword teacher, Balgus... Balgus who now resided with his family.
It seemed no one he loved could stay with him for long. It had made him rather cold. He sat in his cell idly, waiting for someone, anyone, to come and set him free. His liberation came in the form of a mole man, the same one who had tried to rob Hitomi, digging his way to freedom and arriving in the wrong cell. Van had never been so happy to see a thief in his entire life. Through the tunnels with the nervous mole he crawled hoping to find a way under the wall.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Allen took one last drink with his men before going to check up on Hitomi, the strange girl he'd carried in the previous night. His men fancied her, as they fancied any female they came across. They marveled at her short hair and odd clothing.
The girl slept peacefully, on her lips were the precious syllables of "Mother." Poor child, he wondered where she was from. He would try to return her there as soon as possible. Her family had to be worried. He sat beside her bed, massaging her forehead with a damp towel from a bowl of cool water he had set on the small night stand earlier. Her large green eyes opened slowly, and she rose in a panic not knowing where she was. "Shh...Hitomi, you are with me...Allen, in my castle. Do you remember me? I rescued you last night."
The girl blinked, focusing in on him, "It wasn't a dream, then."
"How are you feeling?"
"Lost."
"Where are you from? I will take you home."
"I don't know if you can..." Hitomi's eyes began to fill with tears. Allen sighed softly, setting the cloth back in the bowl, and taking one of Hitomi's clenched hands, "It's alright. Just tell me where you are from, and let me decide if I can get you home or not.""I'm from...from Earth, Van calls it the Mystic Moon."
"The Mystic Moon?" Allen gasped. He looked out into the night sky, at the bright blue planet in the sky. "But how..."
"I don't know," Hitomi wiped her eyes. "I came here with Van... he was looking after me. Where is he?"
"Van?" Allen frowned... King Fanel... He'd only noticed the royal crest after he'd put the boy in the small dungeon. "He's...here, safe. I'll bring him to you if you'd like."
"I...don't know. He doesn't seem to like me much. If he's busy..."
"I'll have someone fetch him. Gaddes!"
The tall dark haired first in command was at his side immediately, "Yes sir?"
"Can you go and bring King Fanel here for Hitomi."
"Um sir..." Allen leaned close to the man as he made to whisper in his ear, "The King's already gotten out of his cell. I expect he'll be here on his own in a few moments."
"How did he get out?" Allen frowned.
"Seems he dug a tunnel, the other prisoner helped him."
"Ah," Allen sat back in his chair, "Van will be here to see about you shortly then, young lady. Until then, would you like something to eat or drink?"
The girl accepted glass of water, and she sipped it patiently while waiting for Van to put in his appearance, which he did. He was dirty and disheveled as he bounded into the room demanding to see the girl, Hitomi.
"Van!" the girl said, sounding pleased to see the scruffy looking boy. Allen stood back to let the two get reacquainted he had other matters to attend to.
"Zaibach wants us to house their soldiers? Tonight?" Allen raised an eyebrow. To say he never liked, nor trusted Astoria's latest allying country, would be an understatement. Something about that nation rubbed him the wrong way. He feared the alliance would be used against his country one day. "Go tell Arlena and Tamsin to go prepare the spare rooms for guests."
He sighed deeply, watching the messenger leave. He sat alone in his private office twiddling his thumbs contemplating where to put his unexpected guests. Officials from Zaibach were surprisingly uppity and demanded quarters finer than his own. He snickered, as he thought about them having to sleep 4, maybe 5 deep, to a room. Perhaps they thought he was a king!
Well Zaibach, I wish I were, because I would never have an ally like you if I were!
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Folken blinked at the reception that met him outside his door. Six solemn Dragonslayers stood, one, Gatty, stepping forward as the official speaker, "We're worried about Lord Dilandau. He's not well, not physically, and not mentally. He won't eat, doesn't look like he's been sleeping, his hands shake sometimes when he's holding things¼ and¼ he¼ he had a break down of some sort in our room earlier. He was saying something about a girl, and being alone¼and he freaked the sh¼er¼he really scared us. We don't know if you can help, but all of us got together and we can't think of anyone else to turn to."
Folken sighed, he knew. Dilandau knew about Celena. He wondered how he'd found out about her. He was certain Dilandau had no knowledge of her before hand. Perhaps they'd seen each other, but would they have known what was done to them? None of sorcerers would ever explain the process of a Fate Alteration to any of their subjects. "Where is Dilandau now?"
"He's in the hangar¼ he's been there since we got back, sir¼ just sitting there inside his Oreades."
Folken nodded, "I'll go to him."
"Don't ¼tell him we came to you!" Shesta spoke up then. "He'd be so angry with us."
"Of course not," Folken spirited passed the young soldiers. He had been looking over maps of the terrain of Freid, and also reading over the progress reports of his wards Naria, and Eriya. They could wait a little longer¼
The issue of Dilandau was beginning to scare him as much as it was frightening his young officers. The boy was slipping, not eating, not sleeping, losing weight and muscle mass. His eyes were those of a dead person's with no soul to light them, and speaking to him lacked its normal vigor. His vocalizations were monotone, and to the point. There were no more of those biting remarks that made Folken's ears burn with irritation, nor were there any outbursts of insubordination when told he was to do something he didn't approve of. The boy behaved as if he simply didn't care anymore, about anything¼but his troops. His appearance, which had meant so much to him, was lackluster, faded like his once sharpwitted personality. He was a mere shadow of himself, and the light was growing brighter about to snuff the shadow out.
He found him just where Gatty said he was. The door to the hatch of the large guymelef was open, and Dilandau was slouched in his pilot's chair staring off into space. "Dilandau?"
The boy surprised him by snapping to attention immediately and gazing at him, "Folken."
"What are you doing?"
"Resting. Why, does Dornkirk require anything further of me?" His tone was dry, listless.
"No. I've just come to see why your men have returned without you. Are you alright?"
"No."
"What's wrong?" Folken offered a hand to Dilandau, wanting to help him from the guymelef, but Dilandau ignored it and stayed seated.
"Folken, who is Celena? I know somehow we were once together, and that sorcerers are behind it, but who is she? And why, why did they take us apart? I didn't know she was here, but now that she's gone... I need her Folken," Dilandau looked at Folken, eyes springing to life and leaking tears, "I...I don't feel... I almost... I was trying to show Guimel something, and I almost lost control of my unit. Folken, I don't know if I'm fully competent anymore. I can't lead my men... what if something happens to one of them, I can't guarantee I can save them."
"It's not your job to save them. You train them as best as you can, and then trust them as good soldiers to survive."
"They aren't just soldiers to me Folken, you don't understand," Dilandau whispered. "I need her back... I can do this with her, I know I can. How can I get her back?"
"Dilandau, I don't know if you can. It's never been done. They never should have taken you two apart."
"Who is she?" Dilandau demanded, his voice gaining intensity. "Folken how do I find her? Maybe if I'm just with her...next to her..."
"She's... Dilandau, please let me help you down. I'll explain what I know about Celena, and what was done to you in my chambers." He offered his hand, his real hand, to Dilandau again. Dilandau narrowed his eyes before taking Folken's hand, and allowing him to pull him up. He stepped out of the machine onto the metal platform.
"Would you ever have told me, if I never asked?"
"No."
"At least you're honest," Dilandau said gruffly following Folken out of the hangar into the corridors that led to their chambers.
*~* Author's Note: Ok, it's done I swear. Sorry for the chapter length, I have a problem with being long-winded (10 pages is a short chapter to me, lol). Just bear with me a little while longer, the action in this story starts in the next chapter, promise ;) Please review, and take care! *~*