**Author's Note: Yay, I finally got to the fun stuff! Thank you for all of your reviews. I have literally not been able to put this story down now because of them. I'm working on the next chapter right now :) This is the first story I've done where I've had chapters done within days of each other, and have to wait to post because I want to put some space between my posts lol. I hope you enjoy this chapter! **
Disclaimer: This is getting redundant. I think this will be the last time I say I don't own Escaflowne, so if someone sees the next chapter and doesn't see a disclaimer, and assumes I own Escaflowne, so be it. They can have my $2.50, I don't care, lol.
Chapter 6
Folken was waiting for them on the docks when they returned, "Dilandau," he said, reaching to stop the boy as he passed.
Dilandau whirled around, his eyes wild and glittering, "Folken... you better have something really good to say to me, if not then let go." He pushed the taller man away roughly when his hand did not leave his shoulder immediately. He was trying to interfere with his capture of the dragon. His insides gave a delightful wriggle for once with excitement, and his limbs were beginning to tingle and throb with pent in desire. Time to fight, time to fight, time to fight!
"You are to bring the dragon in alive."
Dilandau's eyes widened, "Alive Strategos? But of course...I wasn't planning on killing it." A dead prisoner is no fun at all. He barely withheld a chuckle, he was becoming giddy. He looked to his Oreades longingly, and waved for his Slayers to go ahead and start loading their guymelefs. "Is that all?"
"I suppose there's no way I can talk you out of going, your eyes tell me that much is impossible Do not overtax yourself."
Dilandau smirked, "Don't worry about me Strategos." He ran to his Oreades, puzzled over his newfound strength. He always seemed supercharged before a battle, but this was...strange. He liked it a lot, it was leagues better than how he'd been feeling only an hour earlier. It was the upcoming struggle, violence always made him feel better. He climbed into the Oreades, shutting the hatch and stroking the controls lovingly. "Can everyone hear me?" he almost purred into the small microphone.
"Yes sir."
"Awaiting orders sir."
"Excellent, we're going to go out in Points formation sending off 4 Alseides at a time, plant yourself in the woods of Astoria and cloak yourselves upon landing. I will give you the next command on the ground. Break into your groups."
He arranged his Points formation so that each group of 4 could have at least one or two Elite among them. He usually joined the group with the Slayers that needed a little more training, so they could watch him and learn, and he could watch them and learn. They flew out like large ducks in their distinctive V pattern, the small groups leaving in 10 to 15 minute intervals of each other.
The ride was nothing out of the ordinary, for they'd made the trip by Alseid before, but as they landed his heart began to hammer in his chest. It was as ready for action as he was. He licked his lips hungrily as he thought of all the damage he was about to inflict. He looked at the time piece just above his head...not yet...
He hated waiting, but he could if needed be. In the meantime he'd just pleasure himself with thoughts of taking off Allen Schezar's big head. Maybe he'd cut his hair first, let him see that lovely waterfall of blond lying on the ground beside before he finished the job. He laughed at the mental image, startling those nearest to him by beginning to move forward. Every cell in his body was screaming for action so loud it deafened him to any sound not louder than the pounding of blood in his ears. "Dragonslayers... move out onto the grounds, search and destroy and remain in stealth mode. Go!"
He rushed out ahead of them all, amiss their weak protests. His Oreades was faster than their Alseides and he knew they couldn't keep up with him. They just moved too damn slow.... blood, fire, action.... he craved it. He brought down trees in his impatience to break onto the castle grounds. He stopped just before stepping into the open to take in the scene. Fools.
He saw Allen's lazy guards playing lookout, yawning and scratching themselves in the most unrespectable places. They were unworthy of his time, but as long as their blood ran red...he shrugged. He could sense his Slayers finally catching up, and quickly threw himself out onto the field. He still was not noticed...not until he knocked down one of the watch towers and giggled insanely as two of the lazy lookout plummeted to their deaths. Such a shame...
Oh Allen, would you just look at the horrible mess I'm making of your castle. You'd better come out stop me... He cackled again raising the left arm of his Oreades and aiming his flame thrower at another watch tower. As he watched the pile of bricks go up in flame, and imagined the screaming of the burning men, he finally saw melef units moving out onto the courtyard. Such slow reaction time, he was honestly disappointed in Schezar...oh well, time to play. He punched into one melef unit sending it flying backward into the pile of fiery bricks he'd just made. People were always trying to tell him he played too rough with his toys. Look, he'd broken one.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
"Oh no, it's the curse of the Mystic Moon!"
"It's Zaibach you idiot!"
Allen rubbed at his twitching brow. "Man the melef units, and get out there! I'm going out in Scherazade. Gaddes, go help with the preparation of the Crusade for departure." Allen moved swiftly past his men. He needed to find Van, Hitomi, and the other one that had been brought in only hours earlier by one of his men, the beast girl. To protect the king he was going to have to abandon his fort and save as many lives of his men as possible, the enemy did look to have the upper hand in this affair.
The girls were still in the room he'd left them in. It was a simple task ordering them dressed and sending them off with a servant to where Gaddes would be waiting to place them aboard the Crusade, his flying leviship. Some of his better men were already on the ship preparing it for flight and stocking it with supplies.
The only person he needed to find then, was the stubborn boy king. He stiffened as he realized the headstrong monarch was probably outside where all the fighting was. He'd had the Escaflowne moved already to the Crusade, and Van would probably have run to that holding place first and discovered it empty aside from Scherazade, and the smaller melefs of Allen's soldiers. He had no fear of Van taking Scherazade, because only one of Schezar blood could make the cockpit open and be able to pilot it. That meant the idiot was out there armed with only his sword.
He stalked past the last of his soldiers running out to join the battle to load into Scherazade. "Um Boss, we were gonna load Scherazade onto the Crusade... You don't have to..."
"No, I'm going out in Scherazade," I've got to find a pig-headed Fanelian despot. "As soon as the supplies you're bringing, and both girls are aboard the Crusade you are to take off. Wait for me at our established rendevous point for precisely 20 minutes, if I don't come, then you are to leave and get the girls and the rest of the men to safety."
"But Boss..."
"Now! Those supplies you have are the last, go!"
"Yes sir."
Scherazade was just as he'd left it last. He climbed into the cockpit starting the huge machine and directing it out of its hangar onto the courtyard. The carnage was revolting, he stopped beside a damaged melef, one of his soldiers was propped up beside it, a grimace of pain on his face, "Kio, are you alright?"
"Fine Boss...sorry..."
"Don't worry about that. If you can move, get to the Crusade, they are about to depart."
"Yes sir."
Allen watched the man pull himself up before he began to move again. Where are you Van?
"Allen!"
He smirked at the sound of the young voice, it was nice when the quarry came looking for you instead, "Van..."
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Not enough fire... There we are, it was like icing a cake...if he liked cake. He laughed hysterically as the little men floundered about outside trying to put out the flames devouring their clothing. The castle grounds were littered with rocky debris, broken melefs, and fallen bodies. They still hadn't seen a dragon, but it would come out eventually, they'd just tear the whole place down about its head.
He wiped the tears from his eyes, he was really enjoying this too much, literally. His hands shook as they operated the controls hot and sticky with perspiration, and his heart and respiration rate had escalated beyond comfort level. He'd stopped trying to wipe the sweat from his brow minutes after the attack started. It was a hopeless barrage, and he learned to tolerate the sting in his eyes, as he caused more destruction. He couldn't get enough... the only thing that seemed to abate the pangs within him was watching the fires burn. The desire to kill was unquenchable, and it was...hurting him.
He'd never moved so fast before, his senses had never been as astute, but it came at such a price. He rested a hand against his heaving chest, there was nothing he could do to calm himself, he could only keep going. "That's it, burn it all..." he said into his microphone to his Slayers. His voice was trembling, he hoped no one detected it.
"Dilandau, have you had enough of this senseless slaughter?" Folken. The rage heightened, and he almost moaned as it burned him, and made him strike out to release the energy. More of the castle went up in flames, "This is the best way to destroy all the evidence." He was proud of the flippant tone he was able to manage. "We're smoking the dragon out Folken, we'll have it momentarily."
"Do you honestly think this Allen Schezar of Astoria would be as foolish, as to let himself get herded by fire?"
Impatience, impertinence, and anger surged within him causing his vision to double, and for one frightening moment go dark. "What are you getting at Folken?" he breathed, he sounded mildly irritated as he clenched his teeth.
"The waterfall at the cliff behind the castle, they say that birds build nest behind waterfalls to prevent them from being attacked, you see."
He gasped, the sharp pain of being evaded punched him in the gut, and he felt his face burn with overwhelming indignation...gods make it stop... "They're behind the castle!" Confirm it, Folken, as soon as you confirm it I can kill them. Killing them will stop this, it has to! Folken was silent, Dilandau had his answer.
"They're behind the castle! Follow me!" he ordered to his troops, moving before they all had time to regroup.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Allen reached the edge of the cliff, the start of the waterfall, "Hang on tight, Van."
"What the.... hey! No way! Let me...Aaaaah!" Van clutched at the large metal fingers of Scherazade as the guymelef free fell from the top of the cliff toward the unforgiving rapids below. Suddenly, splitting the curtain of the waterfall, the large gray stern of an airship appeared. Scherazade landed hard on its roof, surely rocking everyone inside and making them fall on their behinds. Van sighed in relief that Allen wasn't completely crazy. Hitomi and Merle had to be inside of this thing, and the Escaflowne.
"Are you alright Van?" Allen asked.
"Yeah..yeah fine, just tell me next time before you do something like that!" Van snorted. He started to climb down from the hand of the guymelef. Things were calm here, it looked like they'd gotten away from the horrific battle totally. "Where are we going to, Allen?"
"To see King Aston, he has to be informed about Zaibach's betrayal. I always knew that country wasn't to be trusted. Here, I'll let you down..."
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
"Well looky at what we got down there. I have to give Schezar credit for this, he almost managed to get away from me. Come on, we're going down there after them!" Kill, kill, kill.....it'd become his mantra, the pain of the drums that gave it its driving beat pounded in his head, his chest... it was getting hard to breathe, and he was starting to see stars.
He was revving his flight engine, when someone interrupted him.... no one interrupts me... Have to stop this pain... Can't think.... "But Lord Dilandau, our stealth cloaks don't operate while we're in flight mode."
Gatty... "Then kill anyone who sees you!" Dilandau struck the blue Alseid next to him, feeling a small amount of relief as it felt to one knee. He then leapt from the cliff starting his engine and spiraling after his target. His Slayers joined him, but were not quite able to keep up with his rapid pace... perhaps he was traveling too fast. Oh well, they'll catch up eventually.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Van stepped onto the roof of the ship, and peered up at Allen from the open grate in Scherazade, he supposed a "thanks" was in order, but he paused as he heard something odd. He turned his head, "Allen..what..."
"Their guymelefs can fly?"
They watched as the pack of blue guymelefs led by a slightly larger red one shot directly above them in the sky in a sweeping circle like vultures before the red one dove toward the leviship. "They are so fast!"
"We're in trouble..."
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
"You're mine Schezar!" Dilandau cried landing hard on the ship, and grinning ferally as he stared at Schezar's guymelef.
"You've had your way for long enough," Schezar growled at him, making him grin harder...oh he hadn't had his way yet. Schezar extended his blade toward him, and Dilandau pulled his, and threw himself into the first attack. Blood, he wanted to spill it. Allen parried his move, and brought his blade down in a vicious downward slash. Dilandau ducked out of the way swinging at Allen, letting the body of his Oreades spin wildly blade extended making himself into a deadly whirlwind. He brought his blade down again, and Allen caught it, "You're pretty good Dilandau," he said.
Hysteria bubbled within him, making him want to start giggling again, "You're strong Allen, I like that!" he hollered back, lunging at him again. As long as he kept fighting it didn't hurt so much, good thing Schezar was such a marvelous opponent. The other men had gone down far too fast. Just keep coming at me Schezar, I'm going to kill you slow.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
"He is going to get himself killed!" Shesta watched in horror at the reckless way Dilandau was throwing himself at Allen Schezar. "What is he doing?"
"Everything he taught us not to..." Gatty said. "I'm going down."
"He'll be pissed," Guimel warned him.
"He'll live," Gatty plunged to the fight between Schezar and his leader. Lord Dilandau was fighting like a crazy man...an extremely skilled crazy man. Gatty still couldn't help but wonder at the level of skill Dilandau was displaying. But his style, the risks he was taking... it was suicidal. He stretched forth his blade swiping at Schezar as he landed, and made the spar a three person argument. The other Alseides had followed his lead now plunking toward the large leviship, and taking turns ramming it or circling it and fencing it in so it couldn't move any further. Gatty felt relieved, now he might not get singled out as much if Dilandau got upset at his interference.
"Gatty! What are you doing? I'm busy. Go help Shesta, or something!" His voice sounded so pleasantly occupied Gatty almost apologized. He was about to respond when the ship shook again, rocking the three guymelefs standing on its nose. They all looked to see a white guymelef...THE white guymelef, Escaflowne, jumping from the ship. Once it was airborne it transformed...into...
"The Escaflowne just turned into a dragon!" someone hissed.
"A dragon....so that's the dragon Dornkirk's been talking about! All this time I thought... ah hell," Gatty could practically hear Dilandau caressing his lips with his tongue. "Gatty, this one's yours!" Gatty watched as Dilandau shot back into the sky after the white dragon, and could do nothing to delay him. He was left a little busy as Schezar tried to swing out after Dilandau, and he'd had to counter his move and block him in.
"We're not finished yet!" Allen shouted after the disappearing red guymelef.
"Yes you are," Gatty uttered, bringing his blade down on the night, a move that would have knocked one of his fellow slayers on his ass, but Schezar blocked him, and... his eyes widened as he lost his footing, then Allen slashed across wounding his Alseid and spilling the liquid metal. With one last bump, Gatty went sprawling off the edge of the leviship. He hoped Lord Dilandau wasn't looking back as he toppled into the water with a great splash. He could hear Viole chuckling over his speakers, "Nice Gatty....very nice."
"Shut up Viole."
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
He smiled as the dragon took turns and caught updrafts to try to lose him and his slayers. It was all and all very exhilarating. He hadn't hunted dragons in a long time, and he'd forgotten how arousing it was. He frowned a bit, "Come on now little dragon, if you don't fly any faster we're going to catch up," and the chase was so much fun. He would hate for it to have to end so soon. He raised his flame thrower and launched a shower of fire after the dragon, maybe that would quicken his pace. If possible his heart rate accelerated even more at the tongues of flame stretching to lick the dragon's belly.
"Lord Dilandau?"
He had lost some altitude as his vision grayed, "Faster!"
He fired another shot, smirking as it hit the dragon and it floundered a bit. That felt nice...
After a few more blazes the dragon reverted back to its original guymelef form and landed in a rocky mountain valley. Dilandau prepared for landing, but not before shooting a few more flames setting the ground afire around the Escaflowne. Perfect backdrop for a battle. It looked like Hades... He dropped down to the earth, and then quickly cloaked himself as he moved forward towards the royal guymelef. He didn't plan on fighting the young king while invisible, this was just to unnerve him a bit. He chuckled as he purposefully took noisy steps, letting the king hear his approach and see his footprints.
Is your heart pounding too your highness?
He let himself be seen when he was standing right in front of the king. "Hello, your majesty..." he purred mockingly. "So... I bet you led me all the way out here as a decoy to get me away from your ship to save your little friends, hmm? How heroic of you! But you what? I can't stand heroics, in fact, I absolutely hate them!" He didn't pull out his blade at all, but hit the Escaflowne hard with his metal fists. He rained one blow after another on the body of the guymelef, beginning to get frustrated when the other did not retaliate. He only struck harder....fight me dammit! He struck him in the head area, and watched in disgust as the Escaflowne fell.
"He's down... already...?" I'm going to be sick, he thought. He needed more! Stupid dragon wasn't enough, he should have stayed with Schezar! He raised the foot of his Oreades to kick at the damnable thing.
"Dilandau..." Folken's scolding voice crackled over the speakers. "I thought I told you he was to be taken alive."
"I was just having a little fun Strategos," Dilandau's eyes went wide as if Folken were standing near him, and he was explaining himself while trying to appear innocent of all crimes. "He's still breathing..."
"Bring him back to the Vione."
"Yeah...sure...." Dilandau rested a hand against his chest, trying to get a deep breath, and trying to avoid panic. "Elite, take the Escaflowne, everyone else will continue to patrol the area for Schezar and his flunkees. Refina, you're in charge of the team. Gatty?"
"Yes Lord Dilandau?"
"Nice swan dive, you're polishing my armor for two weeks when we get back, you know this right?"
"Yes sir."
Now it was Viole, Miguel, and Guimel chuckling.
"Shut up!"
"Leave the Escaflowne in the hangar. Then you can do whatever you want, no lights out tonight," He gave his final command before they approached the Vione's landing dock.
"Yes sir."
He swallowed hard, the taste of the bile at the back of his throat was sour. His heart still hammered in his chest, his lungs still labored to exhaustion. His stomach churned, and his head ached. His vision swam in and out, he was didn't know how he made it back to the Vione, until he had landed and realized, much to his horror, that Gatty had kept a hand on his shoulder to guide him. He hadn't noticed at all how close the other pilot had been. Had the other slayers noticed?
He watched his Elite pouring from their Alseides congratulating each other and stopping to look at the captive dragon. Not so impressive now, was it? He didn't leave his cockpit until they'd cleared...or he rather he thought they all had cleared, instead they had moved out of his field of vision. His Elite stood at the base of his Oreades staring up at him. "Are you alright sir?"
Dilandau wanted to scowl at them and roar for them to go away...but, after climbing out of the machine he decided to throw up instead. He flinched as hand touched his back, "Dallet, go get a medic," Shesta's voice ordered.
"No," Dilandau spat. He wiped his mouth again, not wincing at the blood on his hand. "No medic." He straightened, and turned to stare down his Elite. They looked fearful, not of him, but for him.
"But Lord Dilandau, you don't look well," Viole tried to protest.
"I'm fine, go away, go to your rooms.... I have to find Folken, and give him the mission report. Go, now!"
Slowly they backed away from him, leaving him alone reluctantly. He wrapped his arms around himself as he shook. He wasn't cold, why couldn't he stop shivering? He sank down to the floor pulling his knees to his aching chest, and began to rock slowly....it couldn't last forever, it had to end sometime. Please be soon, please be soon...
"Dilandau?"
"How long have you been watching me Folken?" He didn't even raise his head.
"Long enough..." his head was tilted back, and two soft fingers were at his throat checking his racing pulse. "Open your eyes, let me check your pupils..."
Dilandau complied without question.
Folken's image was fading in and out of darkness, he thought he saw the man shake his head. More shapes appeared behind him, soldiers... "Keep surveillance on the dragon, I will be back to tend to it shortly."
Dilandau felt himself being gathered up and pulled to his feet. He stumbled along beside the taller man, letting him support him as they traveled down the long hallways of the Vione. He didn't care where they were going anymore, all he knew was the raging waves of pain flooding him and the heat of the blood in his ears. He was going to explode, he was going to burn up just like Allen Schezar's castle. His knees gave way, and felt himself being swept off his feet. Was he flying? He was certainly moving very quickly, much more quickly than he could have walked.
"You shouldn't have gone out tonight," Folken was saying to him. "I knew something like this would happen."
Yeah, yeah, whatever Folken...you talk too much, I'm trying to sleep.
He was laid down on something soft, and felt himself being stripped of his armor. Folken did so like to undress him, he mused.
He kept his eyes shut and concentrated on breathing, and not vomiting again. He could hear Folken rummaging around the room... He should clean, then he wouldn't spend quite so much time looking for things.
There was shuffling, and he felt Folken's warm breath on his face, his fingertips were pushing at his eyelids again, letting in the accursed light. He was trying to sleep, hadn't Folken heard him say that?
Through the open eye he saw the long syringe Folken held... and felt his insides
freeze in panic. The long needle, the dark cloak.... he knew it was Folken, but something deep inside of him, something primitive and old made him begin to scream and kick. Oh it hurt like hell, but he just couldn't lie still and willingly let someone put him under!
"Dilandau, this won't hurt you... it's going to counteract the imbalance in your system. It's going to help you, stop struggling, I don't want to strap you down."
Strap him down...strap him down.... No! No! No!
One arm was held down firmly, and in his weakened state he couldn't squirm out of the grasp. He felt the sharp sting of the needle entering his flesh and screamed as loud as he could only to choke himself. The needle was removed, and he was rolled onto his side where he promptly threw up.
He heaved and gasped, attempting not to cry at the pain the liquid had brought as it burned his esophagus on the way up. He was being moved again, into a sitting position, a cool glass of something was pressed against his lips, and he was forced to drink. It was cold and sweet. He hated sweet, and wanted to spit it back out, but he swallowed. His mouth and throat were so dry anything would do. The glass was pulled away, much to his dismay, he was still thirsty, but an overpowering feeling of exhaustion deluged his system and he sagged in the arms that were ready for him to fall forward. Before he completely lost consciousness he heard Folken's voice said quietly, "Congratulations on your capture of the dragon Dilandau, you've earned a rest."
Well, if he was going to die, at least he'd completed his mission before he went. But it was a shame he was going to have to miss the party.
**Author's Note: Well? Did it suck? Did you like it? Let me know! Take care, and please review! Next chapter, more action :) **