Guess what I tried to buy Escanflowne yesterday, but I couldn't find the number to the people that own it so…

I still DO NOT own Escanflowne *tear* Otherwise I would be making a million different series off each verison of peoples stories here *snicker*

Okay so hears chapter 8 – Im writing and it seems with all the work, payroll and holidays my work load doubled, my time to do it cut in half and staying up later each night is making me silly.

I hope you enjoy this chapter, Im really getting torn here if I like Hitomi's powers *heh*

Dilandau was tapping his fingers against his chair in frustration. He was furious that Hitomi had escaped, and though he would never admit he shouldn't have under estimated her, or the Ispano for that matter. Surely the Ispano's sister was enough leverage he needed for the creature to be willing to obey. He really felt in control, but he was mistaken, and mistakes don't pass easily though him.

"Sire, we are ready for departure. The fortresses are moving and your levi ship is prepared." The solider bowed and walked quickly out of the room before Dilandau could raise his head.

"What are you going to do when you catch her My lord?" The woman's voice was an evil as a viper, almost hissing.

"Zeyran, I'm not in the mood for your little tricks." Dilandau stood and tossed his long crimson cape to his back and proceeded to follow out the way the solider had fled.

"Your self-pity is enough to make me sick to my stomach Dilandau. Those monks softened you." She hissed cutting off his exit in a stealth maneuver – she glided, never appeared to walk.

Her form was one that could make even the most beautiful woman on Gaea fall with tears. She revealed it as well, which always brought a hint of satisfaction to Dilandau. She had thin black sash simply wrapped around her chest to cover only the dark part of her breasts, leaving the bust to show – letting his mind wander. The thin black sash crossed at her back to come forward hiding away her most secret lower regions letting her legs free of any clothing restrictions as well. Her skin was as toned as honey and her hair as black as midnight, curling in a sea of long spirals down her frame. Her hair could easily provide her more coverage than the tiny sash she wrapped around her body. Partly tied to clip in the back of her head, while the underneath provided her a cloak of hair, only a few loose strands teased her face.

"Your one to be speaking, she's not longer here for you to conspire against my plans and obtain her power for yourself you sly Quartz." He grabbed her wrist, which held many bracelets and fashioned chains with symbols and etchings to words he didn't know anything about.

"I wouldn't dream of challenging you Dilandau, you're going to make my desires come true." She placed her arms around his broad shoulders and twirled her fingers in his hair.

She pressed her practically naked body to Dilandau's harden frame, and the lack of armor sent his body responding to her smooth form pressed tightly against his. She pulled her hands from his hair lightly and traced the contours of his face and his hands ran up her sides to her back. He inched down towards her face and furiously pressed his lips against hers forcing his tongue in angrily and lustfully. She fought him back with the same passion biting his bottom lip and his hand roughly grabbed her breast while his other traveled lower to cup the bottom of her buttocks digging his fingers into her flesh – indenting her skin.

"Calling you a Seductress wouldn't do you justice Zeyran, you are the need of every man's loins and the fear of every woman's nightmare." He pushed her hips into his harden state as he chuckled softly. She was quick to bring his arousal forward, he lips were intoxicate with hormones to which could make a man bend to her will.

"You my pet, are going to Fanelia." Her black onyx eyes met his. His lips traced the edges of his face – breathing deeply against her skin

"As you command My Lord." And she released her hold on him in resentment, he would deny her, he liked a fight. He whipped her back and pressed her roughly against him.

"But not before you release me of this hold." He again attacked her mouth with force and pulled her legs around his waist carrying her back to his seat while her hips grinded against him.

Storius placed his parchment on his desk studying the farm boy before him.

"Are you sure boy?" Storius eyed him – the information his boy brought forward was unusual indeed but Storius could read him, and he wasn't lying, but maybe he perceived it in a different way than he was telling them.

"A massive white Dragon took your ship to the ground, it's what I saw! My mother sent me in a hurry on our only horse to relay the news, my father was a Fanelian." The boy spoke softly and lowered his head. His father was, Storius reached in his desk and grab a small sack of coin.

"For your mother boy, who has done us honored us by sending you here with this information, and for your father who would be proud of your journey." He tossed the sack of coin to the boy who caught it and stared in awe. For a farmer they could live handsomely for months to come on the amount he bestowed on them.

"Thank you M'lord, Thank you, May Gaea watch over you." He bowed many times as he scurried to the door and was on his way back to his mother.

"A dragon Storius? Attacking our ship? It makes no sense, and I sure hope the boy is exaggerating, I have only seen texts on such large Dragons, but to know one it attacking and killing people…" Kelta stopped as his eyes focused on a new figure in the door that the boy had retreated from.

"Your Majesty" Kelta and Storius stated in harmony bowing deeply.

"Storius what did I just over hear?" Van locked a stern gaze with Storius.

"A young farm boy came from the eastern farming lands of Austria to inform us he had seen our Levi ship begin brought down to the ground by a white dragon double the size." Storius didn't want to relay the news until he had more conformation on this.

"Are you certain he wasn't making this up?" Van could have been snarling the fury painted clearly on his face.

"I believe the boy saw something to that affect Sire, but he couldn't make his way through the forest to where the ship would have been to confirm it was destroyed." Storius unrolled a map on his desk.

"Here at the border of the mountains, this is where he spotted them, about an eight day march – four days by air."

Storius wasn't sure about deploying any troops with his other reports he was receiving about the massing armies beyond the mountains now on move. If the direction they were headed, they will be in Fried within four days, Austria nine, and Fanelia twelve at the rate they were moving.

"Get a levi ship to confirm Storius, make sure Allen is okay." Van locked eyes with Storius, he didn't want to defy his king but it was time to let him know about the massing armies, his reports were now a conformation, not longer a speculation.

"Sire, I feel that would be a mistake, I have new conformed information as of early this morning." Storius pointed to a spot on the map with inks that dotted a trail to Fried, Austria and finally Fanelia.

"And that is?"

"Zaibach's massing forces in Den's Pass have begun to move over the mountains, and their direction is heading straight for Fried." His finger started at the pass, and slowly moved a course stopping at Fried.

"They are on the move? Since when Storius!" Van shook his head in disbelief.

"Our estimated guess would have been 3 days ago – by the rate they are going and the area they had been residing at." Storius couldn't help but feel disappointed. He was supposed to never over look things, and when they had found the location of the always moving Ziabach forces, he should have acted primitively, or at least made Van aware, but he didn't. In his confidence he under estimated their forces, and their actions.

"Are you positive they are on a march to attack?" Van didn't want to start something without a confirmed military perspective.

"We have been monitoring them for the last five years – and their forces scattered, and stayed small and spread, however they have all moved to one centralized location in the base of these mountains and are now heading to Fried sire, I do feel as if they plan to attack." Storius's eyes met Vans.

They didn't have a large military – only 200 Gymeluf's and 5,000 soldiers, 5 fully armored Levi ships one of which was possible destroyed. The forces that massed on Ziabach were well into the 25,000. Storius knew Fried's military unit didn't match those numbers either, as their forces were equally matched with Fanelia. With Austria's forces, they were still at disadvantage.

"Get the troops ready, we march to Fried, I will be with Dryden, get our men together Storius. Find me once this has been done, we will figure our strategy from there.." Van turned and headed out the door.

Kelta gave Storius a worried look and Storius followed Van heading to the council room – with Kelta at his heels.

Van entered the common room where Dryden and Millernia were sitting reading each a thickly bound novel, quietly enjoying each other's company. Van was often jealous of these sights between them, he always envied their happiness. Millernia propped against Dryden on the seat bench, Dryden holding her tighter against him.

"Dryden and Millernia I need to speak with you." Van sternly gazed at them.

Dryden looked at Van for a moment then moved his book to his side. Millernia sat up closing hers as well giving Van their attention.

"Ziabach forces are heading to Fried in massed numbers, I am in fear of an assault on Fried within four days time." Van lowered his head – he wouldn't make it there in time, a march would take at least two week, levi ships would be twelve days with all the cargo they would have to haul. Chid had left early yesterday back to his country, and Van knew he would go home to ruins. Van felt the anger boil as he remembered the pain from5yearsagocause reflection of his torching country to play through his head.

"Van! Are you sure!" Millernia gasped.

Dryden pushed his glasses further up his nose and sat back with a look of uncertainty in his eyes.

"He wouldn't bring it to us my love if he wasn't certain, We can send a message ahead by Createn, It should arrive by tomorrow our troops can be deployed to Fried and arrive on time." Dryden was quick to think, he was always a merchant at heart, ready to find another way to sell, obtain and trade goods.

"Im afraid that would be a massacre Dryden from what my General informed me – the armies easily mass 25,000. Austria, Fried, and Fanelia together would be a slim chance, but with many causalities."

"We should send word to the Duke's advisor to evacuate Fried to Austria, I will gather my forces and head to Austria – the people protected and we can defend at Asturia, your home has defensive structures that we will need for an upper hand."

Dryden shook his head in disbelief, it was happening again. How did it come to this, when the countries involved in the war five years ago decided to settle the rest of the up risers and leave the deserters be, everyone felt as if that was the route to take. Dryden now understood they should have been relentlessly searching Gaea for the small forming Zaibach rebellion, but they had had their fill on death and destruction who could blame them. Van was right though, it did come to this.

"You can't sit back and let these traitors seek refuge until a time later that they will mass in forces Dryden!" Van spat angrily from across the table.

"I can't send my military, which is already devastated by this war, to find unthreatening forces instead of rebuilding damages to all of our countries Van!" Dryden's face reddened with the loss of air as he yelled back.

"Van, we really need to look at our countries, yours most of all, as a lot of our buildings and homes have been damage, your country was completely destroyed. We can't very well pursue these small unthreatening Ziabach soldiers without the means. Either we rebuild what we have loss for the people or we spend the years to come fighting a purpose that no longer needs to be fought." Chid's voice was soft and soothing, he seemed to control himself easily in all situations.

"Duke, your making a large mistake, this will not stay a sleeping bear, it will awake, and when it does, when someone claims the Ziabach armies again, it will be another war." Van knew the wrath of vengeance knew no bounds.

"We are deploying half of our military here to Fanelia to help you rebuild your country out of the respect we hold for you Van, but we will not chase around killing the Ziabach stranglers when our people go without homes because of this war, they have suffered enough." Dryden sat back down, his temper easing.

"Fine, but head my caution Dryden this war wasn't over – just delayed." With that Van stormed from the small room leaving Chid and Dryden to converse among themselves.

"Fine send a Createn to Fried, and to Chid, he should be nearing Austria soon have word for him there of the happenings. I will march with you Van." Dryden stood; he wasn't going to brush Van's word off this time. He was wrong in not listening to him before, and thought the people were happy over the last five years, but now there will be more death and destruction. He should have listen to the one King who could have stopped this now forth coming war if he had just listened.

Van nodded, he could see the regret in Dryden's eyes. He could only guess he was wishing he had listened to Van to being with, but Van's intentions from the start weren't to protect the future, but more so to slay every soldier that took part in all the deaths that had come over that war. When Dryden and Chid's advise had sunk in, he accepted it more, and spent the last 4 years believing his passion for revenge was just that – his measures were been a bit extreme.

Now, he was utterly disappointed that his reasoning to his revenge was right all along but with the wrong intentions.

"Im going with you!" Millernia stood and grabbed Dryden's hand.

"Millernia, you need to stay here, it's safe." He brushed away the loose strands of hair that fell in front of her face.

"No, Im not staying here, don't treat me like a fragile piece of art Dryden, I was at the front lines 5 years ago if you don't recall, and I will not be the Queen who sits idly by while her country goes to war." Her determination was hard to argue with, if he denied her she would find a way to go anyways, if she came at least she would be safely by his side.

"Millernia my love, I would never cage you like an animal – if you feel that strongly, it is your country too." Dryden placed a soft kiss on her lips.

Van turned and walked away, his mind wandering, he had things to prepare for and he didn't want to add to his pain more. Hitomi was at his side 5 years ago, his pillar of support, who would save his soul now? He had been in so many near death incidents only to have her save him, time and time again. Her smile would warm his heart and her passion would make him stronger. He needed her at his side, but this time he was alone.

nd she couldn't let that happen until she found a way to clear his fate of her.