Disclaimer: I do not own Escaflowne and its characters.
Author: licoricefactory
Author's Note: Thanks to loneshinobi, Tempi-chan, Litschi and cherub4l for reviewing the second chapter.
Pairing: Dilandau/Hitomi
Chapter 3
A series of continuous slaps was heard throughout the throne room. Gatti's already swollen face flew to the side as Dilandau once again backhanded him on his left cheek. The silver haired commander then landed a particularly strong blow towards Gatti's abdomen. Falling down on his knees, the brown haired dragonsalyer clutched his stomach and whimpered silently in pain.
"Get up!" Dilandau snarled as he pulled up Gatti's light brown hair. "This will teach you to never be late again, you insolent fool!"
"L-Lord Dil-" Gatti was cut short as he felt the silver haired commander's fingers curling up on his throat. Holding Gatti by the neck, Dilandau simultaneously lifted Gatti's body off of the floor.
"What kind of a Dragonslayer are you, Gatti? And to think I made you my second-in-command!" Dilandau bellowed as he stared right through the dragonslayer's already frightened eyes.
Gatti, feeling lightheaded and asphyxiated from the pressure on his throat, was saved by a knock that was heard from the door of the throne room. Dilandau sent his body flying towards the opposite wall as the commander muttered profanities under his breath. What a disgrace to the name of Zaibach. Dilandau inwardly thought.
"What!?" Dilandau sneered loudly. How dare somebody interrupt me.
A man with blonde hair and the customized blue and black Dragonslayer uniform stepped in. The man, or some might call him a creature for that matter, had the facial features of a lion. Solemnly bowing in respect, the soldier faced his leader with a stoic expression on his face.
"Jajuka." Dilandau acknowledged with a slight nod of his head.
Being the oldest soldier under Dilandau's command, Jajuka was the only dragonslayer who did not fear the silver haired commander's tantrums. Also being Dilandau's guardian, he has acted like a second father to the prince ever since the boy was born.
"The Emperor had requested for your presence in his study." Jajuka informed.
"I see." Dilandau crossed his arms in front of his chest and walked out of the room slamming the metal door on his way out.
"What do you want Adelphos?"
Lifting his head, the emperor raised a quizzical eyebrow as soon as Dilandau made his presence known.
"Is that the proper way to address your father Dilandau?" The emperor asked with a slight hint of annoyance in his voice.
"But-"
"No buts Dilandau. Let me hear it."
"Father." Dilandau growled as he finally gave up. His unusual red eyes silently observed his father's study just as he has done countless times before.
Candles that gave of bright yellow flames illuminated the study room. Along the right wall were three high windows each accented by the finest blue velvet curtains imported from the kingdom of Asturia. On the opposite wall were shelves lined with books both old and new. A mahogany desk was placed at the middle of the room where the emperor completed most of his work. The most astonishing piece in the entire room though was a gigantic work of art behind the emperor's desk: a painting of a woman whose gorgeous face was staring right back at Dilandau.
The woman in the painting had honey brown hair that was put up in a traditional tight bun held up by hairsticks embedded with the finest rubies. She wore the most subtle and serene smile that he has ever seen. Her lips were painted a deep dark color that complimented her light colored skin well. However, the most astonishing feature about the woman was her bright emerald green eyes that seemingly pierced his soul. Eyes that held a certain aura of maturity, mystery and enigma…
She was definitely an exotic and foreign woman judging by her outfit. The woman wore a green silk kimono with white flower patterns on it. A white obi was wrapped around her waist which further accentuated her beautiful womanly curves. Wide full length sleeves tumbled down her arms and fell around her slender wrists gracefully.
He has always wondered about identity of the woman on the painting ever since he was a little boy. He had questioned his father countless times in the past but his father always seemed to ignore him. Probably a former lover of his father?
He didn't know whether he should hate the woman on the painting or adore her for her beauty which never failed to mesmerize him. The woman on the painting was probably the reason why his father never loved his deceased mother who passed away six rotations ago. Even though they were bound by the holy sacrament of matrimony and even produced him and his older twin Celena in the course of their marriage, he has always known that his deceased mother never really had a place in his father's heart. He was fully aware of the false façade and pretense that his parents had to deal with when out in the public eye. Furthermore, there have been countless occasions when he has caught his father staring longingly at the portrait.
"The captives will be executed in two days time. If that bastard Kanzaki still refuses to create an alliance with Zaibach, then we shall launch a full blown attack."
His father's voice visibly brought him out of his musings. This was the one thing that he loved most about his father. Just like him, the emperor never really hesitated in taking the lives of those who he deemed to be weak and worthless.
"I trust that you can come up with ways to execute the captives that will surely entertain the citizens. You know how bloodthirsty the Zaibachians can get."
"You can count on it Father. I'll give them a show that they'll never forget. You know I never disappoint." Dilandau stated with a bloodthirsty glint swirling in those unfathomable red orbs.
She was standing in the middle of what seemed to be an arena. Looking down towards her left, she noticed the trembling figure of her little brother. Boisterous laughter that seemed to mock her and her people grated her sensitive ears. Thousands of faces with disturbing grins planted on their mouths greeted her sight as she took in her surroundings.
The arena seemed to be enclosed in a dome-like structure. Thousands of people, men, women and even children, sat at the metal bleachers enjoying the show. Their faces were blurred but their eyes seemed to have a crazy glint in them. Out of one the gates that led to the arena, something emerged.
A creature with slanted yellow eyes planted fear within her. The monster had scaly green skin and teeth that protruded from its ugly mouth. Suddenly, the creature roared exposing its long pink tongue. It swiftly advanced on her and her brother with the intent to kill. Her body was willing her to move but her legs stayed glued in place. The creature pounced on her and she heard a scream. She only then realized that the loud scream came from her throat.
She was starting to feel it…her bones being crushed, her skin being torn apart by those sharp black claws, the blood rushing out of the deep bites…
"Make it stop!" Hitomi awoke to the sound of her own scream and her green eyes abruptly snapped open. Panting, she bolted upright in order to catch her breath. With ragged breaths, she felt the sweat forming on her damp forehead and the pain slightly throbbing on her temples. A nightmare…
"Hitomi-Hime, what happened?"
"Are you alright, Your Highness?"
The faces of the other captives that showed genuine worry loomed over her. They whispered in hush tones and inquired about what happened to her.
"Nothing, I just had a dream. There's no need to worry." The princess tried to reassure her people in order to ease the tension growing visibly in the cramped cell that they were locked up in. She felt a gentle squeeze on her right hand and noticed the small hand of Mamoru tightening around her slender one as an act of comfort. The princess gave her brother a gentle smile to silently tell him that she was okay.
The ground suddenly began to tremble causing majority of the prisoners locked up in the dungeons to bang the bars of their cells using their clenched fists. They were clearly in a state of confusion and they wondered what was really happening.
"Get us out this place!"
"Release us!"
The prisoners demanded to be released. Just as the shouts begin to rise into an unreasonable loudness, a man who was huge stepped into the dungeons. He was bald and his torso was bare exposing a tattoo of a sword that ran from his chest down to his abdomen. The man was literally a giant.
"Shut the hell up! Do all of you want to get whipped?" The giant bellowed with authority in his voice.
The noises gradually died down for fear of getting whipped and receiving torture that was unimaginable. The shaking of the ground ceased as well and all at once, the bars to their cells slid open upwards automatically.
"Don't get your hopes up! You criminals will not be released!"
The prisoners were all escorted out of the dungeons. Just before being able to step out of the dungeon's threshold, all of their hands and feet were bound by chains.
"Let go of me!" A teenage boy from Kanza shouted as a Zaibachian soldier started binding his wrists and ankles with the heavy chains.
"You little fool! How dare you!" The giant bellowed. He turned to his right and beckoned a soldier to come to him. "You there, get me a damn whip!"
The soldier handed the huge man a whip that had thorns on it. Snap! The man lashed the whip directly onto the boy's back making him cry out in agony.
Watching from the sidelines, Hitomi's eyes begin to water and it made her feel weak knowing that she didn't have the guts to protect a citizen of her country. I'm a coward. Her brother's small arms encircled her waist and she looked down to see her brother trembling in fear but trying his best to remain quiet and unnoticed.
The giant continued to whip the boy's back. Blood started seeping out of the boy's already torn shirt and he collapsed on the floor.
"Now you know what the consequence is for disobedience! Now I just want you all pathetic scums to follow the guards towards your destination. If I hear any sort of complain, you'll end up like this boy here." The man hauled up the teenage boy like a potato sack without the slightest hint of effort for everybody to see. The people knew that the giant man was not bluffing when he said that so they just chose to shut their mouths and do whatever it is that they have to do in order to ensure their survival.
The prisoners' ankles and wrists were all chained as they walked out of the dungeons in a single straight line. Raising her right arm, Hitomi shielded her eyes from the scorching heat of the sun. Being locked up in that dark dungeon made her eyes sensitive to the bright light.
Hitomi felt her legs starting to strain due to the long walk that she and the other prisons had to undergo. A dome-shaped structure made of the heaviest metal loomed overhead. Outside the entrance to the structure were soldiers wearing blue and black armors that stood like stone statues. They didn't even seem to be breathing. Even their eyes were unblinking.
The prisoners were led towards a back door. Screaming, shouting and boisterous laughter could faintly be heard on the other side of the walls. The soldiers leading them stopped in front of a metal door consequently making the captives halt as well.
A/N: I'm surprised if you actually finished reading this chapter. I honestly hate it and I must admit, this chapter is really on the boring side and I hate the way I portray Dilandau. Also, I know that Dilly and 'Tomi haven't met yet but I promise in the next chapter, they will finally see each other for the first time.
I also apologize for the long wait. I've been really lazy to type this chapter up and whenever I do get the chance to do so, I always fall asleep. School is really taking its toll on me and I'm failing math as well! Ok ok enough with the rambling...Review!