Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Cryptic Knives ❯ Hard Road ( Chapter 3 )

READ PLEASE If you want to read another really, really, REALLY good fan fic, I advise you to go and read "Failed Experiment" by Elijah-wood-mini-fan-club. It has the most superb ending ever, very unexpected. OR her other one which is so funny, "My Escaflowne dream" it may sound stupid but it truly is funny………even though some might list it under toilet humour………but what can ya do?

Also, just to let you know, in this fic, the war never happened………uh the whole Hitomi thing never happened and no one is dead………actually, nothing related to Van, Allen, Hitomi or Escaflowne never happened. In fact just forget about it altogether except for the whole Dilandau story.

BTW- Dilandau is seventeen as well and all the slayers.

Chapter 3

Hard Road

*****

`I'm starting to get really angry Folken. Why isn't that stupid pendant coming off? It doesn't have a clasp, it won't break and you can't cut her head off. What do you propose we do?' Dilandau was standing in a dimly lit room with Folken, a mostly cloaked figure standing in a room that had many medical utensils in it.

`Maybe show her some hospitality?' Folken suggested with ease.

`Hospitality? She deserves no hospitality, She should be dead right now and I should have that pendant.'

`With all do respect Dilandau, you have the pendant.'

`I also have a weight load to go with it.' He jeered.

`I'm in no mood for your mockery.' Folken said sternly. `It had to have been big enough to fit over her head at one time, so there must be a way to get it off now.'

`Yes Folken, we all know the logic of it, but we can't just say `Take the pendant off so we can kill you' now can we?'

`No we can't. Maybe if you show her hospitality, like I said before, and she might take it off. She can't have worn it for so many years and not know how to take it off. She'll take it off, and you'll let her go.'

`Folken, I'm not showing hospitality to anyone. Especially not to a weak, morose female who killed one of my dragon slayers.' His eyes narrowed. `She will pay for that with her life.' He growled.

`Then do something and don't threaten her everytime you see her. I will try and find away to take it off.'

`Do you even know why it is doing that anyway?' Dilandau leaned up against a wall and crossed his arms over his chest.

`I have a slight idea.' Replied Folken.

`And that would be………' trailed Dilandau.

`The pendant is the third and final piece of the pendants created, it was given to Atlantis, who used it for, well, negative results one might say; and as such, does not want to be forged with the other two.'

`Are you telling me Folken,' Dilandau cut Folken off from saying anything more. `That this pendant has a mind of its own.'

`I'm not sure but if I can continue; it does not want to be forged for it will lose all of its supreme power. Right now it is helping the girl, but I'm sure it's going to take her over and use her for it's evil.'

`I have no time for your stories Folken. If she's going to stay here, she's going to have to work for me.' Dilandau turned on heel and left Folken's room.

*****

`Miguel.' Dilandau shouted and a dragon slayer with light brown hair drooping down into face stood up from the ground and stepped forward.

`Sir.' He said without facial expression looking straight ahead.

`I want you to go and get that girl and bring her here.'

`Sir.' He said and then left to get the girl. Dilandau was in his thrown with his chin in hand staring at the remaining slayers who were kneeling on the ground.

`Stand up would you.' Dilandau ordered. There was a quick shuffle of feet and sheaths clinking against sheaths.

`Gatti, is there any reports?'

`No sir.' Said a slayer who had teal eyes and sandy blonde hair, his bangs just above his azure eyes.

Dilandau muttered something that sounded a lot like `useless or hopeless'

*****

`Gut up.' Miguel said tapping the body on the floor with his foot. The body stirred but didn't make movement to get up. `Get up.' He repeated and the figure made mumbling noises and opened her eyes.

`Why are you kicking me.' she mumbled while rubbing her eyes. Everything was quite blurry when she looked upon Miguel. He bent down and grabbed one of her arms and helped her stand up. She pushed him away and, out of dizziness, fell back down onto the floor.

Miguel was starting to get a little frustrated and started to take out his sword. `Get up and come with me.' he announced once again.

`What do you want with me? Where are you going to take me.'

`Stand up.' he said more sternly, his voice rising.

`I can't' she said sullenly. Miguel sheathed his sword and grabbed her arm, pulling her up to a standing position. He swung her arm around his neck and held her hand there. His other hand went to her waist and he dragged her out of the room. She couldn't stand very well and was stumbling all over the place. Miguel often gave her looks because every time she would stumble she would drag Miguel down with her.

`It hurts me too.' She muttered to his when she caught sight of the look he gave her. `You are holding my wrist.'

`Shut up, I didn't ask you to talk.' He stopped and pressed a button; the door in front of them slid opened.

Dilandau was looking at the doors and the lined up slayers looked at the door as well when the two walked through. Dilandau rolled his eyes at her then looked at Miguel.

`Put her down.' He ordered. Miguel brought her over to a wall and leaned her up against it. Dilandau stood up from his throne and waltzed lazily towards her.

`Well what are you waiting for?' Dilandau addressed Miguel, `get in line with the rest of them.' He ordered bitterly.

`Sir.' He said and went beside another boy with blond hair. Dilandau looked over his slayers unnervingly and in a snort yelled, `Dismissed.'

In unanimity all slayers said at once, `Yes Sir.' And walked out of the room leaving the girl and Dilandau alone.

When the room was empty the girl was still leaning on the wall not taking her eyes off the man's sword as he walked around the room. After minutes of pacing back and forth he stopped and turned to her. She looked up to meet his gaze that had the same malice as the man that killed her father. She narrowed her eyes and stuck up her chin, lowering her gaze once again to the floor.

`What's your name?' He didn't really say it as a question, but more as an order. She stayed silent. He gave a slight laugh and asked her again in a wavering voice of anger.

`I'm not going to tell you.' She said simply nodding her head slightly in a superior fashion. Dilandau closed his eyes and asked her once again.

`I'm not going to tell you, you bastard.' She yelled quite steadily. Dilandau whipped out his dagger and advanced on her before she could blink and had stabbed the dagger beside her head at eye line; she screamed as the process happened and closed her eyes.

`I'm not playing games,' he spat out, `I want to know your name and I want to know it now. Is there a problem?' He was pushing her against the wall with his left hand on her shoulder and his right was still on the dagger. She nodded.

`Delphi' she breathed, her voice showing signs of fear now. She was breathing a little harder but she continued, `Delphi Lee Malakain.'

`Now,' he started, giving her one more push against the wall before ripping the dagger out of the wall and turning his back on her, walking towards his throne; he stopped however, and turned around and faced her again. `Until you can get that pendant off-'

`I can't!' She shouted and in a matter of seconds was on the floor holding her cheek.

`Never interrupt me. When I am talking, you are not. When you want to talk you will address me as Lord Dilandau and nothing else. It also depends if I allow you to talk. Not until you can take you pendant off you work for me.' He bellowed ruthlessly.

`I will not work for you.' She argued. `I will never work for anyone, so you might as well kill me.'

`Pity.' He said plainly.

`What is?' Delphi asked catching Dilandau off guard by the stupid question.

`That you would rather die, but I can't kill you.' He walked over to a table and opened a table drawer and took out a sheathed dagger. `Do everyone a favor and kill yourself then.' He threw the dagger and her and it slid across the floor until it hit her foot. She picked it up and examined it.

The sheath was very well crafted and consisted of two snakes intertwined widening at the just enough to fit the dagger into. Both of the snakes mouths were open and their tongues were out. On handle of the dagger itself were three jewels. One was an emerald, an opal, and a ruby. The emerald was the smallest and was at the bottom of the three, then came the ruby which was larger than the emerald and the opal was larger than both of them and was at the top, parallel with the snake's tongues.

She took it out of the sheath and the blade seemed to have just been forged. There were no scratches or dents. Dilandau was by his throne pouring himself some wine. Delphi swung her arm over her head, the point of the dagger between her two fingers and threw it.

The dagger went right through the wine glass and hit the wall, clattering on the ground behind the table. Dilandau had now tipped the bottle of wine right side up and dropped the remaining pieces of glass in his hand on the floor. He didn't turn around but she could feel his anger boiling above normal human status.

`Oops.'

Dilandau turned around, his hand was full of red wine and he looked her right in the eye. He brought his gloved hand up to his face and licked his glove; Delphi made a face of absolute disgust and screamed when the bottle he was holding came flying at her. It smashed on the wall above her head and pieces of glass and wine fell into her hair and all over her already soiled dress.

He walked towards her again and she stood up, shaking her head to try and get the glass out. `There is nothing you can do girl. Either you take the pendant off right now, or you serve me.'

`My names Delphi or did you forget that all ready?'

`Don't be brave; you're being stupid.' He said through his teeth venomously. `Now it's not a question whether you want to, you don't have a choice. You are going to serve me. You can make it stop any day sweetheart but until I have that pendant in my hand you not going anyway.'

`Well what am I supposed to do? Rub your feet or something ridiculous like that?'

`Maybe.' Dilandau retorted with thought. `I think I'll just have you follow me around all the time. You know how to polish swords?'

Delphi nodded slightly with a scowl on her face. `Good, after every practice you can polish the Dragon Slayers swords and if I want, serve me my wine.'

`Anything else.' Delphi mumbled.

`Maybe the occasional foot rub.' He said and snickered pushing past her. Delphi just glared.

Dilandau opened the door to his room and ordered one of the slayers, the one with blonde hair to take her back to her cell. Her walked through and grabbed Delphi's upper arm and took her away from Dilandau's lair.

`You don't seem like a solder to me.' Delphi said when they were walking down the hall. The blonde boy said nothing. `Why are you a solder?' She asked. Again the blonde said nothing, just looked at her.

`Can you speak? Why do stay with that jerk he's so mean to you guys.' The blonde boy stopped and pushed her up against the wall.

`Why does everyone push me?'

`Never speak about Lord Dilandau that way.' He said quite harshly to her.

`Sorry………I didn't know he was so special.' She said and was tugged carelessly back to her cell. Once there, Chesta tossed her in and then said, `I'll be back in the morning,' and then left.

The room was quite small and only had a bed and a desk in the room. Delphi sighed and went over to a small bed in the corner and curled up on it. She started to sing no louder than a whisper.