Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Cryptic Knives ❯ Precious Things ( Chapter 10 )

Hello all,

A little note from yours truly...the author of this illogical nonsense: To begin, there seems to be confusion in the previous chapter with the dogs. I don't know if anyone remembers the dog-like animal that attacked Chesta in the previous chapter? But that's what it was. It was like a dream but she actually got hurt in her dream! Man I suck!

Chapter 10

Precious Things

He said you're really an ugly girl

But I like the way you play

And I died

But I thanked him

Can you believe that sick, sick

Holding on to his picture

Dressing up every day

I want to smash the faces

Of those beautiful boys

Those Christian boys

So you can make me cum

That doesn't make you Jesus

*****

Delphi slept all through the afternoon, and the whole night right through to the next afternoon where she awoke strangely refreshed and quite hungry.

'Awake finally, I was wondering when you'd come to' said a man whom Delphi didn't really recognize very well.

`How long have you been wondering for?' Delphi asked pushing herself up into a sitting position.

`At least twelve hours.' the man said simply.

`Really?' she asked stunned. `Well,' she said lightly. `How long have I been out then?'

`Oh I don't know. I'd say a good twenty-four hours or so.'

Delphi smiled slightly and jumped out of the bed she was sitting in. `Where are my clothes?' She yelled when she realized she was only wearing panties and her tank top. She ripped the sheet off of the bed and covered herself up.

`Listen you perverted freak, give me my clothes or-'

`Oh-'droned a voice from the door. `I guess the whole ship knows your awake now from the way you're screaming.' Delphi faced the doorway and instantly recognized the snide expression of Dilandau right away.

`I see you're holding some clothes. Perhaps it would be prudent to let me have them now, instead of me making a ruckus later.' She said knowingly.

`Indeed... but I don't once remember anyone saying they were for you at all.'

`Just- Give me those' Delphi's voice started to rise with sudden anger.

`Here' Dilandau through them on the floor near her feet. Delphi glared at him momentarily before flopping towards the floor and picking them up.

`Thank -you' she snarled and started to pull up her pants.

`It's great you two get along.' The man said sardonically.

`Folken, you should learn to lighten up.' Dilandau said and left the room. Folken looked behind him at Delphi who was throwing the sheet back on the bed.

`How do you feel?' he asked her.

`How do I feel?' She repeated, and without thought she answered, `fine I suppose.'

`Strange at all?'

`Well, that all depends on the level of `strange' you're talking about. I mean I almost died a couple of days ago. Of course I feel a little strange.' Delphi was pulling on her boots.

`Here.' Folken held out a sword. `Dilandau expects you in the training room soon.'

`Thanks.' she said and on her way out she slapped him on the shoulder as a friendly gesture; Folken cringed.

*****

`Sorry' Delphi shouted when she rushed into the training room and ran into the line beside Chesta.

`Aren't you full of energy.' he whispered.

`When you happen to be late, usually you don't make a sound unless you want to be caught.' Dilandau said turning around to face his group of slayers. He scanned them very quickly and spotted the uneven amount of slayers in the third row back and headed towards Delphi. He leaned in towards Delphi just centimetres away from her face and said, `You're late' and quickly backed away.

`I know I was but-' Dilandau struck her hard enough to send her to the floor, only she didn't, not one muscle, not even her head. Redness quickly found its way to her skin.

All eyes were on Delphi who stood with her mouth half open ready to say something. Dilandau just stared at her, wondering if he really hit her hard enough. When he saw a bruise starting to develop he looked away and said, `Soldiers. As I said, we are going to practise in a vast area. This place in on the edge of the forest. There are no teams, just you against everyone else. If you are in a position with another where you would die, then you stay on the ground until you're told to move. Last soldier standing is the greatest. Any questions?'

`Sir?'

`Speak.' Dilandau turned slightly and walked the across the floor towards the other end of the line of the slayers.

`Will you be joining?'

`No, that would just prove that I'm the greatest soldier.' Delphi rolled her eyes at his response. `This is only about you soldiers, so get to the Vione. Now!'

The soldiers started to file out of the training room and headed down to the Vione.

`Can I get a ride down with you Chesta?' Delphi asked leaning over his shoulder a little to whisper in his ear.

Chesta turned around with wide-eyes and said, `I've never seen anyone take in a slap that hard before without moving before. I mean, he really gives them everything he's got.'

`Well, it's strange. I really wasn't expecting a slap from Dil- Lord Dilandau. I just don't understand how I, well you know, anything than what I did do.' Delphi explained.

`Okay move it you two.' Said one of the soldiers from the back of the line.

`It's not our fault.' Delphi shot back. `We aren't running the line. You just have to come to terms with the fact that there are more than just a couple of soldiers walking through this door.'

`It wasn't a question.'

`And it wasn't an answer.' Delphi shot back, her features were vacant and emotionless. She pushed her way in front of Chesta and through the rest of the crowd.

*****

`This is stupid.' Delphi muttered to Chesta as he climbed up into his Guymelef, although he chose to ignore her. A huge iron grip wrapped itself around Delphi and it jumped out of the Vione, following many others.

It took about a half an hour for all the soldiers to get down from the Vione but when they were all down Dilandau said only a few words to them.

`Pretend this is a real battle, don't make this easy on your enemy.' Dilandau dismissed them off with a swish of his hand. `I think this is a dumb idea Folken.' Dilandau said, noticing Folken's presence behind him.

`We have to see don't we? What would you rather do?'

`Whatever.'

Delphi roamed the forest, turning around ever so often, checking over her shoulder to see if anyone was sneaking up one her, and she was trying to be as quiet as a mouse about it. Delphi had not yet unsheathed her sword, too afraid that it will make too much noise.

She wasn't sure how it happened. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew that the boy behind her was as quiet as a spider hunting its prey. Still, she knew he was there and she spun around unsheathing her sword and stopping it inches from her face. She brought her foot up and kicked the other slayer in the gut, which caused him to stumble backwards. Delphi moved forward and pushed him to the ground completely as she lifted her sword high above her head and brought it down just above his heart. `You're dead.' she said before fleeing once more.

She walked slowly towards one of the new slayers and wrapped one arm around his shoulders and set her blade across his neck. The slayer sighed and complained, `Ah man!' before falling to the ground. Delphi turned around again looking for anyone. The last thing she wanted was to fall prey to the people who mock her.

Then she heard them: a couple to her right and a couple to her left. She knew that if she were to move at all they would find her. She sheathed her sword and grabbed hold of a thick branch about 5 inches above her head. She hoisted herself up and sat on the branch like a cat ready to pounce, hidden by the leaves. There were three of them in total. It appeared that they were of the elite squad and Delphi had recognized them to be Dalet, Gatti and Miguel.

`So, going to get rid of the sick ones first.' Delphi thought. `There aren't supposed to be teams.' When all three were facing the opposite direction of Delphi she quietly jumped down from the branch and hid behind the tree out of sight. Gatti turned around sharply.

`What?' asked Dalet.

`Did you hear that?' he said.

`Here what?' Dalet asked again. All three stood very still and didn't breathe. Delphi took the time when they were talking to take out her sword once more. `Come on,' Dalet said and pointed Gatti left and Miguel right. He stood there and waited for the soldier to run around the two. Delphi saw both of them advancing on the flat of her sword and as soon as they were close enough Delphi swung both of her arms out at full length and hit both soldiers in the nose. She ducked and swung her leg under Gatti's making him fall. She pointed the tip of her sword at his heart and then turned to block Miguel's attempt. With her left hand she grabbed his sword hand and held it in place, then she brought her right foot up and hit him in the side of the head, knocking him to the ground as well. Again she pointed the tip of her sword at his heart.

`Out of all the slayers, I would have never imagined part of the elite group teaming up to get rid of the weaker ones.' Delphi said turning on Dalet.

`Well, everyone want this over as quickly as possible, I know I do.' he told her.

`Don't worry, it will be.' She ran towards him and her sword collided with his. He pushed he backwards but she remained on her feet. He came at her again with fierce vitality and without even thinking Delphi blocked left, right, left, and then ducked and rolled to his right where she stuck out her foot and caught the back of his knee. Delphi sprang back up and the sword was aimed at Dalet's throat.

`You've lasted a lot longer than most, I'll give you that.' she said before running off.

`Is that even fair?' Miguel asked, sitting up. The other two slayers just shrugged. Delphi found another nice tree to sit in and spy on passing soldiers. For what seemed like an hour, Delphi just sat up in the tree not moving. She didn't feel like fighting, she never felt like fighting. She knew there was something wrong with her when she woke up this morning and she felt perfect.

`Ow!' she whispered harshly and pressed her palm on her forehead and shut her eyes tightly. Delphi couldn't see anything, only white and the outline of many bodies.

`You killed the first one'

`And the second.'

`We need a new one.'

`Shine that light over here.' Delphi felt something poke into her skin of her wrist. Not long after that the light ended up in Delphi's eyes and the she could no longer see anything at all. Just white.

`Dad?'

`What?'

`I'm Chesta'

`Sorry'

`What happened to you? We didn't even realize you fell behind, for a while we imagine, because when we found you, you were, well, like that.'

`I know, I'm sorry.'

`So, what happened?'

Delphi took a deep breath and opened her eyes. She removed her hand from her forehead and pulled the material from her wrist up so she could see it. There were a couple of little holes near the veins. The only person that kept flashing through her head was the `Folken' character. She jumped out of the tree and violently unsheathed her sword. She sensed that the game was over, there was on one around for miles. Still, Delphi trudged through the forest in the direction where she knew everyone was. It wasn't long after that she started to hear voices and she knew that she was getting close to the man who could tell her just what the hell was going on and why.

`Finally decided to show up huh Delphi.' sneered one of the lower ranking slayers. There was a bunch of hooting going on as she walked past, a bunch of the slayers teasing her because she late. Delphi, however didn't listen to one word that anyone was saying. She was focusing on the man standing behind Dilandau. As she approached she tossed her sword into her left hand and before Dilandau could speak she shoved him right out of the way with her right, making him stumble into a few of his slayers.

Quickly, Delphi ran towards the man with the turquoise hair ready to attack him. Folken, however, pulled out his sword just in time to stop her barrage of attacks.

`What did you do to me? What am I?' She screamed while continually smashing her sword against his. `I am not your test subject! What did you do to me!?'

`You would have died if we didn't' Folken said calmly while blocking her attacks. Dilandau suddenly perked up when he heard this. No one told him she was dying. Delphi stopped suddenly and backed away from him.

`That's what you wanted. That's what you've always wanted. Isn't that why you enrolled me in this stupid slayer unit so I would get myself killed? Well? Isn't it? Why would you save my life when all you really want is the pendant?' Delphi fell to the ground and just looked longingly into the vast field of five-inch grass. `Just kill me.'

`Gladly' Dilandau said with striking anger.

`No.' Folken stated while looking at the scene.

`What?' Dilandau and Delphi said at the same time. Both started to yell complaints at Folken who didn't seem to be listening.

`If you are keen on dying I may as well finish my experiment, seeing as how the first one had to die.' Folken looked towards Chesta, who looked towards the ground again.

`Your experiment!' Delphi yelled in anger and leaped at Folken again with fierce rage. `I am no one's lab rat! You hear me!' Delphi thrust her sword forward but Folken hit it and knocked it off course ad sent her stumbling behind him.

Delphi stood up off the ground, head bent a little and eyes staring intently at Folken as if she was ready to pounce. `I have had enough of your games.' Delphi ran towards him, her sword at arms length beside her ready to strike. As soon as Folken's sword could reach her he swung at her, Delphi gracefully ducked and moved to the left where she stood up behind him but before she was able to even scratch him, something hit her hard on the back of her head and she fell backwards on the ground. The last thing that Delphi saw was several slayers circle around her as things became hazy and then dark.

*****

Yeah, okay, I know, so maybe it's kinda stupid! But o well, I'm sick right now!.........

Yours truly,

Sweet Roses

Hope you enjoyed!