Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Dilandau's Revenge ❯ Path of Destruction ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 3: Path of Destruction

Dilandau chuckled gleefully as he looked down on the Zaibach town. A floating fortress hovered above the town, and several guymelefs standing in neat ranks below it indicated that a garrison was being maintained there. But hasty fortifications erected around the perimeter of the area also indicated that the garrison had not been there long.

“All this, just for me!” he whispered delightedly. “They are finally starting to take me seriously.”

“Are they afraid of us?” Celena whispered. Her small voice did not sound as frightened as it had in the past.

“They have learned to be afraid of us,” Dilandau replied gravely. He always took Celena's concerns seriously. She was too gentle-hearted, but he did not want to frighten her away. If she disappeared, he would be alone, and Dilandau did not want to face his enemies alone.

“There are people other than soldiers here,” Celena pointed out.

She was right, of course. Ordinary Zaibach citizens could be seen going about their business in the streets and working in the fields outside the new barricades. Some of the barricades looked as if they had been erected across cultivated fields. Dilandau frowned. In the past, he would not have cared about the inconvenience to common people. Soldiers did what they needed to do. But looking at those barricades through Celena's eyes, he could imagine the food that was lost when the fields were torn up. Anger welled up in him.

“This garrison shouldn't be here!” he growled. “Coming here put these people in a war zone.” He glanced at his power settings. The Scheherazade was at full power. He studied the garrison again and smiled. “They are still underestimating me,” he murmured. “Do you see what they've done wrong, Celena?”

“No.”

“I'll show you.”

Dilandau pulled in his wings tight against his sides and dropped toward the floating fortress. He wondered how long he would keep getting away with this maneuver before the Zaibach forces figured out how to counter it. He plunged from the sky like a meteor. The fortress was too close to the ground for him to fall past it and strike, and still have time to pull up. So he did not fall straight toward the fortress, but a little to one side of it. As the fortress' klaxons began sounding the alert, he flared his wings and banked sharply, streaking past the fortress horizontally and cutting a long deep slice through it with his sword as he went by. Flame exploded out of the rent and the fortress listed to one side.

A few guymelefs were starting to lift off the ground, but Dilandau ignored them, concentrating instead on the fortress. He did a high speed vertical turn with a roll and flew back toward the fortress to strike it again. They fired at him, but the bolts were easy to avoid. He dipped low and flew straight up, hacking another long deep slash into the fortress' side. More explosions followed the path of his sword and a levi-stone broke free. The fortress listed even more wildly.

“One more should do it,” Dilandau whispered. He flew straight up, reversed, and came straight down, hacking another levi-stone free.

The fortress' weight was too much for the remaining levi-stones and it tumbled out of control. More explosions wracked the fortress as it began to fall. On the ground below, panicked soldiers raced to get out of the way as flaming debris rained down on the parked guymelefs.

“That was their mistake!” Dilandau cried triumphantly. “They did not imagine that I could destroy the fortress and therefore did not consider the loss of everything below it.” He laughed, a little maniacally.

“So many lives!” Celena whispered unhappily.

“Soldiers lives,” Dilandau responded. “Death always waits for soldiers.” He rubbed his finger along the scar on his cheek. “So many of my friends are dead.” Sadness held him still for a moment, but then the sight of guymelefs flying toward him brought him back to the present. “Soldiers know their lives are forfeit!” he cried and launched the Scheherazade toward them.

These guymelefs were no match for his speed. Destroying them was easy. But Dilandau stopped after he destroyed all the guymelefs in the air and did not attack the soldiers still on the ground because Celena's unhappy weeping in the back of his mind worried him.

“I did not harm civilians, Celena,” Dilandau said. “Please don't cry.”

“It's wrong to kill,” Celena said in a small, small voice. She sounded very far away.

“I won't kill any more soldiers!” Dilandau said quickly. “Just the scientists. All right?”

After a long silence, Celena whispered, “All right. Just the men who hurt us and caused the bad dreams.”

“Yes,” Dilandau agreed. “Just them. I will try not to kill anyone else.”

“Thank you.”

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

“There he is! Commander! I see the Scheherazade!” the lookout shouted into the intercom.

“Where?!” Allen cried.

“To the west! Near that column of smoke!”

“He must have attacked something,” Gaddes said. He looked at the map. “There should be a town over there.”

“Why would he attack a town?” Allen frowned unhappily. “Get us over there! Now!” he shouted at the pilot, even though the man was already steering toward the west to intercept the new course. Allen turned to Vulcan. “Take the Escaflowne. I need you to keep him in sight. Don't try to engage him”

“Yes, sir!” Vulcan dashed away to the hanger deck with Amano on his heels.

Amano watched nervously as Vulcan climbed into the Escaflowne. “Be careful, Vulcan. Remember what Father said. Dilandau is dangerous and insane. There's no telling how he'll react to the sight of the Escaflowne.”

Vulcan nodded. “I'll be careful.” He stood up and walked out onto the flight deck. Once outside, he transformed into the dragon and flew off toward the towering column of smoke. He could just see the bright golden shape of the Scheherazade circling the smoke. I wonder why there aren't any guymelefs? Vulcan wondered. The smoke should have attracted some, I would think. As he neared the smoke, however, he could see the crushed and burning remains of several guymelefs on the ground. Dilandau had dropped a floating fortress onto a garrison. The death toll must be horrific! Vulcan thought, shocked.

Vulcan flipped on his communicator. “Scheherazade, this is Vulcan Fanel in the Escaflowne. I order you to return to the Crusade.”

“Vulcan?” Dilandau's voice crackled out of the speaker. “Vulcan is dead.”

For a moment, Vulcan was confused, and then it came back to him. His father's older brother, for whom Vulcan was named, had been in the service of the Zaibach Empire prior to his death. Dilandau had known him.

“My uncle is dead,” Vulcan replied. “I am his namesake. My father is Van Fanel. You must return to the Crusade at once.”

“Van Fanel?” There was a faint hint of a giggle in Dilandau's voice. “Van killed all my friends. Is that why you're here? To finish what he started? To kill me?” Suddenly, the Scheherazade streaked away toward the horizon. “You'll have to catch me first!”

“Dammit!” Vulcan cried and he raced after the fleeing guymelef.

The Scheherazade was fast. Vulcan could keep up with her, but he was not going to overtake her.

“Dilandau, stop!” Vulcan cried. “You have to return to the Crusade. Allen Schezar is here to help you. You've caused enough destruction!”

“It won't be enough until all of Zaibach is burning!” Dilandau screamed. “They all deserve to die! They destroyed me! They stole my life! I'll see them all dead! Dead and burning!”

Suddenly, the Scheherazade pulled up, rolled over and streaked toward him. Vulcan banked over hard to avoid a collision and swerved back to resume the pursuit, but Dilandau wasn't running. He drew his sword and flew straight toward Vulcan. Vulcan drew his own sword and countered Dilandau's strike. They fought in midair, swooping and swerving past each other, showering sparks whenever their swords clashed. Vulcan fought as hard as he could, but he couldn't overcome Dilandau's greater experience. Dilandau finally knocked into the Escaflowne's wing and the guymelef canted sharply. Caught off guard, Vulcan flew out of the cockpit and tumbled into the open sky.

Momentarily stunned, it took Vulcan a moment to catch his breath and regain his orientation. Then he snapped his wings out and pulled himself out of the fall. Without a pilot, the Escaflowne was spiraling down to the ground for a landing. Vulcan dove after the guymelef, anxious to get back inside. He looked back, but he could not see the Scheherazade.

He's probably hiding in the sun, Vulcan thought. I've got to reach the Escaflowne.

He pulled his wings in and dropped into a steep dive. He and Amano had played this game, out of their parents' sight, when they were learning to fly. They would plummet straight toward the ground and then pull out at the last minute. At least, that was the plan. They had both had to explain away a fair number of cuts, bruises and sprains when the plan didn't go quite right, but it had been fun. Vulcan was glad for their foolishness now. That early practice paid off. He flared to a stop and dropped onto the Escaflowne just moments after the guymelef landed.

Vulcan quickly switched back to its standard configuration and scanned the skies around him, but Dilandau was no longer in the air. The Scheherazade stood a few dozen paces away with its sword pointed straight at Vulcan.

“That was very clever, Draconian,” Dilandau said. “But it's not enough. Let's see how well you do on the ground.”

Dilandau charged him and Vulcan threw up his guard. Fighting on the ground was even harder than fighting in the air. Dilandau fought with fanatic conviction. His blows rained down like an avalanche and Vulcan's blocks grew more and more desperate. He backed up, trying to put distance between himself and Dilandau's sword, but to no avail. Vulcan saw the final blow coming and he knew he would not get his sword up in time to block it. The impact knocked the sword from Vulcan's hand, crippled his right arm and knocked him sprawling. His vision exploded into stars.

When his senses cleared enough for him to see again, Vulcan saw Dilandau standing over him with his sword raised to strike and he wondered if it would do any good to beg for his life.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

“NO!” Celena cried. Her voice was trembling with heartbreak and despair. “You promised!”

Dilandau froze. The Escaflowne was at his mercy. The terrible guymelef that had killed his friends, that had almost killed him, was helpless before him. All he had to do was strike and those terrible memories would be wiped away.

“But it won't bring them back!” Celena whispered.

Why do I hesitate? Dilandau thought. Isn't it fair to want revenge for their lives?

“Do they want revenge?” Celena whispered.

A chorus of `no's whispered in the back of Dilandau's mind.

“In death, they saved my life,” Dilandau remembered. “They protected me.”

“So honor them by granting life,” Celena whispered. “Don't kill the boy.”

“The boy?” Dilandau whispered in confusion.

“The boy in the guymelef,” Celena responded. “He's not a soldier.”

Dilandau stared at the Escaflowne's pilot. Van Fanel's son. Not a man, not a soldier, but a boy. A boy like those who had fought beside him in Zaibach's name. A boy like those who had died protecting him. Dilandau lowered his sword.

“He's not one of them,” he whispered. “He's not one of the ones who deserve to die.”

He turned his back and lumbered away.

“Thank you!” Celena whispered. Her voice sounded strong and happy in his head again. “Only the scientists, the ones who hurt us, should die.”

“Yes,” Dilandau agreed. “It's time to find the scientists.” He launched the Scheherazade into the sky.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Allen stood on the bridge of the Crusade trying to hide his fear. Beside him, Amano's eyes were bright with unshed tears. There was still no sign of the Escaflowne and they had been searching for hours. Vulcan did not respond to their calls and growing darkness was making the search more difficult.

“If they changed course after we lost sight of them,” Gaddes said quietly, “they could be anywhere.”

“I know!” Allen snapped. He glanced down at Amano and felt a surge of guilt. He had promised Van he would not risk the boys' lives and yet he had done just that. Sending Vulcan after Dilandau was worse than foolish. Dilandau had hated Van Fanel and the Escaflowne. Allen should have assumed he would attack the guymelef on sight.

“Vulcan's a good fighter,” Amano said quietly. “He'll be all right.”

Amano's obvious attempt to ease his own fears deepened Allen's guilt. He squeezed Amano's shoulder gently.

“Vulcan can handle himself and the Escaflowne,” Allen said. “We'll find him.”

“Crusade…”

Allen whirled toward the radio operator. “Turn it up!”

“Crusade…”

Although louder, the voice coming out of the speaker was still weak. Allen jumped for the console. “Vulcan! Where are you?”

“Don't know… A valley…”

“Gaddes, can you tell where it's coming from?”

“I'm trying, Allen. I need more, keep him talking.”

Allen turned back to the console. “Vulcan, what happened?”

“Dilandau… We fought… Didn't kill me…”

Amano was gripping the side of the console, staring at the speaker where Vulcan's voice was emerging. The tears he'd been holding in for the past several hours were sliding down his cheeks and dripping onto the backs of his hands. “Vulcan, you idiot!” he cried out suddenly. “I told you to be careful!”

“Was careful… Didn't die…” Weak laughter issued from the speaker.

“I'm gonna kick the shit out of you!” Amano sobbed. “You better be all right!”

“Wouldn't… disappoint… my baby brother.”

Allen put a comforting arm around Amano's shaking shoulders.

“Got him!” Gaddes announced. “East-south-east, maybe five minutes away.”

The Escaflowne was lying on its back in a narrow valley. A nasty rent nearly separated the right arm from the body. A host of other gashes and dents made it clear the guymelef had been in a vicious battle. Allen gave terse orders as the Crusade landed a short distance away, where the valley was wide enough to accommodate its wingspan.

“I want lookouts on the ridges and sentries posted at both ends of the valley. We're vulnerable on the ground; I don't want to get caught here.”

“Yes, sir!”

As men rushed off to take up the watches, Allen, Gaddes, Amano and several others hurried toward the Escaflowne. Amano sprang up onto the guymelef and pounded on the door with one foot.

“Open up, Vulcan! We're here!”

After a moment, the chest of the guymelef opened. Vulcan was battered and bloodied, but conscious.

“It's good to see you guys,” he whispered weakly. His breath wheezed in his chest. “I was starting to feel pretty lonely.”

“If you weren't such an idiot,” Amano proclaimed, “I'd try to knock some sense into you.”

Vulcan smiled. “I'm glad to see you to, little brother.”

“Let's get you out of there,” Allen said.

Moving slowly and with great care, they freed Vulcan from the seat straps and lifted him out of the Escaflowne. He didn't cry out during the process, but he was pale and sweating by the time they had him stretched out on the ground. The Crusade's medic, a jovial fellow named Echer Boles, examined Vulcan.

“It doesn't look like anything's broken,” he reported to Allen quietly, “but the lad's pretty banged up. He's going to hurt for a while.”

“At least he's alive,” Allen murmured. “Let's get him back on the Crusade.”

Gaddes joined them. “The Escaflowne took a beating, but it's repairable.”

“How hard will it be to move it?” Allen asked. “I want to get everybody back on the Crusade and get back in the air.”

“I think it will move on its own. We just need someone to drive it back onto the ship.”

Allen nodded. “Ask Amano if he can pilot it. If not, I'll do it. But, I want to check the sentry reports first.”

“Will do.”

Amano was trailing after Vulcan on his stretcher, but he stopped when Gaddes called him.

“Say, Amano, can you pilot the Escaflowne? Allen wants everybody back on the ship and I think the Escaflowne can get there under its own power.”

“Sure.” Amano trotted back to the Escaflowne and climbed in. He closed the cockpit door and a moment later, the Escaflowne climbed unsteadily to its feet. “It sure is a mess. My sensors are all screwed up.”

Allen spoke from the bridge. “Vulcan says try not to run into anything.”

“He should talk.”

Amano managed to lumber along in a fairly straight line to the ground entrance to the Crusade's hanger. He staggered a bit going up the ramp, but he managed to back the Escaflowne into place and get it seated without colliding with anything.

“Whew!” he exclaimed when he climbed down out of the cockpit. “We have our work cut out for us. There's a lot of damage.” He started to edge toward the exit. “Does anyone mind if I go check on my brother first?”

Gaddes smiled. “Go ahead, we can manage.”

“Thanks!” Amano dashed off, just barely avoiding crashing into Allen on his way out. “Sorry!”

“How's Vulcan?” Gaddes asked.

“He'll be all right, thank the gods. I could never have faced Hitomi again if I'd gotten him more seriously injured.” Allen nodded toward the guymelef. “How long do you think the repairs will take?”

“A couple of days.”

“We'd better find a place to hole up, then.” Allen sighed, a worried frown creasing his forehead. “I just hope things don't escalate too quickly or we may not have the chance to save Celena.”