Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Love Affair ❯ Haunting Past ( Chapter 8 )

Chapter 8

The trees swayed in the gentle breeze carrying a soft tune into the lake's privacy. This unknown place, this magnificent eternity within the deep forest was only known to two people and they slept peacefully together under the sinking moon. Dawn was approaching quickly but they did not stir from their tangled position on the soft grass. Their bodies lay intertwined in a mass of limbs and honey brown tresses mingled with silver silken strands, as their faces lay inches apart. During the night, Dilandau had felt a shiver come from the beauty held in his arms and quietly retrieved his cloak from the other side of the lake to lay it across them as they dozed the night away. Had it not been for this dark article of cloth that barely covered their frames, they would lay utterly exposed to the natural surrounding they invaded.

Now they lay under the dark sky that would soon brighten with the warm rays of the sun. And soon their time would be cut short for when daylight struck they would have to part. The lady stirred slightly, her face inching closer to Dilandau's and her breath mingling with his own. His grip tightened on her, drawing her closer until their bodies pressed firmly against each other's once more. His eyes slightly cracked open and he laid still just watching Hitomi sleep within his hold. He trailed his fingers lazily across her back and she shivered under the soothing touch.

`She's so responsive…' He mused moving his hand to play with her honey tresses. She was just so soft… he needed to touch her. Trailing his hand down her back again, a faint whimper left her lips as her body arched into him.

`Yup, responsive is definitely a good thing…'

He looked up watching as the stars disappeared. He would have to go soon and so would she… back to the castle… back to… him. He growled softly, causing little vibrations in his chest. Van had touched her. Just the mere thought of it made him hold her protectively tighter against him. Folken had started this whole mess and now that the young king knew his feelings for the girl, he would probably pursue her until he got what he wanted. He didn't like where his thoughts were headed and quickly looked back to the sleeping girl.

Her chest rose and fell evenly with her breathing and he could feel her heart beat against his chest. Her lips were slightly parted, her face portraying a serene air, giving her an angelic look. Her hair was slightly disheveled but despite this, Dilandau found himself thinking that she was a nice person to wake up next to. He had to wake her up so she could get back or another panic would arise. It would be best if Van wasn't trying to locate the Vione at the moment. He just wanted some time to… be with her.

He was surprised at his sudden change in attitude. `What is she doing to me?'

He'd always been told that women were the devil's gypsies. They were placed on Gaea to make men weak and vulnerable and that's a reason why he had never been allowed to have anything other than a few nights to relieve some stress with a woman. The woman he'd spend the night with would always be a prisoner soon to be executed. She changed for each night he desired a plaything. Hence the many women's garments he had in his closets and drawers. But even so, with all the women he'd beguiled and deflowered, he'd never once cared how they felt. He knew how to make women scream for him, whether they screamed in pleasure or in pain. Either way, he could make people obey him. He was used to power and when this girl had struggled against him during their first encounter, he'd been surprised. Her defiant eyes told him she would not quit easily and he took her challenge. And although he could make her scream for him, beg for him, and make her come to him by not even calling, she still wasn't completely tamed. She still held her strong resistance to him. It was in her eyes. She could never be controlled. Her spirit was free and if she were bound, she would die, like a caged bird. They may sing sweetly at first, but sooner or later their tunes will become empty and meaningless.

What made him slightly irritated though, was that she did not fear him. At first she did, but when she saw how her fear elated him, she stopped as if to defy him purposely. But now he had to question himself, did he want her to fear him, as did his dragon slayers? Or did he want her to respect him? Of course his dragon slayers respected him, but that respect came from fear. It slightly bothered him that he was raised to be an evil son-of-a-bitch. He couldn't even remember his parents. Hell, he couldn't remember anything before the age of 10. It's like he was a totally new person.

Since then, he was trained to fight.

`Never give up. Never surrender. Never admit defeat.'

The motto was forever burned into his memory whenever he would lose a match during training. He would be beaten, harshly. His teacher abused him so much and would beat him senseless, repeating the phrase as he received the blows to his back, he head or wherever his teacher felt like hitting him. It had been going on since he was ten and it lasted for five years. Five years of verbal, physical, emotional trauma lay embedded in his head. He'd never felt the gentle touch of a mother figure, never heard the soft words of comfort she would provide when he would cry. He was ten. He was but a child and yet, he'd gone through so much at such a young age.

One day during training, he'd accidentally slipped on something wet on the floor ultimately losing the battle against his teacher. It was his fourth year with his teacher. He'd been doing excellent and managed to never lose except to his teacher. And every so often, they'd strike a draw but he'd never been able to beat him. This was the first time he'd lost all traces of his innocence. His teacher was furious and sent the other dragon slayers out of the training room. The memory still haunted him. His teacher took a whip from the wall where numerous weapons were held. It was same room where he trained his dragon slayers now. The same dragon slayers from that day.

Flashback:

His teacher cracked the whip in front of Dilandau, his eyes full of evil intent on the fearful boy. He'd been whipped before but never had his teacher been so angry. Dilandau crawled back until he hit the wall behind him.

"I'm sorry, sensei! I slipped on something! It will never happen again! I promise! I won't fail! I-" He cried out as the whip struck his arm. Blood trickled down the wound running down his left arm. He stood and ran, trying to reach the door, but another crack sounded as a burning pain erupted on his back. He sank to his knees, mere feet from the floor, holding back his tears. His right arm cradling his left, he slouched on the floor, his back beginning to bleed as well.

"NEVER GIVE UP! NEVER SURRENDER! NEVER ADMIT DEFEAT!" His teacher roared at him, pulling him back by the hair, to the center of the room, "How many timed have I told you boy! Obviously, mere beatings are not helping you to remember! Perhaps we should try a new way to get it into your thick skull! It's going into one ear and right out the other! Maybe if we stick it somewhere else!" He tied the 14-year-old boy's hands behind him with the whip. Giving him a harsh punch to the face as she boy cried out, his tears now falling freely down his face.

"Please sensei…" He begged as his teacher ripped of his shirt, "I won't do it ever again! I promise! Please! Don't do this! Stop it!" He yelled as his pants were pulled down and off his legs. Dilandau tried to kick him away but his teacher was stronger, more experienced and expecting this reaction.

"You will learn!" He screamed and punched Dilandau again! The blow struck his temple and things turned fuzzy and started to spin. He heard the faint sound of more clothes being removed. He tried to mover but his body refused the action. Not only was he aching from his master's abuse, but also training that day had been exhausting and his body longed for sleep. Something hard pressed up against the back of his thigh as he was sprawled down on the floor of the training room. His legs were violently shoved apart and a weight lay itself between his thighs. His eyes came back into focus and his teacher came into view, mere inched from his face, his strong body resting on his still growing one.

Dilandau screamed, struggled, kicked, rolled! Tried anything to get free but his attempts proved futile. A blinding pain shot through his body at his teacher's intrusion and he screamed in agony. Everything went black for a moment before the pain came back when his teacher started to move, quick, painful and purposely in and out of his student's body. He screamed continuously through the whole ordeal, unless his teacher had kissed him harshly swallowing his tormented cries and then he would scream more after. Blood spilled from his wounds with each mover and he felt blood trickle from his nether regions in large spills each time his teacher pulled out slightly. The movements became faster, more frantic and more painful as his teacher started to come. Tears spilled out of his eyes, his nose ran, his head was bleeding from when his teacher hit him and each time he would black out, his teacher would wake him back up with a new punch or slap to his face. His throat was raw but he kept screaming even as his teacher became rigid above him and something hot spilled into him.

His teacher pulled out of the bleeding boy and stood, dressing himself. Dilandau turned onto his side, his body trembling violently and he vomited onto the floor. Dry heaves followed and soon they stopped leaving a still trembling boy on the floor. He cried, his face slightly in the mess that came from his mouth. His teacher pulled the whip free from Dilandau's wrists and blood trickled from the cuts left there. He dragged Dilandau out of the vomit and wiped his face with Dilandau's torn shirt. He flinched under his teacher's touch and tried to back away but each time he moved, a jolting pain shot up his spine and worked it's way all the way down into his toes.

A small chuckle filled the room, "Perhaps now you won't forget… I expect to see you in training in a week's time. Wash up, you look disgusting…" His teacher turned and left the room, giving everyone he came across, strict orders to spread the word to stay away from the training room until he said it was okay to enter.

Dilandau lay on the floor, his breathing strained, his vision fading and his body violently torn and tattered on both inside and out. A single slogan was chanted from his lips as he lay still, trying to stop the pain.

"Never give up… never surrender… never admit defeat…" He whispered softly into the silent room, his sobs still escaping him and his tears still falling. He wanted the pain to stop but it never did. His teacher's words must have spread quickly for he must have lain there for hours before he was found. He had blacked out several times but he distinctly remembered the sound of a door opening and he winced thinking his teacher had come back for more. Strong hands turned his body over to lie on his back and he whimpered at the gentle touch. Blue hair gently touched his shoulders as a familiar voice shot through the quiet room.

"Gods…" An almost silent whisper from his lord was heard and he felt himself start to black out again.

The same chant erupted from his lips, a faint whisper now, as he was carefully hoisted up into Lord Folken's arms. He took off his cloak and covered the boy, trying to preserve any last shred of dignity he had left. Dilandau was brought to the infirmary and Lord Folken told those who were treating him to never say anything about this or to let him have any visitors for the next two weeks or else they would be beheaded. Only he was to be allowed in and given word about is condition. And so, he finally felt all the strength he had left, leave his body as he fell into a black abyss of slumber.

He stayed in the infirmary for those two weeks. It had taken him a week to recover and he had been sleeping for almost five days straight after the incident before he opened his eyes. His body hurt and he was sore. He sat up and almost screamed. The pain was unbearable but he had to go to the bathroom, so he stood and almost fell over. His legs wobbled and he couldn't walk right so he limped over to the bathroom. To say that he couldn't take a shit was an understatement. He couldn't even sit down right without everything hurting all over again. He bit his lips to the point of drawing blood when he went to the bathroom that first time.

After the nurses found out that he was awake, they placed him on an all-liquid diet. Water and soup were the only things he could eat for about three weeks. It helped greatly and he recovered in the two weeks. He never cried after that. He didn't scream for anyone after that. When he was beaten by his teacher again, he never cried out in pain or showed any fear. His teacher never touched him in that manner ever again. His skills improved and hatred clouded his vision.

A year later, he was dueling with his teacher. He was back in the training room, the dragon slayers watching as their teacher and Dilandau fought. Then his teacher slipped. He stumbled back and fell on his back, his sword falling from his hands. Dilandau held his sword to his teacher's neck and smirked at him with a malicious intent.

"Never give up. Never surrender. Never admit defeat…" He whispered to his teacher and then sliced his neck with his blade. It was his first kill. He was fifteen.

: End Flashback

Dilandau held the girl tighter in his arms. He softly pressed a kiss to her lips and trailed his hands down her back and up to her hair. She started to respond in her sleep and a small moan came from her. She stirred in his arms and they rolled, her on the floor beneath him. His hands traveled down, one cupped her cheek gently and the other steadily made its way lower to tease her breasts. She moaned and her eyes slit open to watch him. His eyes were closed, his mouth molding over hers in a gentle kiss. He parted her lips and he dove is tongue into her mouth. He eyes closed once again as her hands wound around his neck, deepening the already passionate kiss. Her hands went into his hair and she gave a slight cry when his fingers pinched her already taut nipple. He pulled back and watched her catch her breath, her cheeks flushed.

"What a way to start the day…" She whispered breathlessly.

"Good morning to you too…" He said and nuzzled her neck earning a gasp.

"If this is morning then you need to get your eyes checked. It's still dark, Dilly…" She whined and stifled a giggle when he looked down at her, shocked.

"Dilly?" He said distastefully.

"Yes, Dilly! Or would you prefer Dilly-kins?" She asked, amusement lighting up her eyes.

"Umm… no." He said and then rolled off her, drawing her back to his chest, "The stars have faded. Dawn approaches. I must go now, as do you. I will return in two days. Meet me here-"

"Wait… I don't… I mean…" She sighed and buried her face in his chest, "I don't know if I'll be able to come back out. I've been placed under house arrest by… Van…"

She felt Dilandau tense and sat up, straddling his waist and leaning down. She didn't seem to notice that they were both still naked, "Dilly-kins?"

He growled in response to the name and she leaned back a little bit but his hand reached out and tangled itself in her hair, drawing her back down to him. She closed her eyes waiting for the kiss, but it never came. She opened her eyes to see a small smirk on his lips. She blushed and frowned at him, "That's not nice…" She said.

He brought her face down again, his breath washing over her lips, "I know… so if you don't tease me, I won't tease you…" He said and thrust his hips up a bit. She blushed further when she realized what she was sitting on.

"We don't have enough time…" She whispered as her lips brushed slightly against his.

"I know… That's why I said don' tease. Your sitting on it and I can feel every movement you make." He said and kissed her gently, rolling them to the side. Just the mere touch of her was enough to get him started.

She pulled back and sighed, "I don't want to back. I'll have to stay in that room all day, all alone…" She shuddered slightly, "Unless he decides to come in or allow other people to visit me…"

Dilandau frowned and kissed her softly again, "You could come back to the Vione and stay with me, you know?"

She shook her head, "I can't… I want to but I can't. I just got back you see and-"

"You want to?" He interrupted, surprised by her words.

"Want to what?"

"Want to come back with me?"

She looked slightly uneasy. `Did I really just say that?' She thought.

"Well… err… yeah? I mean, I'd be with-I mean you could teach me how to fight and stuff, right?"

His eyes flashed for a moment, as the thought of his own teacher came across his mind, "Do you really want to be my student?" He challenged.

Confidence rose in her like pride, "Try me."

"Fine. Go back to the castle and grab your things. I'll be there with my guymelef and `kidnap' you… again."

She flinched at the memory and unconsciously brought a hand to her cheek. It had healed by now but that was the first time she'd been slapped. She would never forget that moment, or rather that whole night. She'd been slapped, twice and then punched in her stomach so hard that she blacked out.

"You didn't have to be so… rough with me…" She whispered and stood leaving Dilandau on the floor. His eyes softened but she didn't see as she gathered her clothing and dressed.

"We were enemies then." He replied sitting up and reaching for his pants.

"Aren't we now?"

He stood, letting the cloak drop to the side. She gaped at him. Sure she'd felt him but she'd never really taken the time to actually see how big he was. At least now she knew why she felt so full when they… She blushed and let her eyes take in the rest of his body: well toned legs, nicely shaped chest and abs, broad shoulders, strong arms, strong jaw, soft lips, silver hair and red eyes… She brought her eyes back down his body, stopping at a certain male trait.

`And he's nicely sized down there as well…' She thought as her head tilted a bit to the side, `I wonder if he had a nice ass too?'

"Like what you see?"

She blushed and averted her eyes. He put on his pants and walked up to her, tilting her chin with his thumb and forefinger, "Do you still consider me to by thine enemy?" He questioned before placing a chaste kiss to her lips and turning around to grab his other clothing. But he stopped dead in his tracks when a hand touched his back. He shuddered and jerked from her touch, turning around to glare at her.

She stepped back from the glare he was giving her, "I-I'm sorry…" She whispered, her hand drawn back to her chest, "I just saw it… and… how did you get that?" She stepped toward him and behind him, looking at the longs scar across his back. There were others as well, but they were fading and could hardly be seen unless examined at a close distance but there was a distinct line going across his back, over the others. She lightly traced it with her fingertips noticing his shudder again. His body tensed, his expression hardened and his breathing grew strained. Noticing his difference in behavior, she pressed a soft kiss to the scar, running her lips over his bare flesh and to the back of his neck.

"Relax, Dilandau…" She whispered facing him as she reached up and lightly nibbled on his earlobe. She kissed her way back down to his neck and she felt him relax a little. Her hands ran down his arms when she felt a slight rising on the flesh on his left arm. Looking at it, she saw another deep scar, more visible than the others. He tensed once more and she pressed a kiss to it.

"Dilandau… it's just me…" She reached up and pressed a soft kiss to his lips, wrapping her arms around his neck. He didn't respond at first, his body had gone stiff and his eyes were shut but when her fingers curled themselves around his, he kissed her back, keeping it slow. His arms circled her form, one hand resting on her hip and the other on the small of her back. The one on her hip rose and gently cupped her cheek, the same one he had slapped and he caressed it with the back of his hand, his mouth softly molding over hers.

And there they stood, secretly tucked away, their eyes closed, their lips gently touching in light kisses, and their arms loosely holding each other in a tender embrace. And they both felt it, the jolts that shot through them wherever their bodies touched, but neither of them dared to admit it. They both shivered but continued their embrace as the sun rose and dusk was lost to the coming dawn…