Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Return To Innocence ❯ The Tomb of The Evil One ( Chapter 4 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

He couldn't help it. Curiosity had gotten the best of him. He had to find out what this was all about. He most likely was going too far, but that had never stopped him before. The only thing about this little excursion that bothered him was the fact that they were camped out in a cave. A damn cave!

He sat on a particularly uncomfortable rock, poking at the fire with stick. He was pondering whether or not it would be worth his while to burn one of his men's belonging. That'd be fun, he thought, but was abruptly distracted from his fiery thoughts when a new recruit came up to him.

"Lord Dilandau, sir." Dilandau looked up at the scrawny young man. Glaring at him for interrupting him.

"What." he spat.

"S-sir," the rooky stuttered. Dilandau loved to hear the fear coursing through his voice. "The workers have found something. The Nahreim believe it to be what we've been looking for."

Dilandau altogether forgot of his plans of arson, completely interested now in what this stick thin dirty soldier was saying.

"Really." he smiled, that was never a good thing. The rooky soldier was struck with fear when he saw the look on his commanders face. This made Dilandau laugh. He stood up, brushing the godforsaken dirt from his clean clothes.

"Take me to it." he commanded.

The soldier jerkily led the way, far into the cave system, where the workers had supposedly uncovered what they were looking for. There, in an immense cavern, stood all his hired help as well as a few of his soldiers and the most annoying of all, The Nahreim. These crackpots gave him the creeps, with there mysterious ways and all. Devoting their entire lives to a dead person. How sad. How boring. Dilandau grimaced at them.

"Well, what have you got for me?" he asked rudely.

"Over there sir!" exclaimed many of the workers. Dilandau followed their urgent gestures to the far wall where a blank earthen wall had once been. Now, in place of the filth and stone, there stood a large door frame made of marble. He walked down the makeshift stairs through scattered puddles of mud-water until he stood right in front of the great archway. He studied it's many shapes; standing like pillars, holding the mantle-like crown, were two monstrous snakes, their mouths gaping wide, tongues and fangs extended. How deliciously menacing, Dilandau thought, smiling evilly. He looked at the doors, they were covered in words unknown to him. This made him angry.

"What the hell does this say?" he bellowed.

One of the Nahreim approached him from behind, and uttered in low, raspy voice.

"It says, 'Heishreish li'isheish's Theish Eishvi'ishl Oivneish. Tuivrn bateck noivuw atend yteoivuish wi'ishll beish spatenrreishd.'"

"In English you crackpot monk!" Dilandau yelled at the man.

"Here lies The Evil One. Turn back now and you will be sparred." he translated. Dilandau laughed.

" 'The Evil One', eh? Open It!" he ordered, turning his back on the archeological find and back to the platform.

"Lord Dilandau!" the same monk ran after him. "If you open that door unprepared, something horrible will happen!"

"Ya? Like what?" he asked sarcastically of the man. He didn't like him at all. Too dirty and impoverished in his plain brown burlap cassock.

Just then they heard a loud crash come from the doors. They looked on as they saw the men pulling the ropes ran out of the way of the falling marble. Several didn't make it. Dilandau only laughed at heir stupidity. Dust clouds filled the cavernous room, the smell of stale air following close behind. Dilandau smiled, beginning to walk back down the steps when he heard something. The workers began to slowly back away from the now black entrance. The white-haired commander turned an ear to the sound, trying to identify it. Then it came again. A guttural sound, a hissing of some sort.

"The Guardian wakes." said the monk at Dilandau's side. The commander violently turned to the man, an even more venomous look covering his face.

"Guardian? What Guardian!"

"Th-th-the Guardian of Fresia's tomb, my Lord." he stammered.

Dilandau whipped his head around to face the opening in the cave wall. In the darkness he could see the slight shadow of something moving. And that noise came again, making the workers run as fast as they could from the fallen doors. This seemed to attract the attention of whatever was in the tomb. It moved swiftly into view and grabbed at those taking up the rear of the crowd. It was a giant snake. Its huge, elongated head ended in a blunt snout, a mouth brimming with jagged rows of teeth, now dripping with fresh blood. It pulled it's long slender body out of the tunnel-like entrance even further, lashing out at those who fled, devouring all it could. Dilandau laughed maniacally as he watched this ancient creature feed ravenously on all that moved. He felt somehow akin to this beast. Maybe it was because its bloodlust matched his own, but wasn't going to excuse it. It was in between him and his goal. It had to go.

"Damn you morons! Don't just stand there! Kill it!" he screamed at his soldiers as he himself ran down to meet the beast, brandishing his sword.

"AHHHH!" he screamed as he ran forward, pushing several dirt covered men and robed monks out of the way. The monstrous serpent growled menacingly at the men trying to surround it. It snapped wildly at their swords. Finally Dilandau, fed up with their apprehension of the beast. He raised his sword high, and in a wide arc, racked his blade through the serpent's skin. It shrieked out in pain. It looked around, wide eyed, searching for the source of it's pain. It found Dilandau laughing, running around it. It snapped at him, blunt nose slamming into the hard floor of the cavern, rock shards flying everywhere.

"Come on!" Dilandau yelled at the snake. He roared at him and made another attempt to swallow him whole. Dilandau's insane laughter rivaled that of the monsters screams. Dilandau was once again in front of the Guardian, now craving the sight of more blood, took his sword in both hands, raised it above his head and thrust it into the serpent's breast. It screamed again, blood spurting rapidly from the inflicted wound. Dilandau was drenched in the foul liquid, his white hair and teeth alike now a crimson red. His eyes were wide with the lust for more blood.

The giant snake fell slightly, not able now to tower above those remaining. Dilandau took this opportunity to go in for the kill. He climbed up onto the thing's neck, slipping on the now slick scales, all to make his way to the monster's head. The great serpent shook it's head violently to try and shake off it's assailant, but wasn't successful. But unfortunately for it, Dilandau was.

He raised his sword once again over his head, and with all his strength, plunged it into the snake's brow, right in between the eyes. Blood poured out of it's mouth as it shook vehemently to free itself of its tormentor. Eventually it did, flinging the insane, blood soaked young man into the wooden stairs. It shrieked in agony as it lost vast amount of blood through both it's mouth and from the hole in its head. It began to slowly fall, it's breathing becoming labored and coarse.
Finally it died, uttering one final painful trill.

"You bastards could have done something." he said harshly as he walked back up to his men. All were ashamed that they had been deathly afraid. None of them were bold enough, or crazy enough, to have gone up against something like that alone.

"Lord Dilandau." someone called to him.

"What now?" he snapped, gingerly touching his face with his fingertips, looking at the blood, tasting it. Those near him cringed.

"Do you wish to proceed into the tomb, Lord Dilandau?"

Dilandau looked up. It was the monk from before. Beady eyes and all. He nodded.

"Yes. Let's see what else we can kill." he laughed uncontrollably, his face contorting into something grotesque.

A/N: I tried to make it longer. It's a good 3/4 page too. Hope you're satisfied. Hehe. Lots of love!
Tabitha.