Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ To Mend the Rose ❯ Wire ( Chapter 4 )
[ P - Pre-Teen ]
By: Feye Morgan 
Dilandau finds something strange in the woods, and Van gets nowhere with the new emperor.
Anime/Manga: Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Drama | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.10.2003 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.6K | Visits: 258 | Status: Work In Progress
Dilandau finds something strange in the woods, and Van gets nowhere with the new emperor.
Anime/Manga: Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Drama | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.10.2003 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.6K | Visits: 258 | Status: Work In Progress
ONWARD!
Disclaimer:
*Feye shoves a copy of the first Escaflowne video in salavating lawyers' faces*
SEE THIS? It's owned by SUNRISE! Do you see MY name on there? Huh? HUH? NO! You DON'T do you? So...I DO NOT OWN TENKU NO ESCAFLOWNE!!! HAPPY NOW?
TO MEND THE ROSE: Wire by Feye Morgan
~*~*~*~*~
Pale hands grasped frantically at cruel leather straps. The hard, flat steel table bit into the boy's bony back. He tried to scream, but no sound came out. Ebony cloaks hid the Devil's face in Those surrounding the albino. One of them reached for him, a slender needle in his hand. Panic swept like a wave through the boy, and he struggled till he was beyond reason.
Then, he was loose, somehow. His bonds were gone, and he was running with all his strength towards the door. Hands grasped at him, but he clawed them away. The door was in reach, just a few more steps...there!
Dilandau Albatou woke with a start. His breathing was heavy, and his throat tight. Sweat plastered his silver bangs against his forehead. He sat up abruptly and looked around, ready to strike at any moment. Then the days events caught up to him, and he relaxed considerably.
~It was only a dream. That's all~
Only a dream. But would the dreams ever leave? Would he ever find peace? Even in this apparent sanctuary, They haunted him.
Dilandau sighed, and rose from the bed. He folded the covers neatly before searching in the closet for some of the clothes Enmu-san had mentioned that he could borrow. He found a loose-fitting green tunic that fit nicely over his undershirt. The pants were, just by looking, much too big for him to wear, but his black ones were warm and comfortable as they were. They had served him well-enough in battle. Dilandau walked over to the nightstand, and picked up his diadem. He hesitated for a second.
~Do I really want to wear this?~ The shiny decoration seemed out of place in such a humble home. But then, it had probably seemed out of place in war to many people, but that hadn't stopped him from wearing it then. With a slight shrug of his shoulders, Dilandau slipped it on his forehead, and pocketed the rose petal.
Enmu was not inside when Dilandau emerged from the guest room. He looked out the window. The sun was shining quite nicely still, although there was a hint of clouds between the trees, forewarning the rain that Enmu had earlier predicted.
Dilandau hugged his sides and frowned slightly. He was quite unused to such rustic surroundings. His hands itched for something to do.
~Perhaps I could help Enmu. After all, he has been quite kind~
Dilandau frowned again. What was it about the cottager that made him feel so at ease? As far as he could recall, his behavior towards Enmu had been polished and courteous. In fact, not one sarcastic comment had left his lips since they had met. If he didn't know any better...
The albino threw his troubling thoughts aside and walked outdoors. He needed some company besides.
Dilandau found Enmu standing by the shed he had seen earlier. The man seemed to be studying a stack of wood. He turned at the sound of Dilandau's footsteps. The familiar smile brightened his features.
"Hello, Dilandau! I hope you're feeling rested."
Dilandau nodded. "I am, thank you. How long was I asleep?"
"About four hours."
Dilandau raised his eyebrows slightly. He had meant only to take a short nap. Enmu must have noticed the former soldier's discomfort.
"It's okay," he chuckled. "You needed every minute of it. If you're still feeling badly about it, though, you could take over stacking this little bit of wood left for me. I'm beat."
"Of course," Dilandau replied. He looked the woodpile over,and then knitted his brows together at the nearest row. "Enmu, I know a bit about woodstacking, and I was taught that you don't lay the bottom row of logs with the round side down. Like that one there. It's unstable." The albino pointed a pale finger at the piece of wood."
Enmu blinked, and then sent a rueful look at Dilandau. "You're quite right. I must be more tired than I thought." He shook his head. "I ought to be ashamed of myself," he added as Dilandau bent to fix the mistake. I'm going in to have a bit of tea. That shouldn't take you more than fifteen minutes. Would you like some as well?"
"Hm?" Dilandau asked curiously.
"Tea."
"Oh. Yes, thanks."
Dilandau began to stack the wood carefully. It struck him odd that Enmu had made such a fuss over the misplaced log. It was an easy mistake to make, even if one had been a woodsman all their life. Perhaps he had just felt embarrased.
Dilandau allowed his mind to wander. He wondered how the war had ended, or even if it was over yet. He had a feeling it was: Zaibach had been setting up to throw all its military might at the Allied forces. A battle like that could only leave one sure victor standing. He almost wished that Zaibach was the loser. If Dornkirk lost the Fate War, then maybe the madoushi would be disbanded. And if They were gone, then it might be possible for him to return to Zaibach.
The boy shook his head. ~What am I thinking? I know that I can't ever go back. I defected. They'd have my head in an instant. And even if I did go back...all I've ever know is a life of war. What would I do with myself?~
Dilandau placed the last piece of wood on the stack and turned to go back the the cabin.
A flash of movement in the woods caught his attention. On instinct, the albino ran towards it, fumbling for a nonexistant katana. When he reached the spot, he paused, eyes darting back and forth to cacth any glimmer of motion.
Nothing.
The boy bent to the ground to examine for a trail. A couple plants were bent; one was broken in half. And...what was that?
A pale hand slipped down to pick a small piece of wire from the dirt.
~What the-?~ The boy pocketed the object.
Dilandau told Enmu of the occurrence as soon as he stepped inside.
Enmu blinked, and a flash of what seemed like uncertainty brushed his features so briefly that Dilandau thought he must have imagined it. Enmu quickly smiled reassuringly.
"Dilandau, this is the forest. There are creatures that come by my home all the time. They aren't afraid of me, but I fear you must have spooked one of them, and it just ran off. Don't worry about it. Here, I made some tea."
Dilandau sat down hesitantly. He smiled back at Enmu and decided to drop the subject. After all, the man was probably right.
The albino had forgotten all about the wire.
~*~*~*~*~
Van drummed his fingers on the conference table, waiting for his opening. The new Zaibach emperor, a thin man with a triangular white beard, whose name was Tsura, was debating with a forced smile over some obscure reparations agreement with the Basram regent. The dark-haired king glanced at Allen Schezar. The Caeli Knight was calm and expressionless, the picture of courtesy.
Van rumbled a muffled sigh. He was so incredibly -sick- of the negotiations. Hours had passed, and he had barely listened.
"It is settled, then?" The Basram regent asked. Van's ears perked up.
Emperor Tsura nodded. Van hid a smile. That meant that his turn was up next.
Tsura inclined his head in Van's direction. "Van-sama, I believe that you wished to continue discussing recompensation for the damage done to Fanelia?"
"Hai, Tsura-sama. I have another condition to add."
Tsura's face was an expressionless mask, plastered with a small, odd-fitting fake smile. "And what would that be?"
"I need access to the madoushi records."
Out of the corner of his eye, Van could see Allen grimace. The boy king had never been tactful. The surprise was evident on the Zaibach emperor's face.
"Madoushi records? Out of the question. They are highly classified, and I do not see any reason why you should need them." The man's tone made it clear that he expected no further argument on the issue. Van, however, was never prone to do exactly what others wanted him to.
"I have reason to believe that the late Emperor Dornkirk was authorizing highly inhumane 'fate experiments'. These experiments, I am sure, would intrigue this council greatly. I need those files to ascertain my beliefs."
Emperor Tsura stared increduliously at Van. "Ridiculous. I don't know where you got your information from, Van-sama, but I can assure you that it is incorrect. Now, if you would please, I would like to move on to more relevant issues."
Van shot a quick glance at Allen. The blonde knight made a barely perceptible shake of his head. Leave it, he was saying. The Emperor was a lost cause. He wasn't about to budge.
*Likely he doesn't know what the records contain himself* Van thought. From what Allen had told him, almost no one aside from Dornkirk and the madoushi themselves knew the details, or even the existance of the experiments.
Or perhaps also Dilandau Albatou.
As Van haggled over suppiles and money, part of his brain kept thinking about the young Zaibach captain. Something in this whole affair didn't fit, and he intended to piece it together.
~*~*~*~*~
Disclaimer:
*Feye shoves a copy of the first Escaflowne video in salavating lawyers' faces*
SEE THIS? It's owned by SUNRISE! Do you see MY name on there? Huh? HUH? NO! You DON'T do you? So...I DO NOT OWN TENKU NO ESCAFLOWNE!!! HAPPY NOW?
TO MEND THE ROSE: Wire by Feye Morgan
~*~*~*~*~
Pale hands grasped frantically at cruel leather straps. The hard, flat steel table bit into the boy's bony back. He tried to scream, but no sound came out. Ebony cloaks hid the Devil's face in Those surrounding the albino. One of them reached for him, a slender needle in his hand. Panic swept like a wave through the boy, and he struggled till he was beyond reason.
Then, he was loose, somehow. His bonds were gone, and he was running with all his strength towards the door. Hands grasped at him, but he clawed them away. The door was in reach, just a few more steps...there!
Dilandau Albatou woke with a start. His breathing was heavy, and his throat tight. Sweat plastered his silver bangs against his forehead. He sat up abruptly and looked around, ready to strike at any moment. Then the days events caught up to him, and he relaxed considerably.
~It was only a dream. That's all~
Only a dream. But would the dreams ever leave? Would he ever find peace? Even in this apparent sanctuary, They haunted him.
Dilandau sighed, and rose from the bed. He folded the covers neatly before searching in the closet for some of the clothes Enmu-san had mentioned that he could borrow. He found a loose-fitting green tunic that fit nicely over his undershirt. The pants were, just by looking, much too big for him to wear, but his black ones were warm and comfortable as they were. They had served him well-enough in battle. Dilandau walked over to the nightstand, and picked up his diadem. He hesitated for a second.
~Do I really want to wear this?~ The shiny decoration seemed out of place in such a humble home. But then, it had probably seemed out of place in war to many people, but that hadn't stopped him from wearing it then. With a slight shrug of his shoulders, Dilandau slipped it on his forehead, and pocketed the rose petal.
Enmu was not inside when Dilandau emerged from the guest room. He looked out the window. The sun was shining quite nicely still, although there was a hint of clouds between the trees, forewarning the rain that Enmu had earlier predicted.
Dilandau hugged his sides and frowned slightly. He was quite unused to such rustic surroundings. His hands itched for something to do.
~Perhaps I could help Enmu. After all, he has been quite kind~
Dilandau frowned again. What was it about the cottager that made him feel so at ease? As far as he could recall, his behavior towards Enmu had been polished and courteous. In fact, not one sarcastic comment had left his lips since they had met. If he didn't know any better...
The albino threw his troubling thoughts aside and walked outdoors. He needed some company besides.
Dilandau found Enmu standing by the shed he had seen earlier. The man seemed to be studying a stack of wood. He turned at the sound of Dilandau's footsteps. The familiar smile brightened his features.
"Hello, Dilandau! I hope you're feeling rested."
Dilandau nodded. "I am, thank you. How long was I asleep?"
"About four hours."
Dilandau raised his eyebrows slightly. He had meant only to take a short nap. Enmu must have noticed the former soldier's discomfort.
"It's okay," he chuckled. "You needed every minute of it. If you're still feeling badly about it, though, you could take over stacking this little bit of wood left for me. I'm beat."
"Of course," Dilandau replied. He looked the woodpile over,and then knitted his brows together at the nearest row. "Enmu, I know a bit about woodstacking, and I was taught that you don't lay the bottom row of logs with the round side down. Like that one there. It's unstable." The albino pointed a pale finger at the piece of wood."
Enmu blinked, and then sent a rueful look at Dilandau. "You're quite right. I must be more tired than I thought." He shook his head. "I ought to be ashamed of myself," he added as Dilandau bent to fix the mistake. I'm going in to have a bit of tea. That shouldn't take you more than fifteen minutes. Would you like some as well?"
"Hm?" Dilandau asked curiously.
"Tea."
"Oh. Yes, thanks."
Dilandau began to stack the wood carefully. It struck him odd that Enmu had made such a fuss over the misplaced log. It was an easy mistake to make, even if one had been a woodsman all their life. Perhaps he had just felt embarrased.
Dilandau allowed his mind to wander. He wondered how the war had ended, or even if it was over yet. He had a feeling it was: Zaibach had been setting up to throw all its military might at the Allied forces. A battle like that could only leave one sure victor standing. He almost wished that Zaibach was the loser. If Dornkirk lost the Fate War, then maybe the madoushi would be disbanded. And if They were gone, then it might be possible for him to return to Zaibach.
The boy shook his head. ~What am I thinking? I know that I can't ever go back. I defected. They'd have my head in an instant. And even if I did go back...all I've ever know is a life of war. What would I do with myself?~
Dilandau placed the last piece of wood on the stack and turned to go back the the cabin.
A flash of movement in the woods caught his attention. On instinct, the albino ran towards it, fumbling for a nonexistant katana. When he reached the spot, he paused, eyes darting back and forth to cacth any glimmer of motion.
Nothing.
The boy bent to the ground to examine for a trail. A couple plants were bent; one was broken in half. And...what was that?
A pale hand slipped down to pick a small piece of wire from the dirt.
~What the-?~ The boy pocketed the object.
Dilandau told Enmu of the occurrence as soon as he stepped inside.
Enmu blinked, and a flash of what seemed like uncertainty brushed his features so briefly that Dilandau thought he must have imagined it. Enmu quickly smiled reassuringly.
"Dilandau, this is the forest. There are creatures that come by my home all the time. They aren't afraid of me, but I fear you must have spooked one of them, and it just ran off. Don't worry about it. Here, I made some tea."
Dilandau sat down hesitantly. He smiled back at Enmu and decided to drop the subject. After all, the man was probably right.
The albino had forgotten all about the wire.
~*~*~*~*~
Van drummed his fingers on the conference table, waiting for his opening. The new Zaibach emperor, a thin man with a triangular white beard, whose name was Tsura, was debating with a forced smile over some obscure reparations agreement with the Basram regent. The dark-haired king glanced at Allen Schezar. The Caeli Knight was calm and expressionless, the picture of courtesy.
Van rumbled a muffled sigh. He was so incredibly -sick- of the negotiations. Hours had passed, and he had barely listened.
"It is settled, then?" The Basram regent asked. Van's ears perked up.
Emperor Tsura nodded. Van hid a smile. That meant that his turn was up next.
Tsura inclined his head in Van's direction. "Van-sama, I believe that you wished to continue discussing recompensation for the damage done to Fanelia?"
"Hai, Tsura-sama. I have another condition to add."
Tsura's face was an expressionless mask, plastered with a small, odd-fitting fake smile. "And what would that be?"
"I need access to the madoushi records."
Out of the corner of his eye, Van could see Allen grimace. The boy king had never been tactful. The surprise was evident on the Zaibach emperor's face.
"Madoushi records? Out of the question. They are highly classified, and I do not see any reason why you should need them." The man's tone made it clear that he expected no further argument on the issue. Van, however, was never prone to do exactly what others wanted him to.
"I have reason to believe that the late Emperor Dornkirk was authorizing highly inhumane 'fate experiments'. These experiments, I am sure, would intrigue this council greatly. I need those files to ascertain my beliefs."
Emperor Tsura stared increduliously at Van. "Ridiculous. I don't know where you got your information from, Van-sama, but I can assure you that it is incorrect. Now, if you would please, I would like to move on to more relevant issues."
Van shot a quick glance at Allen. The blonde knight made a barely perceptible shake of his head. Leave it, he was saying. The Emperor was a lost cause. He wasn't about to budge.
*Likely he doesn't know what the records contain himself* Van thought. From what Allen had told him, almost no one aside from Dornkirk and the madoushi themselves knew the details, or even the existance of the experiments.
Or perhaps also Dilandau Albatou.
As Van haggled over suppiles and money, part of his brain kept thinking about the young Zaibach captain. Something in this whole affair didn't fit, and he intended to piece it together.
~*~*~*~*~