Categories > Anime/Manga > Escaflowne > Blood on the Pages of a Journal

Slips of Paper Lost in Time

by Hanakoaki 0 reviews

Dilandau makes a deal with the Grim Reaper as he lies dying, but what he agrees to do turnsout to be a little more difficult than he thought.

Category: Escaflowne - Rating: PG-13 - Genres: Action/Adventure, Fantasy - Characters: Dilandau - Warnings: [!] [?] - Published: 2006-01-02 - Updated: 2006-01-02 - 1154 words

0Unrated
Chapter 4 Chapter 4
Title: Slips of Paper Lost in Time
The halls of the castle were bare except for the occasional guard that patrolled through them. Dilandau had already memorized their movements and it was all too easy for him to slip into the abandoned training hall. There were no torches lit and the light flowing in from the high windows from the moons gave the large room a bluish glow.
Dilandau was hoping that he had guessed the right training hall since the soldier's training hall was on the other side of the grounds and was always full of activity. Hearing the door scrape against the floor he stepped out of site.
Chid was wearing his night cloths and carried a few handwritten book in his arms. The young child walked into the room looking confident and very much like his father, his short, blond hair messy and out of place.
"Are you here?" He whispered, looking around the room, his blue eyes stopping at the spot Dilandau stood hidden in the shadows. Knowing he had been found Dilandau stepped out into the light.
"How did you know?" He asked ever aware of the position he was in.
"I felt you watching me. You have a noticeable stare, you know, Dilandau?"
When he heard his name leave the child's lips he was on alert. Ready for soldiers to begin poring from the door and arrest him. How did he know it was me? I know he's only seen me once in my life that I know of and all reports said I died in the War. I checked.
"Why are you so surprised that I know who you are? I had my guesses when I first saw you and after our encounter earlier and did some checking. All this..." Gesturing to what he held in his hands "is everything the Freid government has on you. From reports from battle to what you did at Astoria's docks. As a condition of Zaibach's surrender they had to release all military personnel records. Any of the surviving lower rank soldiers were pardoned and some were even given positions in Astoria's army. All the higher ranking officers and a few of the really bad soldiers were publicly executed in Astoria, two days after the surrender was signed. I guess your not here to kill since you would have done so already, so why is a supposedly dead man watching me."
"You are a lot smarter that I would have though. I underestimated you, not something I do often. You want to know why, I really don't know. I was told to prepare you. Before you ask I don't know what for and I'd rather not say who. Does cover your questions?"
"No I have many more questions to ask, but they might have to wait till another time. We can't stay here too much longer since the guard will be coming around here soon. Although I would like to know what happened during that last battle. Did you really die or were you just left for dead and managed to live after all?"
"As you put it, we should be moving along or I will be caught and I really don't want that to happen."
"Give me a reason why I shouldn't scream right now and have you executed. All those horrible things you did in the war. You were the worst soldier Zaibach ever created." Dilandau began to laugh at Chid's last statement. Zaibach obviously didn't release his entire background or he would understand the humor in his own statement. "What's so funny? Being publicly"
"It's not dying that I'm laughing about. You don't know as much about me as you think you do. I admit I was a scary son-of-a-bitch and I've done a lot of things I wish I could take back, but who is more of a monster, me...or the ones that ordered me to kill?" With that Dilandau turned and headed for the door.
"Wait..."Chid called to him running to catch up with him before he reached the doors. "You were there when my father was killed weren't you? You were the one that nearly killed him when he was in his guymelf. He surrendered, but Zaibach killed him anyway and I gave Lord Folken Fried's treasure. Do you know what it's like to see your family die? Did you ever stop and think that what you were doing was wrong." Dilandau had stopped and turned to face Chid as he asked his questions. His eyes showed the pain he was feeling, but the pain was from Chid.
It's wrong for a child to feel such hate. No child should have to see their father be killed in battle, or see battle at all. I wish someone would have told that to me. "Yes, I know what it is like...I just realized it too late. It's probably why I'm here. I lost my family to in that war and to top it off it was my fault!" Dilandau's voice had begun to rise and tears began to fall from his eyes. Chid was taken back by Dilandau' sudden burst of emotion. Not really knowing what to say he started to pull thoughts out of his mind and spoke them before he had time to think what the words were.
"I know he wasn't really my father, but it still hurts..."
"The Duke was your father where it counts at least...All I had was my Dragonslayers and in some strange way, Lord Folken. I got my Slayers killed in my quest to get revenge on Van and Folken died killing Dorkirk. So yes I know what it's like. They're the reason I'm here." Finishing his outburst, Dilandau took a deep breath and sat down on the floor, temporality out of breath. "Even after all that I did, Allen made Van help him pull me out of my guymelf and to try and save me. I don't think I'll ever understand that airhead and his sense of honor. No offence intended of course."
"You know don't you?" Chid said sitting across from him. "That Allen is my really father I mean."
"Yes..."
The two sat and talked until the approaching morning forcing them to stop and Chid had to return to his room and prepare for the day. Dilandau had began to understand the child a little more and he was beginning to like Chid. Chid reminded him a lot of a little brother and Dilandau was in no hurry to change that.
AN: Sorry this chapter wasn't as good as I wanted it to be. It was kind of rushed. I hope the next one is better. Also the after the next chapter I should start getting into more of the plot. Right now I'm trying to introduce characters and that takes time for me. Read and Review PLEASE.
Chapter 5
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