Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ By the Hand of Destiny: Book One; The Journey to Destiny ❯ Chapter Eight: Hell Seraph Latermia ( Chapter 8 )

Hell is on the Vione and training under the leadership of Dilandau Albatou. Each time the two, Hell and Dilandau encounter each other sparks fly. When and how will she complete her mission to kill the leader of the Dragon Slayers? Others on the floating fortress have also come to know the new slayer, Dalet gets a taste of both Hells fire and Dilandau's fury. And Kuja brings his commander odd news of the woman being held at the fortress. Why does Hell get strange feelings when she is at a banquet with the strange woman, Destiny? And why is she having all these feelings and doing things she would never have considered before. What is it about the Lord of the Dragon Slayers that makes her push him so, is it his alabaster skin, the sliver hair, those magenta eyes, or is it a heart so like her own, one that thrills in the lust for the kill? Hell finds out all too soon, that there is a point past which she should not have pushed Dilandau when she uses more than just 'attack and counter attack' during a training match with the slayer Kuja. She uses her woman's body to defeat her opponent. Dilandau is pushed too far by his new slayer with a devilish smile and just two little words "Prove it!"

Chapter Eight: Hell Seraph Latermia

Written by Dilandau's girl

Time seemed too past in the blink of an eye. Zaibach was filled with such a populous I could hardly believe it. The Vione had been the major shock; it was hard to believe that this immense floating structure was to be my home for the time being, although I could never really refer to it as that. I had no real home only the dwellings upon which I rested in. If I were to think about it I do not recall ever really having a real home. My life had always been on the move for that is the way of an assassin. If one stayed in a spot for a certain amount of time one could be located with ease. There was always a chance that you were being pursued by one of your own kind, such was the risk we faced for accepting our jobs. There was at least some security in the fact that no one from your own guild will ever kill you. It was an unspoken rule that all assassins stood by. Even when I was growing up I never stayed in one location. It was my mother who taught me this and my other traits of the trade; she taught me well. It was she who gave me this lust for battle, for the kill. The thrill to spill another's blood was all because of her…and him. And yet after all the things they showed me they never showed any kindness towards me, as if it was required of me to become a perfect killing machine devoid of all emotions.

I had been residing in the Vione for a week, a very pleasurable week may I just add. You tend to find that after a long period of fighting unworthy opponents you begin to tire of the every day kill. From my first day on the Vione I instantly knew that my time here would be enjoyable. No sooner had Dilandau stepped foot onto the fortress than he had sent his Slayers to the training room. He had an irritated look to him, the tension seemed to radiate from every pore and it was clear by the Slayers expressions that they knew exactly what they were in store for.

"Chesta," Dilandau's voice echoed around the large room with such a threatening tone it caused the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end. I watched as a young boy made his way in front of his master and knelt before him in respect. Dilandau merely snorted under his breath and extracted his sword from his throne where it had only moments before been placed. The sound of his armour clicking echoed within the room as he stepped down from the dais, signalling for Chesta to move into the centre of the room and unsheathed his sword. My eyes never wandered from the odd pair as the smaller Slayer trembled at his Lords approach, my eyes never shifting from them as slowly Dilandau drew his sword from its sheath and glared at his opponent. The poor boy had little chance to raise his weapon before he was charged at. The sheer force of the metal colliding sent Chesta stumbling back and it was obvious that Dilandau's opponent was no match for his strength, stamina and skills. I watched him carefully observing every move he made. Just watching him sent shivers down my spine; when the day came when I would face him to the death I knew that my task would be a difficult one. Now I knew why my bounty had been so high!

I recall that the battle lasted no longer than a few short minutes, if not less and as expected at its end Chesta lay collapsed on the floor, blood seeping down his brow and a terrified look on his face. Dilandau's cursed words at the weakness in his abilities to fight echoed throughout the vast chamber…the tears the blond tried to hold back as his body shook and the small amused smirk which had crossed Dilandau's lips. I think he got some thrill out of making his men suffer, whether they deserve it or not. Yes that look in Dilandau's eyes unnerved even me. It seemed vaguely familiar and it took me a few short seconds to recognize it as the look I had shown only an hour or so ago while duelling with Kuja.

Even to this day I still do not know what was wrong with Dilandau that day; every little thing seemed to aggravate him. Chesta was not the only one to suffer Dilandau's wrath; for both Dalet and Viole were to duel against him as the day went on. Whatever had enraged him was being unleashed on his poor Slayers. The evening meal was completely overlooked in favour for more training and it wasn't till the night finally drew in that unrelenting Lord finally allowed his exhausted men to rest, signalling to one of his men who immediately shouted the order of dismissal. I watched with an amused smirk as they wearily dragged themselves out of the room. Only when the room had been vacated did Dilandau turn his attention to me. He was as drained as his men. I knew that for a fact, he just seemed to have perfected the skill to hide it. His cheeks betrayed him, that and the slight tiredness in the tone of his voice, yet he remained upright in his thrown chair, his posture ridged and proud. It was clear that he would not submit to his bodies needs till after he had returned to his chamber

"I have no doubt that there is some underlined meaning for your decision to come to me, woman. You are not the first nor shall you be the last to do so." He spoke harshly. "At this time I am unsure whether to take you under my wing, so to speak. Out of this arrangement only you seem to benefit. What do I get in return for my great contribution to your training?" His eyes locked with mine and for the third time that day I felt slightly unnerved.

"If I may speak freely, Lord Dilandau…" I spoke softy and noticed his eyebrow twitch. I could not decipher whether it was in irritation or interest. "I have been training ever since I can remember. I have journeyed across all of Gaea and in my short life I have been both the teacher and the pupil. I have fought more people than I can remember but after a time one tires of duelling against such weak adversaries." I paused and my hand rested subconsciously on my twin daggers. "My reasons being here are simple. Although I am strong and unmatched by many I still desire to improve my techniques. I want to hone them so that there are even fewer who can defeat me. Surely you know the feeling when you face a worthy opponent. The adrenaline which fills every part of you, the lust to kill just so that you can experience that one moment of ecstasy knowing that you have the power of god in your hand. Do not deny it, I see it in your eyes even now." He raised himself from his seated position and came toward me. I did not expect his next move as his gloved hand made contact with my cheek. My head snapped to the side but I did not move from my standing position.

"Do not presume to know me, woman." He hissed as I returned my head to its previous position. "Where prey tell are you from, where is your homeland, family?" he ordered rather than asked. "Who trained you, tell me!"

"In answer to your questions Lord, I have no family. My mother no longer resides in this world and my good for nothing father; well he has not aided my upbringing since the day I was conceived. My homeland is that of Asturia although I have not stepped foot in that country for months. It was my mother who taught me to be as good as I am, although my skills were perfected by my teacher Calern." I stood my ground ignoring the pain my left cheek emitted and continued to push my luck. "Is that all, Sir?" the second time his hand swung I was already prepared and my hand clasped his before it could make contact with my face again. "Do you mistake me for some common wench, Sir, for I can assure you that I am nothing of the sort. I am not as weak as some of your Slayers whom allow you to abuse them in such a degrading way." I let go of his hand and smiled smugly at him. "I may be here to serve under you, my Lord but I do have my limitations. Push me to far and I swear you with suffer the consequences."

"You," he spat, "A mere woman and yet you dare to defy me. I've killed men for such disrespect. In my opinion a woman's place is not fighting and battling, but at home or at least on her back. Why don't you return to your rightful place?" I sneered at him, clenching my teeth in anger and my hand travelled down till it touched the hilt of my sword.

"Perhaps we should just see where I belong." I drew my sword from its sheath an inch or so making my intentions clear. "If you give me occasion you will find me apt at that sir. You will find that I am no push over, unlike your Slayers."

"Temper, temper. We shall see." He chided as he slowly circled me, his eyes attempting to freeze me to the spot. "Very well," he continued, "You may train here for a time being. I am certain that Stratagos or myself will find some use for you. For the time being your place will be with the other Slayers. I run a tight schedule that must be followed; I am certain that one of my men will explain all the necessities to you, understood." I nodded my head in agreement and he stopped his pacing only to halt directly in front of me. "Oh and your attire," he said smugly as his eyes travelled up my form, "Since you are joining our little family you will have to wear the suitable attire. You may continue to wear the clothes that you are wearing now, but the appropriate uniform will brought to you shortly. It is only fitting that I mark you as my own!"

"As you wish, Dilandau," I replied as I took my leave of him.

"WOMAN!" his voice roared after me, "I never gave you permission to call me by familiar."

"Nor did I give you leave to call me Woman. I have a name and I bid you use it!" only then did I turn to face him. "Lord Dilandau," I sighed wearily suddenly tiring of this situation, "I wish to make my short stay as pleasurable as humanly possible. There is a possibility that I will be here for a far longer time than I first anticipated; if you find fit to allow it? So I shall warn you, I will obey you orders and show you the respect that a general of Zaibach deserves, but do not presume to think that I am just another minion sent to do your bidding. For if you do you will find that I can be as great an enemy as I am an alley." That said I turned away from Dilandau. The anger and frustration on his face that day will forever be imprinted on my mind. But what was said had to be done. I had to define my boundaries to the Great War Lord, if only to prolong his life for the time being.

I had not cared that Dilandau had not told me the location of my quarters for, as I made my way down the long stretch of corridors I discovered quite quickly that it didn't take much finding. As I stood behind one of the many oak venire doors I could hear the unmistakable voices of young men, young men talking of my sudden arrival. I would put an end to that. As I entered the room all present became silent and all eyes were turned to me. Spotting the seemingly only vacant bed I headed towards it and sat down, noting silently that it was clear that this was clearly not the only sleeping quarters for the Slayers; a majority of them where not located in this chamber, perhaps in the next. Two lines of 8 beds stood against the room's walls and since. One seemed un-slept in but at that current time seemed to be being used as a dumping ground for the present Slayers armour. Six Slayers in total! I knew there were currently sixteen youths under Dilandau that meant that where were another 10…somewhere.

Only when I was sure that my audience's attention was no longer completely directed at me did I slip under the covers and disrobed myself of my outer garments. I pulled the comforter to the top of my chest and relaxed in its warmth. No doubt high and mighty Lord Dilandau's bed was far more luxurious than the bed I lay in now, yet it was the softest bed I had lay in for a long while. A soft tap on my shoulder caused me to look up sharply. Before me was a slightly startled Kuja. He extended his arm towards me and produced a shirt a small and dare I say sexy smile on his lips.

"You may find this a bit more comfortable, Hell." he whispered, "I know it's not much but…"

"Thank you," I replied, "It's much appreciated." Making sure the quilt wouldn't slip from my body I pulled the shirt on, appreciating the silky texture of the fabric against my skin.

"It's nothing, call it a thank you for helping me today; although I do not think Lord Dilandau was to pleased with what you did."

"No problem, Kuja." I smiled up at him. "It was a good match, you deserved more credit than you were given." He nodded saying nothing more and headed towards his own bed. I watched him thoughtfully. I listened to their banter, watched as they joked on. One sat silently on his bed, a book held firmly in his hand, seemingly enthralled in the writing; though I could not see what it was which engrossed him so. Another sat diligently polishing his, and it seemed all his comrades' armour, seemingly mesmerised by the small circular actions his fingers made as he ran a hide of skin against the coloured metal; he also turned a fine shade of pink when he realised what scrutiny he was under. It wouldn't be till the next day that I would find out that his task load was so great because of a lost bet. Payment was mandatory and put into action immediately. All armour was to be polished to perfection by the next morning.

The third, though playing a game of cards with the fourth present Slayer, kept glancing up at me, a roguish smile against his lips and for a moment I admired him from afar, before leaning back into the bed and rolling onto my side. Kuja lay in bed, seemingly exhausted by the day's trials, which left one more. The sixth was a blond leaning over a desk. He diligently continued to write the whole time I observed him, his posture as straight as Dilandau's had been. By the time he finished, five sheets of parchments lay neatly on top of one another, another two scrolls tied and sealed beside them and only then did he seem to acknowledge that he had known the whole time that I had been watching him. He was different than the others, seemed to hold an air similar to that of Dilandau; perhaps a slight influence after his years under him. But he was some much more serious than the others, I don't know why. There was just something about him, about the way he looked at me. I glanced across the room one more time as relaxed my form into the mattress beneath me; watching now as some of the men now slept, others still enthralled in their previous activities. Yes, these men were exactly what I needed to get to Dilandau now all I needed to do was chose who to play with.

After my first day there it seemed as if Dilandau was avoiding me; the occasional side glances all that I managed to receive from him. Perhaps my previous conversation had annoyed him more than I had intended. Lazily my eyes wandered over to the orb, which was located to the left of where I lay. No doubt he was keeping an eye on me. In all honesty it was best that I didn't see him that week. My confidence wasn't at its usual standard although it was still pretty high and my body had occasional dull pains, which had caused me to seek out Lord Folken who had prescribed something to add to my drink to help with my ailment. It had worked and a day or so later I was back to normal. I took those days to reflect in privacy upon the actions I would take to fulfil my mission, that and to observe the goings on aboard the Vione.

Again I glanced up at the orb and smirked as I raised my hand in a mock waving action. I could just imagine the perverted viewer who was watching me; if the chance were to arise I would have loved to give him a real show.

It was strange that as that very thought crossed my mind that the chamber door swung open and fully armoured Dalet entered the room. His shift watching over the woman found in one of Zaibach's forest was over. The poor guy had been on duty from seven this morning till nine and was obviously tired. This was a perfect chance to give my viewer something he wouldn't forget in a hurry.

Gently I patted the free space beside me and sent him an innocent smile; he gladly took my invitation and walked towards me, a sexy smirk on his lips. I had to admit that the young man sparked some interest in me, even if it were merely in play. For what it was worth he was handsome, if a bit overly cocky and another thing I had quickly learn, extremely loyal to his Lord. I snorted gently as I thought such a thing while Dalet sat beside me and yawned sleepily. I had got to know a few of Dilandau's Slayers by now but if I was honest I think Dalet was one of my favourites. Pulling back I crossed my legs together and let him lean back to rest his head in my lap.

"Hard shift Dalet?" I asked quietly and his head moved to nod in affirmation. My hand, which had been fiddling with his brown locks, came down to rest under the bottoms of his shoulder armour and tenderly rubbed them to relax his aching muscles. "It's my shift tomorrow." I continued. "Although I see no point in it. I came here to train and improve my skills not guard some woman; the sooner proper guards are assigned to her the better." I chuckled when I hit a tender spot on Dalet's back and he let out a sharp cry of protest. "Sorry about that." I laughed out. "It's your damn armour. It gets in the way." I was a little surprised when Dalet sat up suddenly, undid the clasp at the front of his jacket and dropped it onto the floor. He was very confident and was grinning his self-righteous face off.

"You can continue now!" he replied in an authoritative tone and leaned back into my hold. I smiled devilishly. It sounded as if it were he calling the shots. Well he was definitely going to loose this fight.

As my hands began to run along his back I lowered my lips between his shoulder blades and placed stinging kisses along it. I felt his sharp intake of breath and moved up to his ear.

"Weren't expecting that were you, Dalet!" I teased as he relaxed in my hold again. My arms wrapped around his chest and my hands slipped under his shirt. His breaths were slow and deep and I knew he was enjoying himself. "Have you ever been with a woman before, Dalet?" I murmured against his skin as I turned him to face me and began to lightly nip at his neck. His head lolled into my hair and he nodded yes. "I mean a real woman, Dalet. Not just some pitiful kitchen girl who lets you lift her skirt. I mean a woman who knows what she is doing all the way. Hmmm…? I could feel him swallowing hard and my hands made their way down to rest on the lining of his pants. I let my fingers skim down to brush against the front of the clothing and pressed on harder in a sensual, rubbing action and I was very satisfying when I heard him moan ever so softly against my neck.

Dalet's own lips began to move over me and I shivered ever so slightly as his tongue flicked out to taste my skin.

"I could do things to you that would have you begging for more, just so that you could experience it one more time. Would you like that, Dalet?" his head raised up to mine, our brown eyes locking and I heard him barely murmur.

"Yes" I loved the control I had over him. My lips barely touched his.

"Good." Was my last word before I kissed him hard and pressed him down against the covers of my bed. As always it was me who was in control and it aroused me no ends to know the obvious effect I was having on the young man beneath me.

Just as Dalet's hands began to drift under my top the room door burst open to reveal a seriously enraged figure standing just inside the entrance, his for trembling as he tried to restrain himself, Dilandau. Lazily I got up off Dalet and as I adjusted my hair I raised my eyebrow in amusement.

"Yes sire, how may we help you?" I asked mockingly. As I glanced down at Dalet I could see he was as white as a sheet and I couldn't help but laugh.

Dilandau's reaction was immediate, as stormed over and grabbed hold of his Slayer, hitting him hard across the face.

"Can't you keep you pants up for five minutes, Dalet?" he shouted and went at him again but I managed to get in between them. "And you, woman," he hissed in obvious aggravation," You are no better than him!"

"Lord Dilandau," I began, "Just because you aren't getting any shouldn't mean that the rest of us have to go without." This time it was my face to feel the impact of Dilandau's palm against my face, not Dalet's.

"You should watch your mouth woman!" He spat as he headed towards the door. "Dalet, to the training room now. Lets see if you can put some of that new found energy to good use, shall we!" I sent Dalet an apologetic glance as he left the room. I felt bad for getting him into trouble but at least I had sparked some response from Dilandau. It was also obvious that I was being monitored.

As soon as Dalet left the room Dilandau returned to my side and sent me a look that made even me shiver; you could practically see flames dancing in his eyes. His hand latched hold of my neck with great force and he lifted me off the floor, pinning me up against the nearest wall.

"I tell you this now. Watch what you say. Another outburst like your previous one and you may find yourself six feet under. This is your only warning." He spoke reflectively as he stared at me.

"You're not a patient man, are you Dilandau!" I choked out as I watched his trademark smirk cross his face, his grip tightening ever so slightly around my neck and he pressed himself against me. My left hand found the hilt of my dagger and I held it ready to strike.

"I'd prefer it if you left my men alone, Hell, especially Dalet. He finds it hard to control himself when concerning women." This was more of an order than a request and I couldn't help but add my own opinion when his grip slackened.

"So I've heard, but just because you weren't going to get any and he was doesn't mean that you can burst in and spoil our fun." I protested and pouted as if I was really upset about his interruption. "Then again, it wasn't as if I was going to take it that far. If you'd waited a little longer you would have realized that I simply wanted to get him a little excited, that's all!" I smirked at Dilandau as I felt his grip around my neck loosen even more. "You see in my opinion Dalet doesn't seem to be experienced enough to fulfil my needs. I mean sure he is handsome enough, has a nice body and has had a fare few maids on their backs but in truth all that counts for nothing. Just because you have used a sword for a few years doesn't make you a master. You must perfect your skills, like myself. Everyone learns at a different pace. Some one who has trained for many years may not be as experienced as one who has trained for a few short years. It all depends on the person. In my experience the same theory applies to sex. By just looking at a person I can tell what that person is like by the way that they show themselves. Everything they do can tell a person what they need to know, but like any wine you need to taste it before you are sure. You for instance, just by looking at you with the knowledge I have already accumulated I can see that you are a…" I never finished my sentence for Kuja stumbled into the room and ran up to Dilandau.

"Sir, I have some information which I think you may find interesting." He said as he caught his breath.

"Spit it out then Kuja, I haven't got all day." Dilandau shouted in aggravation from being disturbed. My eyes strayed to Kuja and watched as a blush crept to his cheeks.

"I'd prefer to tell you in private, Lord Dilandau. It's slightly personal." Dilandau ground his teeth, seemingly in irritation and I took advantage in his laps of attention, slipping from his grasp.

"Ill leave you two gentlemen to your intellectually stimulating conversation." I chuckled as I exited the room. "Maybe we will continue our conversation another time, Sir?" and after a quick nod of dismissal from Dilandau I left.

As I left the barracks I lingered behind the door for a moment to listen to what had flustered Kuja so. I found what was said to be very interesting. At least I knew that there was a decent reason for our watch over the woman Destiny. I did not stay to long though, for I would have surely been caught, so after I had absorbed all I could from the two I headed to the roof of the Vione to think. The rain was falling heavily and as it hit my skin I felt like it was cleansing me of all impurities I had inside me. My hair clung to my face and the wind whirled around me causing my bangs to fly wildly around as I allowed myself to think.

"Why?" I muttered as I stared up at the darkening sky. "Why couldn't I do it? I had the chance to kill him and yet…" I looked at the dagger, which was still in my grasp. "Why. What is it about him?" I was in turmoil with myself. I needed to finish my mission and move onto the next but somehow I didn't want to. I wiped the water away from my eyes unsure if it was water or tears that were falling down my cheeks. Raising the dagger's point to my right hand I dragged it across my palm. The pain was gratifying, a release of sorts. It was better to feel this pain than have to confront the battle that was going on inside me. For now I felt better, more in control, more myself. But for how long? "Next time," I murmured under my breath as the rain continued to batter my body and I re sheathed my dagger, "Next chance I get he's dead."

I had returned to the barracks to bind my hand after cutting it only to find that all possessions had gone. In a fit of anger I grabbed the first Slayer I had seen. Poor Gatti had been lying on his bed doing nothing at all. I dragged him to his feet and glared at him showing that I would not hesitate to do him harm. I recall hissing at him questioning him upon the whereabouts of my belongings. He grinned at me, exclaiming that Dilandau had decided to move me closer to his chamber. The glint in his eye told me everything I needed to know and I had proceeded to drop him and go in search of my new accommodation, disregarding the sneered reprisal called back as the Slayer gathered himself up off the floor.

About a week and a half after my arrival on the Vione I got my next so called 'chance'. I found myself sitting down to a meal, a very long and boring meal. I've never one for these diplomatic meals, always with some unknown strategist telling us things that we are smart enough to know ourselves. Every Slayer sat in a long line, trying to look interested in the information we were all being told, even though we were far from enjoying ourselves.

As I sat silently I felt a strange sensation overcome me and felt compelled to glance up to the opposite side of the table. The newcomer Destiny sat quietly next to Folken, wearing a deeply dark gown uncannily similar to that of Lord Folken's own attire. I was not blind; it's meaning was obvious to all in the room: she was his possession, his newest toy to play with. Seated on the other side of Folken was the Sorcerer Omadon, though I only knew of him by name from overheard conversations by the Slayers. I shuddered at his ghostly presence; even from where I sit he sent shivers down my spine. Finally my eyes fell on Dilandau, his posture upright, his uniform stiff and his breathing controlled. It was obvious that he was as sick of this meal as his men were; only he was doing a far better job of hiding it. His eyes met mine and instantly I felt every inch of my body heat up and I chastised myself endlessly for it. All constructive conversation was lost and all I saw was him. He raised his eyebrow in interest as I felt a smirk appeared on the corners of my lips. I might as well make the most of the time we had before our training continued.

Silently I bent down and unclip the bottom of my foot armour, making sure it made no sound as it slips from my foot and returned my gaze back to him. His face was formal and emotionless as always when he was around others but I intended to catch him out. Slowly I stretch out my leg and brush it against his. I watch him blink in surprise and my smirk widened. My leg travelled further up till I could feel the bottom of his thigh. My leg was fully outstretched and I could go no further without anyone noticing. It was my turn to be startled as Dilandau dragged his chair, which had been a good one and a half feet away from the table, back under it. As he pushed himself as far as he could go I let my foot slide over the top of his thigh gently massaging the tender flesh beneath his uniform. I watched with satisfaction as his eyes shut. Although it looked like he was trying to listen to the conversation only we two knew that this was far from the truth.

I continue my ministrations till I was almost positive that he could take no more, his eyes flickering in concentration and his lips parted to take small controlled breaths. I pulled back slightly so that he could gather his thoughts together and I felt his hand rest on the bottom of my calf. As it began to move up his thumbs moving in small sensual circles I decided to end the game for now and pulled it away from him. The game was intended to torture him, not myself.

The thought that I may have been caught had caused my body to get even hotter and I grabbed the glass of water I had by my plate and drank from it hastily. I watched as he did the same with his red wine. Hopefully the crimson that was barely visible at this time on his normally porcelain complexion would be mistaken for the effect of the drink and not me.

As I glanced around the room I was thankful to see that none of my fellow Slayers had seen anything but, as I looked across the table two pairs of eyes were staring at me then Dilandau; Folken wore the smallest hint of a small smile and he raised an eyebrow suggestively. The woman beside him Destiny simply smiled and returned to the small pate of cooked vegetables she had. I knew I should have been embarrassed. No doubt Folken would give Dilandau a hard time over this and no doubt either the other Slayers or myself would suffer for it in some way or the other, most probably the latter of the two. Thankfully I did not have to suffer under Lord Folken's stare long for as soon as our evening meal was finished all parties either promptly left or awaited dismissal to return to their chambers.

For the small fifteen minute resting duration I made my way back to 'my' room, which in all honesty was really just a converted, extremely large closet, which Dilandau had moved me to after the incident with Dalet. I entered the room feeling unusually tired. Lectures on fighting seemed to do that to me, especially when I had nothing to learn from them. I sighed as I slipped into the room and leaned against the side of the door. A hand almost immediately covered my mouth and the door was shut behind me. The next thing I knew I was pressed up against the old oak wood as my captor's body pressed hungrily against my own.

"Surely you didn't expect to get of that easily Hell." came the smooth reply. "However pleasurable it had been it quenched none of my hunger. If anything it only made me want far more." The hand was removed from my mouth and I slid from his hold my head held high and my eyes filled with as much lust and determination as his. "But I think you need to cool down far more than I."

"I wasn't the one with the crimson cheeks at dinner." I retorted calmly. "If I had wanted to I could have taken it a lot further but I did not. You should be thankful. Anyway I came here to train not guard doors and sit in boring meetings so I have to find something constructive to do with my time."

"I'm sure I can find some more strenuous activities to entertain you." Came his cocky reply as I turned from him and walked out of the room, not daring to look at the self-righteousness shown on his face. I wanted to scream at myself for not ending it while I had the chance, once again trying to work out how I would manage to kill him next chance I got. The perfect chance would arise. I just had to wait for the right moment.

Today had been like every other. After a long days work we all ate our evening meal in silence, then followed Dilandau to the training hall for our last daily training session. Even after well over a week here its size still held me in awe although I never showed it. There was one thing that caught my attention though. I could sense an unknown presence, which I felt familiar yet not. Someone was watching me and it frustrated to me not knowing whom it was. Only moments before I had disarmed the overly confident Miguel of his weapon and now I stood facing Kuja. Unlike when I fought the other Slayers our fight was a lesson in itself and I disregarded the stranger for the time being and had some fun.

"You see, Kuja, in my experience it is a greater advantage to be a woman than a man!" I shouted as our swords locked together, "A man may have the greater skill in sword play and even strength but we have more than just that." I watched with amusement as a puzzled look crosses Kuja's face.

"And what prey tell is that, Hell?"

"Our bodies, dear Kuja, our bodies." I chuckled in response. "Even during battle men think with this, not their brains." And I pointed to the appropriate part of his lower regions causing him to blush slightly. "A show of flesh or a brush of the skin and that little part of their brain clicks into action." I noticed Dilandau standing up from his throne but I continued to push on with my fight against Kuja. I smirk at Kuja although it was not directed at him. I could hear the noise of armour moving down steps. The noise stopped and I knew that it was Dilandau. "It is one of mans' greater flaws and all women who have seen the world know of it. These are our Powers, Kuja." I finally stated glancing down at my chest. "Prop these up and no man alive can look you in the eye."

Only when Kuja lay on the ground with my sword pointed directly at his throat did I finally hear Dilandau speak.

"The only methods that will ever be used in my Dragon Slayers will be attack and counter attack. There will be no use of such weak womanly tactics." His voice was low and full of warning. He was in a deadly mood and I knew it, but this only caused me to be bolder.

"Only a man would call such methods weak for it is his prerogative to do so. But I believe that you would find it highly useful if you were a woman." I chose my words carefully for I did not want to get him too enraged. I spoke the truth with what I said; it was his fault if he was too stubborn and set in his ways to accept it. I kept my face straight and formal, showing him no sigh of how much I was enjoying myself although the smugness in my voice was bound to betray the external emotionless expression I was showing eventually. "The fact of the matter is that a woman's body shape, weight and strength is no match for that of a man's. That is the way that god intended things, so women must find other ways to defend themselves and this is one of them. Do not blame me if you or your men are too weak to protect yourself from it."

"My Slayers are trained to ignore any distraction." Dilandau spoke frustration audible in every word he spoke. "It was one of the first things that they were taught when they came to me. If they can be un-distracted in the heat of a battle I do not doubt that they would be undeterred from there objective because of your womanly wiles." This was perfect, he had let his anger grow and let his guard down and I would now take full advantage. One more thing needed to be done and then I had him. It was strange though, just being around Dilandau seemed to cause my body to be consumed with some unknown feeling and adrenaline surged throughout my being. Mentally my mind acknowledged what needed to be done if I planned to succeed in finishing Dilandau off and I intended to enjoy every minute of it.

"Fine then," I said to him as I re-sheathed my sword and began to walk towards him, a devilish smile on my lips, "Prove it!"