Whenever he closed his eyes he saw fire and blood. Even living in a world of fire and blood for a large portion of his life, it had never invaded his dreams so much. Not since he got past childish night terrors as a boy. Dilandau shook awake again and looked at his bedside clock. He'd only drifted off for a few minutes and he'd already been assaulted by the death screams of his Slayers.

He rolled over in bed, pulling the blankets tighter around and swaddling himself firmly into his cocoon. The feeling of being tied up soothed and frightened him at the same time. His shaking ceased but his stomach began to turn. He turned again and rolled himself onto the floor, thumping down against the brushed steal and shivering as it quickly sucked the heat out of him.

That stemmed the nausea.

'Jajuka...' he called in a soft whisper. Given no response he tried to fight his way free of the blanket he'd trapped himself in and managed only to twist it more securely around his body. 'JAJUKA!' he shouted, panic laced in his voice.

The door opened a moment later and Jajuka, sans coat rushed in, accidentally hitting Dilandau's shins with the door. 'What's the matter, Lord Dilandau?'

'... What time is it?' Dilandau asked lamely as he rolled himself again and managed to find the edge of the blanket and slowly work it loose.

Jajuka glanced at the bedside clock, easily within Dilandau's view and replied quietly, 'It's two-twenty-seven, Lord Dilandau.'

Dilandau nodded. He kicked the blanket into the far corner and sat with his back against the bed, shivering in his light night clothes.

'You should get more rest, Lord Dilandau,' Jajuka said in a neutral, emotionless voice. 'We have to leave for the battlefield in a few hours.'

Dilandau nodded, not looking at him, then dropped his face into his hands with a sob. 'I-if I s-sleep th-they die again and a-again!' he whimpered.

Jajuka sighed and knelt down next to Dilandau, wrapping his arms around the shaking boy and pulling him into a hug like he would have given a homesick child. Like he had almost ten years ago. Once again this child had lost everything familiar to him. Jajuka sighed again, wrapping his arms tighter as Dilandau buried his face in Jajuka's mane and sobbed loudly.