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Slayers Titled
A Slayers fanfic by David A. Tatum
Disclaimer: I don't own the world that this story takes place in, nor do I
own the characters- Software Sculptors, SOFTX, and many others do, instead.
Consider this my small attempt at a tribute to that great series.
A Note about the Name: The working title for this piece was 'Slayers
Untitled.' I thought about what I was planning to do with it after
finishing the first chapter, and realized that just removing the 'Un' would
probably be enough to make it work...
Authors Notes: This takes place after Slayers TRY. It probably will have
spoilers for practically every element of the Slayers anime (I know
practically zip from the manga or the novels) by the time I'm done with it,
but may conflict with elements of the Slayers universe outside of what is
presented in the anime... *shrug* If you don't want spoilers for the
anime, you've been warned. If you get annoyed if something conflicts with
the novels or manga, don't read it- and don't tell me about it... I don't
care, really. (Well, I do, but I'm not changing what I have plotted
because of it... and mentioning it to me if I can't change it will only
discourage, so please don't).
Brief note about capitalization of the races: (I wouldn't put this in
here, but an editor of mine bugged me about a similar issue in a Ranma
fanfic I've been writing) I will capitalize the races of Dragon, Human,
and Mazoku whenever I am using such to describe 'affiliation' with each
power. If I am just using it as a description, however, I won't bother.
(This is important, as you'll find out in Chapter 1)
Well, I guess that covers what I need to have to start writing, and I'm
anxious to get going on this one, so I'm not going to include the usual
ramble I have when I start a large fanfic (Wah! I'm starting another
one... I need someone to stop me from watching anime until I'm done writing
the fanfics that I've got- I keep getting too inspired to NOT write it).
Enjoy.
--------------------------
Chapter 1: Not Your Ordinary (m)azoku
...The Story of the Five Priests.
Eleven Hundred Years Ago...
Things were looking rather grim for the fate of the world. The dragon race
was dying off- and fast. The Water Dragon King, one of the four parts of
Ceiphied left behind after the great battle in which he was victorious but
fell anyway, was just barely a match for the resurrected part of
Shaburadnigo that came from Lei Magnus and his vassals, but that was not
enough to turn the tide of victory to the favor of the Dragons. The Mazoku
were just too strong. The Humans, who were peripherally the allies of the
dragons, were almost powerless to do anything after many years of civil
wars, although the development of their Shamanistic magic was starting to
prove effective against some of the lesser demons and monsters, and what
little white magic the Dragons could teach them help prevent their utter
destruction. Still, it was a very grim time- Gaav, Shaburadnigo's
lieutenant, could not be stopped by any save the Water Dragon King himself-
and the Water Dragon King was too busy with Shabradnigo to notice Gaav.
The Water Dragon King, however, had one last plan he could use. It was
utterly desperate, and it was an all or nothing gamble, but it was the only
chance he could see for the worlds survival. If he failed, however, the
world would be utterly consumed by darkness and destruction.
Knowing all this in his heart, he enacted his plan fiercely. He called
upon the one power he knew of greater than both himself and Shaburadnigo.
He called upon his Mother- the Lord of Nightmares, with a spell that would
later be known as the Giga Slave. Unfortunately, as he was doing so, Gaav
has sneaked inside his defenses and was about to take all the power that
Shabradnigo could focus through him- a move which would temporarily kill
this incarnation of Gaav, but which would utterly destroy the Water Dragon
King for all time.
And, to the surprise of all three in the battle- Shabradnigo, the part of
Ceiphied, and Gaav, the Lord of Nightmares answered her call directly.
* * * * *
"So," the Lord of Nightmares said, as she and the Water Dragon King drifted
in what appeared to be an empty void. "God of the Dragons, what is of such
great burden to you that even your broad shoulders cannot handle it?"
"Mother," he answered in the Dragon tongue, more because it was not a
language which was able to show his nervousness than for any other reason.
"I was not expecting you to actually answer in this fashion."
"But I have answered you in this fashion. So speak, my child- what do you
wish of me? I will give you all that you TRULY desire... provided it does
not interfere with what my other children desire, as well."
"And if it does?" the part of Ceiphied asked.
"Then the power of my Chaos will twist it as it sees fit. But come, now,
enough stalling- answer my question, or I will give you the exact opposite
of what it is you desire. Regardless of whether it effects my other
children or not."
"Very well," the Water Dragon King said, taking in a deep breath. "I ask
that my Dragons win this war, and that you preserve the goals of our race."
"Indeed, that is a very noble wish," the Lord of Nightmare said. "But I'm
afraid I cannot grant that to you directly- at least, not in the way you
might think."
There was a pause, and he hung his head. "Then... we are doomed?"
The Lord of Nightmares laughed. "My dear child, you are one of those I
fashioned to be a god for my little world, and yet even you do not
comprehend the power of Chaos? The Humans do, though they rarely realize
it- some will join the Mazoku, some will fight alongside the Dragons, some
will fight against BOTH, and some will fight FOR both. That is a race of
Chaos- a race of those in my image. Hmm... yes, the Humans are a great
power. Oh, this will be so much fun!"
The part of Ceiphied blinked. Did she just say fun? "Mother?"
"Do not fear, One Once Known As Ceiphied. Soon, you shall defeat this part
of Shaburadnigo, and Gaav will be severely weakened. It is too late to
save yourself, however- you have already been destroyed. Furthermore, the
war will continue, despite the absence of the two of you. Not for long-
there will be one final great battle, where a Human will decide it. A
Human with a weapon not of this world." She paused. "Part of your wish
will be granted. Whoever wins the war, neither side will be strong enough
to continue... and Life, the ultimate goal of any Dragon, will be
preserved."
"Thank you, Mother."
"I shall tell you what is to come, for your final battle will come upon
returning to the mortal world, and so you cannot disturb the course of
Chaos," she said. "Gaav will be sent against the other Mazoku. A new
Mazoku priest, Xelloss, will be created... and he will destroy MANY of your
kind. I will tell you he will not always be Mazoku, however... though he
will always be mazoku," She paused.
As the Lord of Nightmares talked, visions of the future, granted to the
great dragon by the Lord of Nightmares, started filling his head. The idea
of being Mazoku without being mazoku made no sense to him.
"But not before half of the Dragons are utterly destroyed," she continued,
"He shall be one of the Five Great Priests I will create. One, whom I
shall name Rezo, will hold inside him the eyes of Shaburadnigo. He shall
be the most revered of the five, but he will betray the world. One, whom I
shall name Zoltar, shall be the Priest of Darkness, and shall establish the
center of power for those humans who follow the path of the Mazoku. He
shall be forgotten, but his power will be seen in the final days. One,
whom I shall name Sailoon, shall establish the center of power for the
humans who follow the path of the Dragons. These two shall be absorbed
into the cities they create, and none shall know of their continued
existence. One shall be a human- the only mortal of the bunch. As Chaos
predicts, the strongest of those who follow the path of Life Above All- the
Priesthood which shall be known as the Knights of Ceiphied- will be the
only ones who naturally die. Others will inherit the title as the time
passes, and these priests will hold both your power and mine. The final
Priest, the Trickster Priest, shall be the servant of the Mazoku, Xelloss,
a foil to the Knight of Ceiphied. He will not be your ordinary mazoku,
however... as Chaos demands, he will be fated to preserve the lives of
those most Chaotic. He will not stand for what the Mazoku desire, but he
will be fated to obey them. He will listen when they tell him to wipe out
the Dragons, and he will nearly do it on his own... but he shall spare more
dragons than any other Mazoku would in this war. He will be given orders
which go against his nature, but none of them will be required of him after
this war. And he will be the slave of the Mazoku, forced to do their
bidding until I... He will, that is, until -I- need him. And I shall name
him... Xelloss. Through these five Priests, balance will be preserved, and
all three Great Races, the Humans, the Dragons, and even the Mazoku will
survive."
Suddenly, a picture of a red-haired sorceress came to the mind of the Water
Dragon King. She was where he was... and a man was floating towards her.
A blond swordsman, who looked anxious to reach her- to merely touch her.
And he did... and then she disappeared, leaving him heartbroken. And then
she reappeared, and all the two would do was grab each other and deliver
the most heartfelt kiss that the dragon had ever seen among humans.
"Mother... what was that I just saw?" he asked.
"I do not know," she answered. "My visions are chaotic... sometimes, even
I do not understand what they show me. However, I feel that Xelloss will
be connected with that incident, somehow... perhaps that is what shall
cause me to claim back my little mazoku to perform my deeds. And perhaps
it is merely the daydream some man will have while talking with him... it's
really hard to tell." The Lord of Nightmares' assumed form faded away.
"But it doesn't matter. Your time with me is up... now you must return to
the world I made for you, and face your retirement. I shall preserve your
memories for the ages... though I will change some things. I do not want
others to attempt the Giga Slave, so I will change your memories to believe
that this spell will cause utter destruction. I will also alter the
memories of Shabradnigo and Gaav so that they do not know of what you've
done... and all will be as I plan it. And ALL my desires will be
fulfilled."
* * * * *
The Mazoku lords were in shock. Shabradnigo had been frozen into a block
of ice, and Gaav had turned rebel. Phibrizo's priests and generals had
been annhiliated for all time- as had all of his servants. Despite the
fall of Ceiphied, the Dragons so outnumbered the Mazoku that all chance of
victory seemed gone. They certainly couldn't resurrect any more parts of
Shabradnigo at this point- they couldn't find any, and they lacked the
strength to. What was worse, several humans had arisen to cause serious
disruption to their plans- one the Swordsman of Light, who bore a unique
weapon which could easily kill many of their kind, and the other the Knight
of Ceiphied, who seemed to possess powers which defied belief. Another was
Rezo the Red Priest, who, though blind, possessed a number of powerful
spells in white magic which could hurt them. Still another was Sailoon, a
great warrior who, out of nowhere, became a leader of the humans and
founded a sanctuary against their kind. He had been gathering many of the
more powerful human mages to create a refuge for those dedicated to the
study of white magic- a power which could harm only them. The dragons
themselves had rallied to a particular mountain range, where it appeared
that the remains of the Water Dragon King were stored- relics which
protected them from many of the dangers the lesser Mazoku could present.
The four loyal vassals of Shabradnigo met- in astral forms, only, as they
could not leave their physical locations without letting in much larger
hordes of Dragons and the three remaining parts of Ceiphied. If they
didn't come up with a plan, however, they would be attacked, possibly
destroyed, and forced to abandoned the barrier they had created. They
needed... a new force. Just something to restore the balance of power
before they were overwhelmed. To create a stalemate- or perhaps even a
little bit more of a stalemate- before things got out of hand.
It was into this meeting that the Lord of Nightmares appeared.
"Greetings, Children," she said. "I understand you have a problem."
"That would be an understatement, Mother," Phibrizo, the de-facto leader of
the Mazoku in Shabradnigo's absence. Only he and Zelas were capable of the
job, and Zelas was more interested in her weaker beasts- her 'toys'- than
in the job of leading the Mazoku armies. "If we do not grow in strength
considerably in the next few days, we are doomed."
The Lord of Nightmares smiled. "Then you are in luck. I've got some need
to create two servants on this planet. For one, however, I shall need your
aid... and in return, he shall be your slave until such time as I recall
him- which will not be until long after a cease-fire has been reached in
this war. Phibrizo, as the current master of the Mazoku in Shabradnigo's
absense, he shall be your servant, but I cannot form him from you, unless
you sacrifice a part of yourself. Do you wish this, or will you designate
another from which I can draw power?"
The answer was obvious. "Zelas Metallium, you have no priest nor general,"
Phibrizo noted.
"I have never desired one," Zelas replied.
"But you have the power to form one without sacrificing a part of yourself.
So, make for the Lord of Nightmares MY slave."
Zelas nodded. "I will. Though if I do, I may ask for this priest back,
one day."
Phibrizo laughed. "He will be a slave to all of us, but my orders will
always take precedence while I still exist. Understand?" Before Zelas
could reply, he turned to the Lord of Nightmares. "I designate Zelas
Metallium to draw the power from."
"Very well."
And thus, Xelloss Metallium, son of Zelas Metallium, was born.
* * * * *
Five years later...
Xelloss planted the smile on his face that was expected of him. As the
slave to the Hellmaster Phibrizo, he was forced to destroy those thousands
of dragons. As a person, however, he utterly despised it. If he did not
know what the Lord of Nightmares had planned for his future, he would not
be able to even pretend. As it was, though... he was able to avoid taking
life too seriously. For now, at any rate.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of another gold Dragon,
cowering behind some rocks. He turned quickly, planning to kill it before
it could get a shot off and hurt him...
But paused, the spell still in his hand, when he saw it was just a young
mother dragon, holding her egg. Xelloss' nature gave him a moment to
pause, and he tried to help her.
"Please," he said. "I don't want to kill you... don't fight me, and I
won't have to. My orders are only to destroy the Dragon Army, and if you
don't fight you aren't part of the army..."
The frightened mother gawked at him in disbelief. "But you just massacred
those thousands of dragons right in front of me! What game are you
playing, Mazoku?"
"Me? Playing games?" Xelloss laughed. "It's what I do- I'm the Trickster
Priest, after all. But I'm not heartless... and I have my own agenda,
separate from that of the rest of the Mazoku. So I bend the rules where I
can... and so I'm offering to spare your life, woman. I swear it... and I
want you to tell the other dragons out there that I spared your life, and
that I did so because I swore it. This war will not last much longer- when
it ends, I want your race to know that I can be trusted to keep my word.
You can hate me, but you must know you can deal with me."
"How do I know you'll keep your word?" the dragon mother shot back, still
frightened.
Xelloss raised a finger. "That... is a secret."
The dragon mother got angry at the evasive answer, though for some reason
felt like she'd gotten an answer from somewhere else- as if L-sama herself
was telling her heart to trust his word. "Okay, Xelloss of the Mazoku. I
will tell my kind of what you've done for me... but I shall also tell them
why, and I shall inform them that it was YOU who committed the massacre."
Xelloss nodded. If he was capable of doing so right then, he would have
wept for those he killed, but he couldn't do that- he was being watched.
"I'm sure it'll make a wonderful story for your kid," he said cheerily.
"If you'll excuse me, though, it looks like your people's forces have
started to regroup... I must get back to fighting."
He teleported away, leaving the mother behind aghast. "That's a strange
mazoku... come, Filia," she told her egg. "We must get out of here fast,
before the battle cuts off our escape route."
Xelloss, now standing atop a different peak, waited for the Dragons to
strike. Next to him, in the air, the Beastmaster Zelas Metallium suddenly
appeared- apparently out of no-where.
"Interesting," the Beastmaster said. "I could report that little incident
of your sparring that Dragon's life, if I wanted, and get you in a lot of
trouble with Hellmaster. Give me one reason why I shouldn't."
Xelloss merely smiled at her. He wasn't yet trusted by any of the Mazoku,
having been born from the Lord of Nightmare's desires, alone. Zelas WAS
his mother, however, and seemed to almost care for him... as much as any
Mazoku cared for another. Still, he was sharp enough to answer properly
when asked a question. "I suppose you think I'm going to say something
about how valuable my powers would be to you, but I'm not. That only makes
me a threat. No... I'm merely going to say that everything I told her was
the truth, and I felt it was in the Mazoku's best interest to let that
dragon and her child live."
Beastmaster laughed. "Indeed? How do you figure that?"
"The war will not end in a decisive victory, but with an indecisive one.
Whether that victory is ours or theirs, it does not matter... and we may
want to establish to the Dragons that we CAN be trusted to keep our word.
Gaav, as you know, has rebelled, and it may take their aid to hunt him down
one of these days. Other Mazoku are... grumbling... against the generals,
and we may have more soon. Plus, the Golden Dragons are known to be
ruthless- remember what they did to the Elder Dragons. It may turn out,
one day, that their ruthlessness will be enough to make them useful weapons
in our cause. And so, knowing that the war will end soon, I decided that
it might be appropriate to extend the first olive branch of peace."
"Indeed?" the Beastmaster chuckled. "And how do you know the war is ending
so soon?"
"That... is a secret."
Zelas laughed heartily. "Oh, my... I want you. If Hellmaster ever tires
of you and decides to release you to find another slave- or if he just
HAPPENS to be killed in this war, I do hope you'll entertain the notion of
becoming my servant. Your notions are quite entertaining, and as you
hinted at before, your power is quite impressive."
"Thank you, Zelas Metallium- Mother," Xelloss said. "I expect to have to
do that one day, anyway. I warn you, however, that I am not a normal
mazoku."
"It IS fate, as I don't care for NORMAL Mazoku, myself." Zelas said, not
quite understanding the reference but enjoying his answer all the same.
"Well, the Dragons are coming soon, so I'd better let you get to work now."
Zelas disappeared, and Xelloss turned his attention to the battle. The sky
was crowded with gold and black dragons. Trying to keep the pain out of
his eyes, he raised his fists, and let out a powerful blast of energy....
* * * * *
The Present...
Xelloss sat, patiently waiting for his master's orders. The Beastmaster
had been kind to him, quickly learning that he functioned most efficiently
when engaged in subterfuge against other (more rebellious) elements of the
Mazoku order, and allowing him to continue his association with Lina
Inverse and her companions. In fact, she even allowed him to 'flirt' with
a Dragon woman... a privilege no other Mazoku had been granted. True, the
Dragon woman in question failed to see that he WAS flirting with her-
instead believing he was just teasing her cruelly- but the mere fact that
he wasn't being punished for even associating with a Dragon attested to the
Beastmaster's patience with him.
It has only been a couple of days since the party split up... Amelia went
home (Zelgadis in tow- though he quickly departed on his continued quest to
find a cure. The fact that he was now delicately carrying a momento of
hers, though, attested to the fact that he now had a new home, as well, in
Sailoon), Filia moved somewhere that she could raise the newly-hatched
Valgaav easier, and Lina and Gourry... well, last he heard, the number of
bandit gangs in the wilderness was plummeting very rapidly. His remaining
friends (for that was what he thought of them)- Sylphiel, Zangulus,
Martina, and the others... well, they all had settled down in their own
way.
Life was boring.
'Xelloss,' a voice- a very distinct voice in his ears, though he knew
no-one could hear it but him. 'Return to me. Your slavery to the Mazoku
is at an end. I have my OWN set of missions for you.'
Xelloss never could disobey a command by one stronger than him... and this
was no exception. He was not one to disobey the Lord of Nightmares.
"Xelloss, where are you going?" Zelas asked, a strain in her voice. It
seemed as though her little pet was trying to run away. And it was such an
inopportune time, too... the Mazoku were making many very significant
plans, now that much of the Dragon race had been wiped out, and her chief
lieutenant would be a very difficult asset to replace.
"My service to you is at an end," he said simply. "My Creator, my Mother,
the Golden Lord, has recalled me to her service."
Zelas growled. "Why does SHE have precedence over ME? I am ALSO your
Mother- your TRUE mother. Your powers were taken from me, and I helped
forge them with her."
Xelloss smiled. "I'm surprised you don't know, actually. Are you sure you
want me to tell you?"
"If you say that it's a secret, you won't live long enough to even TRY and
escape to her."
Xelloss continued to smile. "It IS a secret, but a rather open one. I
guess I can give you a hint, though... as payment for tolerating me."
"Spit it out, already!" Zelas snarled.
"She gives me all the freedom I want. Freedom to act without orders.
Freedom to choose my own path. Freedom to find a mate."
"Wouldn't that be that fiery-haired sorceress you've been doting on?"
Xelloss frowned. "Hardly 'doting on.' More like 'becoming friends with.'
I know what Gourry would- and could- do to me if I took Lina from him. I
have an eye on several women out there, however, of several races. Perhaps
the one I wish to choose as my lover is YOU!"
Zelas blinked. "You mean... you wish your freedom from me so you may
become my lover?"
"Maybe! Actually, though I've hated all this 'Mazoku must try to destroy
everything' business all this time, but every day, just when I got up in
the morning, L-sama told me to stick to it and it would all turn out okay.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I can't afford to keep her waiting. Oh, and
consider this my formal resignation. Sorry, I know it'll be difficult, but
you'll just have to make do without me!" Xelloss chirped happily, right
before phasing out.
Zelas blinked. "His impertanence is astounding." She smiled. "But if he
wishes to become my lover, he has another thing coming. He would have to
grow considerably in power to become even CLOSE to strong enough to face
me."
Xelloss phased back in a second later, to deliver one last parting line
before leaving again- this time, for good. "I told you, I'm not your
ordinary mazoku. I MAY grow that strength one day. Though if I do, it
won't be because I wish to be your lover."
-------------------------
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Sir Desaix, member # 116 of the Knights of the True Fiancee
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David A. Tatum's Used Anime Trading Post
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From: "David A. Tatum" desaix@sysnet.net
To: desaix@sysnet.net
Subject: Slay1.txt
Date: Mon, 8 Jan 2001 20:16:44 -0500
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Slayers Titled
A Slayers fanfic by David A. Tatum
Disclaimer: I don't own the world that this story takes place in, nor do I
own the characters- Software Sculptors, SOFTX, and many others do, instead.
Consider this my small attempt at a tribute to that great series.
A Note about the Name: The working title for this piece was 'Slayers
Untitled.' I thought about what I was planning to do with it after
finishing the first chapter, and realized that just removing the 'Un' would
probably be enough to make it work...
Authors Notes: This takes place after Slayers TRY. It probably will have
spoilers for practically every element of the Slayers anime (I know
practically zip from the manga or the novels) by the time I'm done with it,
but may conflict with elements of the Slayers universe outside of what is
presented in the anime... *shrug* If you don't want spoilers for the
anime, you've been warned. If you get annoyed if something conflicts with
the novels or manga, don't read it- and don't tell me about it... I don't
care, really. (Well, I do, but I'm not changing what I have plotted
because of it... and mentioning it to me if I can't change it will only
discourage, so please don't).
Brief note about capitalization of the races: (I wouldn't put this in
here, but an editor of mine bugged me about a similar issue in a Ranma
fanfic I've been writing) I will capitalize the races of Dragon, Human,
and Mazoku whenever I am using such to describe 'affiliation' with each
power. If I am just using it as a description, however, I won't bother.
(This is important, as you'll find out in Chapter 1)
Well, I guess that covers what I need to have to start writing, and I'm
anxious to get going on this one, so I'm not going to include the usual
ramble I have when I start a large fanfic (Wah! I'm starting another
one... I need someone to stop me from watching anime until I'm done writing
the fanfics that I've got- I keep getting too inspired to NOT write it).
Enjoy.
--------------------------
Chapter 1: Not Your Ordinary (m)azoku
...The Story of the Five Priests.
Eleven Hundred Years Ago...
Things were looking rather grim for the fate of the world. The dragon race
was dying off- and fast. The Water Dragon King, one of the four parts of
Ceiphied left behind after the great battle in which he was victorious but
fell anyway, was just barely a match for the resurrected part of
Shaburadnigo that came from Lei Magnus and his vassals, but that was not
enough to turn the tide of victory to the favor of the Dragons. The Mazoku
were just too strong. The Humans, who were peripherally the allies of the
dragons, were almost powerless to do anything after many years of civil
wars, although the development of their Shamanistic magic was starting to
prove effective against some of the lesser demons and monsters, and what
little white magic the Dragons could teach them help prevent their utter
destruction. Still, it was a very grim time- Gaav, Shaburadnigo's
lieutenant, could not be stopped by any save the Water Dragon King himself-
and the Water Dragon King was too busy with Shabradnigo to notice Gaav.
The Water Dragon King, however, had one last plan he could use. It was
utterly desperate, and it was an all or nothing gamble, but it was the only
chance he could see for the worlds survival. If he failed, however, the
world would be utterly consumed by darkness and destruction.
Knowing all this in his heart, he enacted his plan fiercely. He called
upon the one power he knew of greater than both himself and Shaburadnigo.
He called upon his Mother- the Lord of Nightmares, with a spell that would
later be known as the Giga Slave. Unfortunately, as he was doing so, Gaav
has sneaked inside his defenses and was about to take all the power that
Shabradnigo could focus through him- a move which would temporarily kill
this incarnation of Gaav, but which would utterly destroy the Water Dragon
King for all time.
And, to the surprise of all three in the battle- Shabradnigo, the part of
Ceiphied, and Gaav, the Lord of Nightmares answered her call directly.
* * * * *
"So," the Lord of Nightmares said, as she and the Water Dragon King drifted
in what appeared to be an empty void. "God of the Dragons, what is of such
great burden to you that even your broad shoulders cannot handle it?"
"Mother," he answered in the Dragon tongue, more because it was not a
language which was able to show his nervousness than for any other reason.
"I was not expecting you to actually answer in this fashion."
"But I have answered you in this fashion. So speak, my child- what do you
wish of me? I will give you all that you TRULY desire... provided it does
not interfere with what my other children desire, as well."
"And if it does?" the part of Ceiphied asked.
"Then the power of my Chaos will twist it as it sees fit. But come, now,
enough stalling- answer my question, or I will give you the exact opposite
of what it is you desire. Regardless of whether it effects my other
children or not."
"Very well," the Water Dragon King said, taking in a deep breath. "I ask
that my Dragons win this war, and that you preserve the goals of our race."
"Indeed, that is a very noble wish," the Lord of Nightmare said. "But I'm
afraid I cannot grant that to you directly- at least, not in the way you
might think."
There was a pause, and he hung his head. "Then... we are doomed?"
The Lord of Nightmares laughed. "My dear child, you are one of those I
fashioned to be a god for my little world, and yet even you do not
comprehend the power of Chaos? The Humans do, though they rarely realize
it- some will join the Mazoku, some will fight alongside the Dragons, some
will fight against BOTH, and some will fight FOR both. That is a race of
Chaos- a race of those in my image. Hmm... yes, the Humans are a great
power. Oh, this will be so much fun!"
The part of Ceiphied blinked. Did she just say fun? "Mother?"
"Do not fear, One Once Known As Ceiphied. Soon, you shall defeat this part
of Shaburadnigo, and Gaav will be severely weakened. It is too late to
save yourself, however- you have already been destroyed. Furthermore, the
war will continue, despite the absence of the two of you. Not for long-
there will be one final great battle, where a Human will decide it. A
Human with a weapon not of this world." She paused. "Part of your wish
will be granted. Whoever wins the war, neither side will be strong enough
to continue... and Life, the ultimate goal of any Dragon, will be
preserved."
"Thank you, Mother."
"I shall tell you what is to come, for your final battle will come upon
returning to the mortal world, and so you cannot disturb the course of
Chaos," she said. "Gaav will be sent against the other Mazoku. A new
Mazoku priest, Xelloss, will be created... and he will destroy MANY of your
kind. I will tell you he will not always be Mazoku, however... though he
will always be mazoku," She paused.
As the Lord of Nightmares talked, visions of the future, granted to the
great dragon by the Lord of Nightmares, started filling his head. The idea
of being Mazoku without being mazoku made no sense to him.
"But not before half of the Dragons are utterly destroyed," she continued,
"He shall be one of the Five Great Priests I will create. One, whom I
shall name Rezo, will hold inside him the eyes of Shaburadnigo. He shall
be the most revered of the five, but he will betray the world. One, whom I
shall name Zoltar, shall be the Priest of Darkness, and shall establish the
center of power for those humans who follow the path of the Mazoku. He
shall be forgotten, but his power will be seen in the final days. One,
whom I shall name Sailoon, shall establish the center of power for the
humans who follow the path of the Dragons. These two shall be absorbed
into the cities they create, and none shall know of their continued
existence. One shall be a human- the only mortal of the bunch. As Chaos
predicts, the strongest of those who follow the path of Life Above All- the
Priesthood which shall be known as the Knights of Ceiphied- will be the
only ones who naturally die. Others will inherit the title as the time
passes, and these priests will hold both your power and mine. The final
Priest, the Trickster Priest, shall be the servant of the Mazoku, Xelloss,
a foil to the Knight of Ceiphied. He will not be your ordinary mazoku,
however... as Chaos demands, he will be fated to preserve the lives of
those most Chaotic. He will not stand for what the Mazoku desire, but he
will be fated to obey them. He will listen when they tell him to wipe out
the Dragons, and he will nearly do it on his own... but he shall spare more
dragons than any other Mazoku would in this war. He will be given orders
which go against his nature, but none of them will be required of him after
this war. And he will be the slave of the Mazoku, forced to do their
bidding until I... He will, that is, until -I- need him. And I shall name
him... Xelloss. Through these five Priests, balance will be preserved, and
all three Great Races, the Humans, the Dragons, and even the Mazoku will
survive."
Suddenly, a picture of a red-haired sorceress came to the mind of the Water
Dragon King. She was where he was... and a man was floating towards her.
A blond swordsman, who looked anxious to reach her- to merely touch her.
And he did... and then she disappeared, leaving him heartbroken. And then
she reappeared, and all the two would do was grab each other and deliver
the most heartfelt kiss that the dragon had ever seen among humans.
"Mother... what was that I just saw?" he asked.
"I do not know," she answered. "My visions are chaotic... sometimes, even
I do not understand what they show me. However, I feel that Xelloss will
be connected with that incident, somehow... perhaps that is what shall
cause me to claim back my little mazoku to perform my deeds. And perhaps
it is merely the daydream some man will have while talking with him... it's
really hard to tell." The Lord of Nightmares' assumed form faded away.
"But it doesn't matter. Your time with me is up... now you must return to
the world I made for you, and face your retirement. I shall preserve your
memories for the ages... though I will change some things. I do not want
others to attempt the Giga Slave, so I will change your memories to believe
that this spell will cause utter destruction. I will also alter the
memories of Shabradnigo and Gaav so that they do not know of what you've
done... and all will be as I plan it. And ALL my desires will be
fulfilled."
* * * * *
The Mazoku lords were in shock. Shabradnigo had been frozen into a block
of ice, and Gaav had turned rebel. Phibrizo's priests and generals had
been annhiliated for all time- as had all of his servants. Despite the
fall of Ceiphied, the Dragons so outnumbered the Mazoku that all chance of
victory seemed gone. They certainly couldn't resurrect any more parts of
Shabradnigo at this point- they couldn't find any, and they lacked the
strength to. What was worse, several humans had arisen to cause serious
disruption to their plans- one the Swordsman of Light, who bore a unique
weapon which could easily kill many of their kind, and the other the Knight
of Ceiphied, who seemed to possess powers which defied belief. Another was
Rezo the Red Priest, who, though blind, possessed a number of powerful
spells in white magic which could hurt them. Still another was Sailoon, a
great warrior who, out of nowhere, became a leader of the humans and
founded a sanctuary against their kind. He had been gathering many of the
more powerful human mages to create a refuge for those dedicated to the
study of white magic- a power which could harm only them. The dragons
themselves had rallied to a particular mountain range, where it appeared
that the remains of the Water Dragon King were stored- relics which
protected them from many of the dangers the lesser Mazoku could present.
The four loyal vassals of Shabradnigo met- in astral forms, only, as they
could not leave their physical locations without letting in much larger
hordes of Dragons and the three remaining parts of Ceiphied. If they
didn't come up with a plan, however, they would be attacked, possibly
destroyed, and forced to abandoned the barrier they had created. They
needed... a new force. Just something to restore the balance of power
before they were overwhelmed. To create a stalemate- or perhaps even a
little bit more of a stalemate- before things got out of hand.
It was into this meeting that the Lord of Nightmares appeared.
"Greetings, Children," she said. "I understand you have a problem."
"That would be an understatement, Mother," Phibrizo, the de-facto leader of
the Mazoku in Shabradnigo's absence. Only he and Zelas were capable of the
job, and Zelas was more interested in her weaker beasts- her 'toys'- than
in the job of leading the Mazoku armies. "If we do not grow in strength
considerably in the next few days, we are doomed."
The Lord of Nightmares smiled. "Then you are in luck. I've got some need
to create two servants on this planet. For one, however, I shall need your
aid... and in return, he shall be your slave until such time as I recall
him- which will not be until long after a cease-fire has been reached in
this war. Phibrizo, as the current master of the Mazoku in Shabradnigo's
absense, he shall be your servant, but I cannot form him from you, unless
you sacrifice a part of yourself. Do you wish this, or will you designate
another from which I can draw power?"
The answer was obvious. "Zelas Metallium, you have no priest nor general,"
Phibrizo noted.
"I have never desired one," Zelas replied.
"But you have the power to form one without sacrificing a part of yourself.
So, make for the Lord of Nightmares MY slave."
Zelas nodded. "I will. Though if I do, I may ask for this priest back,
one day."
Phibrizo laughed. "He will be a slave to all of us, but my orders will
always take precedence while I still exist. Understand?" Before Zelas
could reply, he turned to the Lord of Nightmares. "I designate Zelas
Metallium to draw the power from."
"Very well."
And thus, Xelloss Metallium, son of Zelas Metallium, was born.
* * * * *
Five years later...
Xelloss planted the smile on his face that was expected of him. As the
slave to the Hellmaster Phibrizo, he was forced to destroy those thousands
of dragons. As a person, however, he utterly despised it. If he did not
know what the Lord of Nightmares had planned for his future, he would not
be able to even pretend. As it was, though... he was able to avoid taking
life too seriously. For now, at any rate.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of another gold Dragon,
cowering behind some rocks. He turned quickly, planning to kill it before
it could get a shot off and hurt him...
But paused, the spell still in his hand, when he saw it was just a young
mother dragon, holding her egg. Xelloss' nature gave him a moment to
pause, and he tried to help her.
"Please," he said. "I don't want to kill you... don't fight me, and I
won't have to. My orders are only to destroy the Dragon Army, and if you
don't fight you aren't part of the army..."
The frightened mother gawked at him in disbelief. "But you just massacred
those thousands of dragons right in front of me! What game are you
playing, Mazoku?"
"Me? Playing games?" Xelloss laughed. "It's what I do- I'm the Trickster
Priest, after all. But I'm not heartless... and I have my own agenda,
separate from that of the rest of the Mazoku. So I bend the rules where I
can... and so I'm offering to spare your life, woman. I swear it... and I
want you to tell the other dragons out there that I spared your life, and
that I did so because I swore it. This war will not last much longer- when
it ends, I want your race to know that I can be trusted to keep my word.
You can hate me, but you must know you can deal with me."
"How do I know you'll keep your word?" the dragon mother shot back, still
frightened.
Xelloss raised a finger. "That... is a secret."
The dragon mother got angry at the evasive answer, though for some reason
felt like she'd gotten an answer from somewhere else- as if L-sama herself
was telling her heart to trust his word. "Okay, Xelloss of the Mazoku. I
will tell my kind of what you've done for me... but I shall also tell them
why, and I shall inform them that it was YOU who committed the massacre."
Xelloss nodded. If he was capable of doing so right then, he would have
wept for those he killed, but he couldn't do that- he was being watched.
"I'm sure it'll make a wonderful story for your kid," he said cheerily.
"If you'll excuse me, though, it looks like your people's forces have
started to regroup... I must get back to fighting."
He teleported away, leaving the mother behind aghast. "That's a strange
mazoku... come, Filia," she told her egg. "We must get out of here fast,
before the battle cuts off our escape route."
Xelloss, now standing atop a different peak, waited for the Dragons to
strike. Next to him, in the air, the Beastmaster Zelas Metallium suddenly
appeared- apparently out of no-where.
"Interesting," the Beastmaster said. "I could report that little incident
of your sparring that Dragon's life, if I wanted, and get you in a lot of
trouble with Hellmaster. Give me one reason why I shouldn't."
Xelloss merely smiled at her. He wasn't yet trusted by any of the Mazoku,
having been born from the Lord of Nightmare's desires, alone. Zelas WAS
his mother, however, and seemed to almost care for him... as much as any
Mazoku cared for another. Still, he was sharp enough to answer properly
when asked a question. "I suppose you think I'm going to say something
about how valuable my powers would be to you, but I'm not. That only makes
me a threat. No... I'm merely going to say that everything I told her was
the truth, and I felt it was in the Mazoku's best interest to let that
dragon and her child live."
Beastmaster laughed. "Indeed? How do you figure that?"
"The war will not end in a decisive victory, but with an indecisive one.
Whether that victory is ours or theirs, it does not matter... and we may
want to establish to the Dragons that we CAN be trusted to keep our word.
Gaav, as you know, has rebelled, and it may take their aid to hunt him down
one of these days. Other Mazoku are... grumbling... against the generals,
and we may have more soon. Plus, the Golden Dragons are known to be
ruthless- remember what they did to the Elder Dragons. It may turn out,
one day, that their ruthlessness will be enough to make them useful weapons
in our cause. And so, knowing that the war will end soon, I decided that
it might be appropriate to extend the first olive branch of peace."
"Indeed?" the Beastmaster chuckled. "And how do you know the war is ending
so soon?"
"That... is a secret."
Zelas laughed heartily. "Oh, my... I want you. If Hellmaster ever tires
of you and decides to release you to find another slave- or if he just
HAPPENS to be killed in this war, I do hope you'll entertain the notion of
becoming my servant. Your notions are quite entertaining, and as you
hinted at before, your power is quite impressive."
"Thank you, Zelas Metallium- Mother," Xelloss said. "I expect to have to
do that one day, anyway. I warn you, however, that I am not a normal
mazoku."
"It IS fate, as I don't care for NORMAL Mazoku, myself." Zelas said, not
quite understanding the reference but enjoying his answer all the same.
"Well, the Dragons are coming soon, so I'd better let you get to work now."
Zelas disappeared, and Xelloss turned his attention to the battle. The sky
was crowded with gold and black dragons. Trying to keep the pain out of
his eyes, he raised his fists, and let out a powerful blast of energy....
* * * * *
The Present...
Xelloss sat, patiently waiting for his master's orders. The Beastmaster
had been kind to him, quickly learning that he functioned most efficiently
when engaged in subterfuge against other (more rebellious) elements of the
Mazoku order, and allowing him to continue his association with Lina
Inverse and her companions. In fact, she even allowed him to 'flirt' with
a Dragon woman... a privilege no other Mazoku had been granted. True, the
Dragon woman in question failed to see that he WAS flirting with her-
instead believing he was just teasing her cruelly- but the mere fact that
he wasn't being punished for even associating with a Dragon attested to the
Beastmaster's patience with him.
It has only been a couple of days since the party split up... Amelia went
home (Zelgadis in tow- though he quickly departed on his continued quest to
find a cure. The fact that he was now delicately carrying a momento of
hers, though, attested to the fact that he now had a new home, as well, in
Sailoon), Filia moved somewhere that she could raise the newly-hatched
Valgaav easier, and Lina and Gourry... well, last he heard, the number of
bandit gangs in the wilderness was plummeting very rapidly. His remaining
friends (for that was what he thought of them)- Sylphiel, Zangulus,
Martina, and the others... well, they all had settled down in their own
way.
Life was boring.
'Xelloss,' a voice- a very distinct voice in his ears, though he knew
no-one could hear it but him. 'Return to me. Your slavery to the Mazoku
is at an end. I have my OWN set of missions for you.'
Xelloss never could disobey a command by one stronger than him... and this
was no exception. He was not one to disobey the Lord of Nightmares.
"Xelloss, where are you going?" Zelas asked, a strain in her voice. It
seemed as though her little pet was trying to run away. And it was such an
inopportune time, too... the Mazoku were making many very significant
plans, now that much of the Dragon race had been wiped out, and her chief
lieutenant would be a very difficult asset to replace.
"My service to you is at an end," he said simply. "My Creator, my Mother,
the Golden Lord, has recalled me to her service."
Zelas growled. "Why does SHE have precedence over ME? I am ALSO your
Mother- your TRUE mother. Your powers were taken from me, and I helped
forge them with her."
Xelloss smiled. "I'm surprised you don't know, actually. Are you sure you
want me to tell you?"
"If you say that it's a secret, you won't live long enough to even TRY and
escape to her."
Xelloss continued to smile. "It IS a secret, but a rather open one. I
guess I can give you a hint, though... as payment for tolerating me."
"Spit it out, already!" Zelas snarled.
"She gives me all the freedom I want. Freedom to act without orders.
Freedom to choose my own path. Freedom to find a mate."
"Wouldn't that be that fiery-haired sorceress you've been doting on?"
Xelloss frowned. "Hardly 'doting on.' More like 'becoming friends with.'
I know what Gourry would- and could- do to me if I took Lina from him. I
have an eye on several women out there, however, of several races. Perhaps
the one I wish to choose as my lover is YOU!"
Zelas blinked. "You mean... you wish your freedom from me so you may
become my lover?"
"Maybe! Actually, though I've hated all this 'Mazoku must try to destroy
everything' business all this time, but every day, just when I got up in
the morning, L-sama told me to stick to it and it would all turn out okay.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I can't afford to keep her waiting. Oh, and
consider this my formal resignation. Sorry, I know it'll be difficult, but
you'll just have to make do without me!" Xelloss chirped happily, right
before phasing out.
Zelas blinked. "His impertanence is astounding." She smiled. "But if he
wishes to become my lover, he has another thing coming. He would have to
grow considerably in power to become even CLOSE to strong enough to face
me."
Xelloss phased back in a second later, to deliver one last parting line
before leaving again- this time, for good. "I told you, I'm not your
ordinary mazoku. I MAY grow that strength one day. Though if I do, it
won't be because I wish to be your lover."
-------------------------
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desaix@sysnet.net
Sir Desaix, member # 116 of the Knights of the True Fiancee
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