In the morning Filia woke from a mercifully dreamless sleep, and for a short time she didn't quite remember where she was, or why. She felt as if she had been physically wrung out to the breaking point, then miraculously brought back...

But from where? And to where?

The room was pleasant enough, soft whites, elegant furnishings, and a comfortable bed. Filia frowned a bit, this wasn't her room. Was she in a hotel? If so, where? Oh, and who was paying? This was too expensive for her.

And where was Val? She sat at the side of the bed. Thinking of Val brought a feeling of profound unease. She realised something had happened and she had only forgotten. She dreaded remembering, but she knew she must. She saw a pull cord on the wall, the kind which was used to summon servants with. She hesitated, whispered goodbye to the peace, and rang.

Almost instantly the three elf slaves from yesterday were in the room, bowing and begging the "Young Miss" to command them. Filia trembled and asked "Where am I?" The elves looked at each other, then one nervously replied "I-in our Lady Beastmaster's guest room, Young Miss."

With the name Beastmaster, Filia remembered, and began to cry. The elf women also became upset, certain that they had done something wrong and would be punished for sure. They implored Filia to tell them what was wrong, apologising profusely. A light voice brought their hearts to their throat as Xellos appeared from nowhere and gently asked why "Miss Filia" was upset.

The women fell to their knees. They were doomed... Filia answered the question and explained she had momentarily forgotten where she was, and why, and that her memory had returned coincidentally with the prompt arrival of the three in answer to her bell. Xellos smiled enigmatically, and shooed the women out. He sat on the bed beside Filia, trying to not seem as if he were enjoying the bountiful negative energy coming from her sorrow.

"You must learn to be less merciful to the domestics." he said. He sounded quietly happy as he said that. "As hard as it sounds it will help steel you to the task you have asked to take on."

Filia responded by silently laying her head on his chest for comfort. It rather bothered Xellos, good mazoku that he was, but he bravely played his part and put an arm around her, hugging her to him, not sure what to do next. Well, but he hadn't been a big brother before, had he?

"Is my request granted then?" she asked softly. "I am sorry about the elves, I have much to learn about being evil, or good, or, whatever it is, but right now my hatred and my sorrow are fixed on dragonkind, not on any other race. And I just could never punish anyone without a real reason. I-I'm sorry if I disapoint you..."

Xellos smirked then said "That's to be expected. As to Lady Zellas' decision, she will tell you herself, it isn't my place to speak."

Filia was silent for awhile then said "If she wants me dead, so be it. You may torture me as you want, I'll try to give you good sport, but, please, promise me it will end, Xellos. I want to join Val if I cannot avenge him."

Xellos shook his head in amazement. "Well, you are certainly in high spirits. Anyway, I have come to ask if you would care to join My Lady for brunch, since it is late in the morning. At least some tea perhaps?" Filia nodded. "Tea, I could handle tea, I think." she replied.

She got up and went to the mirror to brush her hair. She stopped and stared. "Oh..." she said, quietly, then "Xellos, where are my clothes?"

Xellos was a bit surprised at this, after all, the old Filia would have been screaming in some sort of a fit of mortal, or at least moral, embarassment, but now she was just startled to learn she was naked. Only her tail still had the customary pink bow. Finally a spark of the old Filia showed up, and she blushed as she looked around. Xellos smiled and averted his eyes, teasingly. By now he had seen everything. But, on the other hand, he was a mazoku, the effect wasn't the same.

He said "Well, since you seem to prefer wearing real clothes these days to the ones you used to create for your avatar form, the simple truth is that your clothes were ruined in the fight with the three dragons, and are unwearable."

Filia nodded and said "That's right. Believe it or not, I find real clothes warmer and easier to move in than the pink frillies I make from my power."

Xellos nodded. He went on "You don't remember, but you were nearly this naked when you appeared before My Lady last evening. I told the slaves to find some clothes suitable for you. I shall send them in and they will help you dress. Shall we say tea in the drawing room in one quarter of an hour then?" he asked. Filia nodded. Promising to return to get her, Xellos left her to prepare.

Soon Filia was dressed in a simple, tail hiding, ankle length gown. No ruffles or petticoats. It was creamy white in colour, had plain, short sleeves, and was adorned with simple designs worked into the material in a pale pink. Her hair was brushed and set in a plain pony tail. The band used to hold it was a bit omninous, being a fierce wolf's head design, but, this was Wolfpack island, after all. Her white boots had been cleaned and were still useable, but she opted for some light slippers. Nothing fancy, but she managed to look very pretty just the same. Or perhaps it was just her...

She gulped, entered, and bowed when Xellos brought her to the room, then stood there, not knowing what else to do. Zellas was standing, smoking and looking out a big window, with her back to Filia. This awkward situation lasted for a full minute, at least, long enough for Filia to glance nervously at Xellos, who merely stood there, smirking.

Zellas spoke, very quietly. "Come little Filia, join me at the window and tell me what you see." she requested, rather enigmatically. Filia went over and looked out. The first thing she saw was a lush garden with beautiful plants and flowers. She felt a strange desire to go and explore. "W-Well, Majesty, I see a flower garden. In former times I would have loved to go sit in it just to enjoy the beauty. Now I think I'd like to sit in it to remember my-my baby. He would have been beautiful too..." she choked.

Zellas reached an arm out and hugged the grieving girl. "Yes, it is lovely." she said. What else do you see?" Filia looked again and realised there were little furry animals in the garden too. "Bunnies!" she said.

And indeed they were. All fluffy they were with their fur a soft milk chocolate brown. She felt a mute sort of awe at the beauty of the scene. "I-it is beautiful, Lady." she said quietly.

"Is it?" asked Beastmaster in a mysterious tone. "Look again." Filia looked, the scene was the same, peace and beauty, and the playfull bunnies gamboling on the lawn. Filia watched, a bit puzzled. Suddenly, with no warning at all, a dark shape swooped upon the rabbits and cruel talons pierced one of the soft animals in a fatal grip. The death scream of the little creature could be heard through the window as the owl bore the rabbit away. Its companions were nowhere to be found. Filia gasped in shock.

Zellas hugged the girl tighter and spoke softly. "Think before you judge, little Filia. What happened to the rabbit, a tragedy, yes?"

Filia nodded and Zellas asked her next question. "And the owl was evil?"

"Yes..., wait, n-no? I-I don't know..." replied a somewhat confused Filia. She hadn't expected what just happened, nor Beasmasters questions about it.

"Come." said Zellas quietly, in her soothing voice. "Let us sit and have our tea. We need to talk. Xellos, if you please..." They sat down.

Xellos transformed from his robes to the dress of a snooty butler and began pouring the tea, very formally. He appeared to be enjoying the role. "You're overdoing it, Xelly." smirked Zellas. "Anything for my Mistress!" was the cheerful reply.

"I'm sorry that you had to be upset like this." said Zellas as she stirred a spot of cream into her tea. "Please, tell me what you think of what you just saw?" she asked.

Filia paused for a minute and sipped her tea to steady herself. She cocked an eye in surprise and looked at the cup, she had never tasted anything like this before.

Zellas chuckled. "It's called black tea, my dear. It's just good tea that was carefully roasted to bring out different flavours than you are used to with the green variety most dragons drink."

Filia nodded. "It is strange, but good." she said. "What did I see? A life being taken. Is it evil? My initial feeling was to think it was..." she said, hesitantly.

Zellas smiled kindly and replied "Shall I show you the owl's nest? And her two baby chicks that the rabbit is now feeding?"

Filia paused "I should have thought of that. Yes. It was evil to the rabbit, but good to the owl, wasn't it?" She paused. "I-I'm not sure what to make of it." she said.

"Well, it isn't an easy question is it?" responded Zellas, sipping her own tea. "Where do we start? The owl has to eat, but to do so it has to kill. Poor rabbit. But what of the rabbit? It has to eat too. My poor garden! Those rabbits weren't in it for a gambol, they were devouring the plants, little Filia. And the plants. They were busy fighting each other for the sun, the soil, and the water. War for the best growing spaces. Why, even the earthworms in the soil fight for their territory. All is war and murder and eating or being eaten. It is like this all over the world is it not?"

Filia thought and slowly nodded. "What are we to make of this?" she asked, with a sad look on her face.

"You knew the answer last night." said Zellas softly. "Do you still accept it as the truth?"

Filia was silent for a space then with a tone of resigned acceptance she said "This world really is corrupt isn't it?" She was silent and thoughtful for another space of time. "Yes, Lady, I still accept it. This world must end..." She put her tea down and slumped over, as if accepting the weight of the doomed world onto her shoulders.

"I am sorry, I really am." said Zellas in her softest soothing voice as she came over to Filia and hugged her again.

After a while she released Filia and said "The thing is, if I give you the power you ask for I have to be sure you will use it as you intend. You ask much, little one, you are asking to join the Mazoku and partake of our holy mission. If you can't do it you should say so now, and we will let you go on your way to whatever destiny awaits you. If you do join with us, if you do take the pledge, you will be one of us forever, and even if you fail you will never be set free. Do you understand this?" she asked.

Filia answered without hesitating. "I have lost my people, I have lost my baby, and those who destroyed my life thought I was physically dead. Where should I go? I have only death left. So, the choice is, do I give in and pass away without leaving a mark, just another dead dragon to feed the birds, then be forgoten as fast as they can eliminate me, or do I rage against the injustice that brought me here and take the world down with me? Val's blood screams to me, Lady. It screams of the corruption of the world. It screams of the need to end it all." She sounded rather fierce.

She looked at the woman beside her and said in a determined voice "Beastmaster Zellas-Metalium, I choose you." she lowered her eyes then added "Of course, it is up to you to decide if you accept my choice, Majesty."

Zellas smiled, a big, satisfied smile. "Well spoken, little Filia. Well spoken." She was silent for a bit then said "But your resolve has not yet been tested, has it?" Filia gave her a questioning look. Zellas smiled and said "Come."

Filia gulped. What was she getting into? She dutifully followed Zellas. They went down several flights of stairs into what was certainly a dungeon. Stopping outside an ominous, thick wooden door Zellas said to Filia "Little one, you are about to be put to the test. I want you to know that if you fail, I will not blame you, but I cannot help you. You have not yet taken the pledge to me, so if you fail I will send you home. Be aware, if you should pass this test, take the pledge, and then fail in the future, the consequences will be much worse. Do you wish to go on?"

Filia thought for a minute, then nodded. "Yes, at least let me see the test..." she whispered. "Fair enough." nodded Zellas, indicating to Xellos to open the door. It swung in with an ominous creek. "Get the door oiled." sighed Zellas. "I hate cliches..."

They entered and Filia stopped suddenly, her hand to her mouth. They were in a dry, clean, well lit stone room. A bit cool, perhaps, but not unpleasant. What was unpleasant was what Filia saw. At the far wall were the three elf slaves. They were facing the rough stone wall with their arms above their heads as far as they would go, and their wrists shackled to the wall with what looked like cruel skeletal hands. Filia was trembling, the elves were openly crying.

"Oh, you think this is bad now?" sneered Beastmaster at them. "Just wait..." The elves cried all the more.

Zellas said to Filia "It may help you to know that these ladies became my slaves by asking for my help and then failing to fulfill their end of the bargain, little Filia. They deserve no mercy. This is also not a threat, but a warning, of what might be in store for you too, if you pledge to me and fail. I felt you needed to know this." She then pointed to a small table. "If you want to serve me, Filia, then take that and use it without hesitation on their backs until I stop you. Do not show mercy." she ordered.

Filia looked. On the table was a cruel whip. She gasped.

"Come, Filia, now. Don't hesitate." Beastmaster commanded. "Or do you not want to any more?" she asked.

Filia gasped again and stiffly took the whip then stood there trembling. "I- I..." she blurted.

"Now!" said Beastmaster forcefully.

Filia screamed and swung the whip awkwardly. She managed to hit one of the elves, who screamed as well. "Oh that didn't even hurt." Zellas spat at the slave.

Xellos appeared behind Filia and started massaging the knots out of the dragon girl's rigid shoulders. "Filia." he whispered "If this was a battle you'd be dead already, and Lady Zellas' gift would be wasted. You would have failed her. And worse, you would have failed Val..."

Filia became animated. "Yes! Yes! I know, I've just never..."

Xellos continued to sooth her. "It is hard, always, I might add, not just at first, but it is necessary too. Do you see that?" Filia nodded. "Good," continued Xellos. "Now, try again, you can do it. It will get better with practice, both the skill with the whip, and the cruelty. Note, I said better, not easier." Filia nodded again. She closed her eyes and took a very deep breath.

When she opened her eyes again there was a strange, determined light in them. She took a step towards the slaves, turned, and bowed low to Zellas. "Lady Beastmaster, please forgive me this once. I won't fail you again, my Lady, but I needed to learn to steel my heart. I will do what you ask now."

Zellas was unemotional as she leaned against the wall. She had her usual cigarette in its holder and she took a long puff. Without a word she simply pointed it at the slaves. Filia bowed again, turned, and swung with a vengance. It was a clumsy stroke, but it smacked loudly, and elicited a scream of obvious pain. With that, Filia began to whip in earnest. Xellos was right, the strokes improved with practice, it wasn't so different from swinging a mace, really.

Up and down her arm went, back and forth snapped the whip. Soon the poor slaves had lost their thin robes and stood naked against the wall as the cruel whip continued to dance over their backs, and anywhere else Filia happened to hit. The slaves screamed high pitched screams of terror and pain. Their skin could only take so much and soon they began to bleed from the savage strokes.

With the blood, Filia seemed to enter into a trance. She began screaming as well, but her screams were lower pitched. They were more like growls really. She had a strange, fierce look on her face. Not blood lust, exactly, but determination. And a desire to hurt and hurt and hurt. Her grief for Val was now begining to come out in the whip, not tears.

By now Zellas was standing up and watching the scene with a look of rapt attention. Nothing like a good whipping to warm a mazoku's heart after all. Or whatever it was they had...

She almost didn't feel Xellos tug at her sleeve. Finally she turned. "Is it your wish for Filia to kill the slaves?" he asked, matter of factly. Zellas shook herself and regained her control. "Filia." she commanded.

Such was the force of her command that Filia actually stopped. But she almost seemed to hit an emotional brick wall doing so. She staggered, gasped, and came back from where ever she was, dropping the whip in the process. She blinked several times, then seemed to remember where she was. She bowed very low to Beastmaster. "Yes, My Lady?" she asked.

Zellas smiled. "You pass." She laughed a strange laugh of truimph and cruelty, then said "We will do the ceremony tonight." and disappeared...

Xellos smiled. "Congratulations Filia! You did well. You really, really did well!" he said jovially. "Listen, after you take the pledge you will need training about how to use your powers. Don't expect to attack anyone right away, but if you show the same spirit in your training you showed here just now, I'll bet you'll be slaying dragons in less than six months."

Filia nodded. "Th-thank you, L-L-Lord Xellos." she said, hesitantly. "I will certainly do my best."

Xellos patted her shoulder. "Except for ceremonies, just "Xellos" will do, unless Our Lady says otherwise." he said. "But you should go outside now and run around, or watch clouds, or laugh, or cry, or do whatever you like to do in order to calm yourself down. I'll come for you later and help you prepare."

Filia nodded and turned and dashed up the stairs. She needed air, and the sun, after the close darkess of the dungeon. She gasped at that, it had seemed so well lit and airy when she had entered, but, emotions can change everything.
"And now to treat your wounds, you poor things..." Xellos smiled at the elves. A cruel smile. The elves, who had stopped screaming and had calmed down to a wimper, now they began to cry afresh. And though it was no good they began begging "Lord Xellos" to not sully himself with their wounds. They had suffered too much over the years of their enslavement to do otherwise. Xellos just smiled and said he wouldn't hear of it.

In truth, he was good at tending their wounds so they healed properly. After all, it wouldn't do to not take care of Her Ladyship's property. It was just that he had his own way of doing so. For example, the very hot salt water he was about to wash their abused backs with...