10

"This won't do, will it, Xellos?" Zelas spoke, mostly thinking to herself even as Xellos stood in front of her. "The damn Chaos Dragon is haunting us from his grave, isn't he?"

"I wouldn't say that. Valgaav-san seems even more unhinged than even Chaos Dragon-san was. His goals are too ambitious and unfocused."

"Still, Valgaav was a well-chosen ally. His miasma is ever-increasing, powered by his never-ending grudges, making him all the more powerful. Even considering his status as a hybrid, I'd say he's on the same level as me at this moment."

"Beast Master-sama!" Xellos said in a rare moment of surprise. He soon composed himself. "Excuse my dissension, but I wouldn't believe that. Not even Chaos Dragon-san was up to par with you and Ruby Eye-sama's other retainers."

"The truth is the truth, even if it remains between us. From everything that's been described of him, that's how I'd rank his abilities."

"I understand, Beast Master-sama," Xellos said.

"In any case, he lacks both the abilities and weaknesses of the full mazoku as a hybrid. That will be important to remember when sealing him."

"So you've given up hope of defeating him, then?" Xellos asked.

"Not at all," Zelas insisted sharply. "But we should provide multiple opportunities for ourselves and others to destroy or at least incapacitate him."

"I see," Xellos said.

"Listen closely Xellos. Though you can't get rid of him yourself, you have an important role here."

Xellos nodded, and remained silent as he took in Zelas's orders.

Filia felt better the next day after resting. She returned to where the battle had taken place. There was no sign of Valgaav, but no one could mistake the battle that had taken place there. The dead corpses of her fellow golden dragons were strewn around. Feeling horrified, Filia recognized the bodies of the elders that were supposed to guide her. She put aside her own feelings, and continued to observe the area. She eventually found a fellow dragon who still had some life left, and set about healing him.

It was a calming experience, being able to do something useful around this horrible area of destruction. Even knowing her healing may not help, Filia kept working. It took some time and a lot of energy, but her fellow golden dragon eventually began to open his eyes. Filia took a deep breath and smiled as he did.

"Filia-san," the other dragon said, recognizing her even in his human form.

"Thank goodness. Please hold still, I think it will still take a while longer for me to complete the healing. But it seems you'll recover," she said.

After another hour, Filia's work was completed. She sat back, resting herself after the long ordeal.

"Thank you, Filia-san. I thought I was done for. I suppose everyone else did too, as they left without me," the dragon Filia now recognized as Hesperia spoke.

"So others survived?" Filia asked.

"Yes. I was going to go with them to our other meeting place, but I couldn't move any more. It's lucky for me that you came back."

"I see," Filia said. Now she was looking at the landscape that just before had been so green and welcoming to them. It was scorched from their attacks, and a fire had broken out, though she could now see that it had quieted down in the distance. Unconscious, she may have died in her human form if Xellos hadn't interfered, if not from the fall, then from the fire.

"Filia-san, you'll come with me to meet the others, then?"

"No," Filia shook her head. "What will you do now?! Will you continue to go after Valgaav?"

"We'll have to."

"Then I won't be a part of it!" Filia said.

"It's what we came here to do," Hesperia pointed out.

"I understand that," Filia said. "But it's useless. You'll all be killed, the same as everyone here was."

"What else can we do? What will you do, if not continue to assist us toward our given objectives?"

"You can go, if that's your decision. I'll search for other survivors, and after that, I still won't be joining you," Filia said firmly.

"I understand. But if you change your mind..."

Filia listened to the directions for how to reach their new meeting area and nodded. She still wouldn't be going there. When Hesperia left, she was left on the bleak battlefield again. Searching around, she still found no more survivors.

Filia now turned her attention to the burned landscape. She'd spent hours looking out onto it when idling there. It had been a lush area, a thick forest with a human settlement by a river in the distance. The modest settlement had some agricultural fields to the side. Now it was covered in a haze of smoke, and Filia couldn't even see the town to know if it were still standing.

She wanted to check, so she teleported there. The buildings appeared to be alright. But walking around, she could see that the people were in a frenzy, walking back and forth. She approached a young man to ask. "Excuse me, what's happened here? Were you under attack?"

The boy stopped and looked at her inquisitively. "Where have you been, lady? There's no war or nothing, we've just got a bad fire," he spoke in a harsh, raspy voice.

"I see," Filia said. She couldn't blame Valgaav for this. The magic and techniques she'd seen him using wouldn't start a fire. This had very likely been the result of her people's offensive magic and laser breath, Filia considered. They'd just gone about their battles without regard for how it would affect the people around them. These scenes of destruction and suffering weren't supporting the ideals of her clan as Filia understood them at all.

As the boy Filia had been speaking to began to walk away, Filia heard him coughing. She went after him. "Excuse me, are you alright?"

"Sorry lady, I've got to get moving."

"You should stop to take care of yourself," Filia insisted.

"Yeah, I'd like to, but I can't just do that while they need me to use my water shamanistic magic, you know! We've almost got this thing under control!"

So that was it, the boy's throat and lungs had been damaged while fighting the fire. "Please wait just a moment," Filia said. "Recovery!" She used her healing magic to heal the wounds he'd gotten from breathing in so much smoke.

"Ah!" The young man spoke and breathed much easier now. "You're a healer, aren't you? We could use some help from you. You want to help us, right? Could you come with me?"

Filia nodded. She was happy to help the other busy healers, healing those with various burns and other injuries from fighting the fire. They seemed impressed at her skills, and were soon finished for the moment. Filia then helped with cooking, feeding those busy with taking care of the fire, or trying to quickly harvest the crops back from the fields closest to it.

"Miss, you've been a real help," another healer approached her afterward. "Thanks so much, it's nice to meet a stranger like you!"

"Oh no, no need for thanks," Filia said.

"And modest too! Please, sit down and eat, you've done so much already."

Filia didn't want to accept any help from these people, as they were victims of her own people's carelessness. But she hadn't eaten all day, so she sat down and had a meal with them. She spoke casually with those around her, but didn't feel the need to let them know she was a dragon, or that their situation was the product of a conflict that had nothing to do with them.

"So, do you need somewhere to stay, Miss?"

"No, there's no need for that," Filia said.

"Don't be silly, Miss! You don't know anyone around here, do you?"

"I have to be going." Filia had to insist this several times before getting away. These were good people, and she didn't want to take advantage of their kindness any longer. How many more victims had there been like them since Valgaav's conflict with various parties began? How many would there continue to be?

Filia went back to the inn she had stayed at the previous night. Looking in her purse, she wasn't sure if she could afford it here, especially considering that she would now be staying around humans indefinitely. She sighed.

Just then, the owner walked up to her. "Oh, you've returned. You're feeling a lot better today, then?"

"Yes." Filia nodded at the woman.

"That's a pretty remarkable recovery. But your husband did make sure that skilled healers came to help you."

"Excuse me?!" Filia turned around to face the woman in her surprise.

The woman was bewildered at Filia's strong reaction, and just nodded. "Oh, yes. He was around here just a while ago, paid for another night for you both."

"I'm sorry.. It's just that you're CERTAINLY mistaken," Filia said.

"No, he was here for sure," the owner said sheepishly. "I know you dropped off your key this morning, do you want to come get it again, then?"

Despite her irritation that Xellos had dared refer to their relationship in such a context, Filia took the invitation. After freshening up with a bath outside, she went into her room and sat at the table, reflecting on the day.

What could she do now? She wasn't going to change her mind and meet up with her clan's survivors, she affirmed to herself. Their current path would help no one, and she wouldn't be a participant in such futility. She also couldn't head back home, having gone against her clan's decisions. It would have made her trip rather pointless, anyway. Wasn't there anything she could do to help the people here, as she'd traveled so far to do in the first place?

"Filia-san."

Having been so absorbed in thought, Filia hadn't noticed that Xellos had arrived. She looked around, startled, but then regained her composure. "So, you returned after all," Filia said.

"Certainly. Hadn't I said I would?" Xellos said. "I wasn't sure if you would return yourself, thought."

"I went back to where Valgaav had attacked us," Filia informed.

"Not a pretty picture, hm?"

Filia couldn't detect a trace of sympathy in Xellos's words, but could tell that he was trying to be tactful, at least. "No, it wasn't. Very few survived, and they intend to still continue with this fight against Valgaav."

"And you don't agree with their actions."

"Of course I don't! They'll be killed as well, and bring strife to those here through war."

"I see. So what do you plan to do, Filia-san?" Xellos asked calmly.

"I can't return home having disobeyed, so I'll stay here," Filia declared. "I helped those affected by this battle today, I'm sure there are others in need from the current conflict on this continent."

"Is that really alright with you, Filia-san?" Xellos asked.

"Yes." Filia nodded.

"But what about your clan's goal here?"

"I'm really not sure if I can agree with it anymore, or even if I understand what it is correctly," Filia said with some frustration. "For now, I'll just do my best with our teachings and morals, if not my orders upon arriving here. I'll pray for peace, and help those who need it. I will protect others I must, and if I can. Still, I have no more desire to participate in this violent conflict, even if the rest of my clan believes it's best."

"I see. You really are an interesting dragon, Filia-san," Xellos said. "I can't say I don't enjoy being around you."

Filia's gaze traveled from the floor to Xellos's figure. It was almost as if things were going back to how they had been before. Filia had assumed upon discovering that he was a mazoku that he'd take off his mask and turn into an appropriate monster figure to fit his the sort of being he was. But nothing had changed for him, had it? "So, Xellos, what were your duties from before?"

"Filia-san, that would be a secret."

"Is that so?" Filia said irritably, assuming he was teasing her.

"In any case," Xellos continued. "I've completed them for a few hours at least. Do you want me to stay?" He still didn't assume that she still wanted him around, even if it seemed like it at the moment.

"Ah... I..." Filia paused. She had desperately wanted Xellos to stay with her before, but now had calmed down and could think about it clearer. Still, even in her calmed state, the answer wasn't coming to her quickly. There was both the urge to push him away, and hold him close. Even though Xellos still held his default expression, he was still teasing her, wasn't he? Filia felt frustrated. "It doesn't matter what I want, does it? You mazoku will always follow through with your own intentions. Do you want to stay with me, then?!"

"It does matter. I'll just leave if you wish," Xellos said. "But I'm sure you can deduce that I'm here because I do still want to be around you, Filia-san."

Unimpassioned though it was, Xellos's declaration made her blush, gave
her the fluttery feeling in her stomach. She knew his nature, but still her feelings for him had remained. "I do want you to stay, Xellos," she said before thinking about it too much. "I- Well, I mean..." She paused. "I thought I was falling in love with the human Xellos, you know."

"Hm? But there wasn't ever any human Xellos, just me," Xellos pointed out.

"I know," Filia said. Did he even understand what she'd just admitted to him, she wondered in annoyance.

"So even considering I'm not the human you assumed I was, you want me here with you now?" Xellos asked.

"Y-Yes," Filia admitted.

"Well, if a dragon like yourself is willing to put her pride aside to say as much, I suppose I'll have to stay with you while I can," Xellos said. His aloof speech was interrupted as Filia embraced him. "Filia-san," he said in surprise. He wasn't going to lie, even to himself, this is what he'd wished for. He'd wanted her to still adore him, even knowing exactly what and who he was. And now that she did, he found himself very contented with it.

Filia pulled away, though only slightly. "Xellos." She glared at Xellos now, wanting to bring up a previous issue now that she knew he was staying. "You've been telling people that I'm your wife, have you?"

"Oh no, not at all. That inn owner came to that conclusion all on her own," Xellos assured.

"And you didn't at all try to correct her, did you," Filia said.

"It would have been too much trouble to do so for no reason," Xellos said.

"Xellos," Filia sighed in exasperation. It really might have seemed to him that there was no point, she realized. The idea didn't really mean much to him either, she realized. "You couldn't ever be my husband, could you?" she said.

"My race has no use for rituals or titles such as that," Xellos said coolly.

"Right," Filia muttered. It did make sense, she thought as she yawned. Fairly exhausted, she climbed into the bed. She smiled as Xellos followed her, wrapping his arm around her. Filia turned around and kissed him. He quietly allowed her to, and did nothing as she pulled away. Was it really alright for her to share moments like this with him?

Filia tentatively decided that it was. She moved closed and ran her hand down Xellos's chest. He felt real enough, but it was all an illusion, she knew. Mazoku only truly existed on the astral side. The 'self' that Filia saw of Xellos now was just a shadow. He fabricated every detail. "Xellos... Even your clothing is part of your physical projection, isn't it?" she said.

"That's correct," Xellos said.

"So you can't take it off then..." Filia muttered. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't ever seen him with his robes even slightly out of place.

"Oh, no," Xellos said. "I can project myself as whatever I wish. This is just the form I choose most often. I can easily modify my projection to an unclothed man. I'm perfectly capable of having relations, if that's what you'd like to do. Shall we?"

Filia's face turned red with embarrassment at Xellos's very direct suggestion. "No! I wasn't thinking of that sort of thing at all!" she insisted. She honestly hadn't been. She'd only been reflecting on his constantly immaculate appearance. Well, right at that moment she hadn't been anyway. Filia couldn't deny that the thought had crossed her mind before.

"Really? Are you sure you don't want to, Filia-san?"

Xellos was definitely teasing her now, Filia realized. The fact that he was completely nonsexual along with the rest of his race didn't make him blind to her desires. "I'm sure. If you try anything, I'll be sure to punish you," Filia warned.

"Oh my, I wouldn't want that," Xellos spoke with an amused tone. "Well then, good night, Filia-san."

Filia lay comfortably with Xellos. He wasn't interested in anything like a marriage commitment, and not even in sex, or at least not for himself, simply referring to it as something she might want to do. These were only a few of the many facts that shouted to Filia that what they had together would go nowhere. But even considering all of that, Filia knew that Xellos was willing to provide what she needed right in that moment. For now, Filia decided that she'd just disregard her doubts and animosity and accept him as he'd presented himself to her.