21
Galen appeared to have completely forgotten the incident with Zelas by the afternoon, as he sat outside, happily drilling his lighting spell. From talking to Filia, Xellos found out that he'd weakly managed the spell once, but really still hadn't memorized the incantation at all. So they worked on it all afternoon. Xellos lay back and continually said it for Galen to repeat himself. Just as it seemed Galen had grown tired of it, Filia returned.
Galen ran up to her right away. "Mother! Welcome home," he said.
"Thank you, Galen," Filia said. "How have you been today? Did you have fun?"
"Yeah! I met Beast Master-sama," Galen said.
Filia's expression fell in horror. She picked her head up, glaring toward Xellos now.
"Mother?" Galen said, concerned.
"Galen, please go wash up," Filia said.
"But Mother-"
"Go," Filia said. Galen saw his mother's firm expression and left. Filia now turned her attention to Xellos. "So you took my son to meet a dirty mazoku lord?"
"I didn't take him to meet her so much as for me to meet with her myself," Xellos said. "I do have my own duties to complete, Filia-san."
"If you'd told me what you were planning I would have taken him with me to the temple instead!" Filia said.
"I didn't see a need. I knew my duties wouldn't take me very long compared to yours," Xellos said.
"That's not the point! Do you really care so little that you'd put my son such danger?"
Xellos opened his mouth. He would argue that his great master had no reason to hurt Galen at all, but Filia really did have a point, didn't she? It really hadn't been a good idea to bring Galen along, had it? Though his master wouldn't randomly kill trivial humans, she also wouldn't hesitate to eliminate them if they got in her way. From then on, Xellos would just do his best to just keep Galen out of her sight. Out of sight, out of mind, was it?
Filia noticed that Xellos looked thoughtful. His expression wasn't harsh, but he'd lost that put-on cheerfulness. Then suddenly, he smiled, gaining eye contact with her again. "I apologize for worrying you, Filia-san. I won't bring Galen-san into audience with Beast Master-sama again, if I can at all avoid it," Xellos promised.
Just like that, Filia wondered? "You won't?" she said.
"Yes. It shouldn't be that much trouble," Xellos said.
"Well, good," Filia said. How quickly that matter had been solved almost left her feeling uneasy. She continued the conversation to try and alleviate it. "I know she's your mother, but-"
"Hmph." Xellos smirked as she spoke. "A term like that isn't used in the mazoku hierarchy. It fits you, and humans, but not us."
Filia paused. It had seemed improper somehow to refer to a mazoku that way even as she'd said it. But with Galen frequently calling Xellos 'Father', it had started to seem normal. However, Filia recalled that Xellos had always referred to his mazoku master completely differently, reminding her of just how deviant her son's language and her own relationship with him was. She brushed off the thought and went back to the subject at hand. "So, you won't take him there anymore." Filia said.
"No. However, Beast Master-sama did remind me that she can summon me at any time, and seemed to imply that she would be doing so soon. What should I do with Galen-san while you're at the temple?" Xellos asked.
"Hm," Filia paused to think. Xellos may be able to give Galen to her unnoticed, but that would just raise questions. The dragons in the temple with hadn't asked many questions about why Galen suddenly wasn't around much, but there would be many about why he suddenly was. There had to be a different solution. "If the situation were imperative, someone in town may be willing to watch him for a short time," Filia considered.
"That would be helpful, wouldn't it?" Xellos said.
Filia nodded. "I'll have to chat around town and ask someone tomorrow when Galen goes to his lesson. I hope someone will be willing to help."
"I'm sure they'll be charmed enough to say yes as you ask them, Filia-san," Xellos said.
"Perhaps," Filia said, blushing. She sighed happily. She was glad Xellos had accepted and accommodated her concerns so quickly, she hadn't really wanted to fight with him again. She took hold of his hand.
"Hm?" Xellos was surprised at the sudden affection.
"I'm really happy you're with me, Xellos," Filia said.
Xellos smiled, a default reaction of his. "How kind of you to say, Filia-san," he said.
"I really did mean it," Filia said. She blushed. "You're cruel Xellos, to give that kind of reaction to my honest feelings."
"I apologize," Xellos said. It really had contented him to see Filia being so opening and trusting of him in that moment. "I'm also satisfied I can do as I wish right now, Filia-san. I missed you over those years."
Filia didn't care if he was manipulating her for his mazoku intentions at the moment, she was just pleased to have him there, supporting her and Galen, and saying words like this. Filia pulled him closer and kissed him. Xellos wondered if this was a casual expression of her affection, or she actually desired him right then. "Galen-san is just nearby, isn't he?" Xellos pointed out.
"I-I know," Filia said, blushing. She tried to quiet her own desires. "You will spend the night to me, won't you, Xellos?" she asked.
"If you wish," Xellos said.
Satisfied, Filia took Xellos's arm and walked back with him. As they walked into her den, Galen walked right in front of them. He looked up at both Filia and Xellos, his hair wet, his expression concerned. He saw Filia was no longer angry, but that just made him more concerned. "Mother, why are you mad?"
"It's alright Galen, you didn't do anything wrong," Filia said. "I just didn't want you to get hurt by visiting a mazoku."
"Beast Master-sama is a mazoku?!" Galen exclaimed.
Filia was growing increasingly irritated that Galen referred to the mazoku lord so respectfully, but decided to let it go. "Yes," she said. Filia glanced at Xellos. Should she tell him that the person he called 'Father' was as well? No, Filia decided, there was no need to share something so upsetting with him at his age.
Xellos let go of Filia's arm, and closely approached Galen, patting him on the head. "Your papa is also a mazoku, you know!" he said.
"Father is too?!" Galen said, appearing distressed as he glanced from Xellos to Filia.
"Xellos, why did you tell him that?" Filia said.
"He already knew I wasn't human, Filia-san," Xellos said.
"That's not the point." Filia sighed.
"Father, then are you a bad guy?" Galen asked.
"From the point of view of those in the Flarelord's temple, without a doubt!" Xellos said cheerfully. He saw Galen's crestfallen face. "You really should think of me as a villain as well."
Galen clenched his jaw and stomped his feet. "No! I won't! They shouldn't say you're a bad guy!" he said.
"But I am their enemy, so they will," Xellos said. "Though I'm not your enemy at the moment, Galen-san. I can advise you to think of me as one, since that could change, but that's your decision."
Galen continued to clench his fists, and his lip twitched. Filia put her hand up, sure he was going to throw one of his rare fits. Instead, he ran to Xellos, hugging him tightly. Galen began to cry, burying his face in Xellos's robes as he did.
Xellos picked him up and carried him to a chair. He said nothing while Galen cried, only waited for him to stop. Galen eventually quieted, and just sat in his lap silently. "Do you feel better now?" Xellos asked. He could still see the miasma encircling Galen, but it seemed quieter now.
"Father, you're not a bad guy. I love you," Galen said.
"Well, right now it's fine for you to think that way, Galen-san," Xellos said.
Galen sat up, smiling. He dashed off to the kitchen area. "Mother, can we eat soon?"
"Yes," Filia said cautiously. She'd been watching Galen closely, seeing how upset he'd been. He seemed mostly calmed now, not completely happy, but still mostly normal. "Are you alright, Galen?"
"Yeah," Galen said. He frowned, not feeling too badly himself anymore, but concerned about why his mother might think he felt badly. "Is it alright?"
"Yes," Filia said hesitantly. She smiled at him to reassure him. "If you feel fine, then that's okay." She imagined there would be more discussion later, there was no need to approach everything tonight. Though maybe Xellos had been right to bring up the topic, she supposed she would have had to at some point. "I'll have something ready to eat soon, Galen."
"Okay," Galen said. He ran back outside. Xellos smiled as he watched him. It was easy enough to interpret the young boy's reaction. As he was now, Galen was only upset because he found out one he loved was a mazoku. He likely didn't fully understand what that meant yet, only knew that those in the temple he often spent time had cursed mazoku over and over. There was no thought in his mind that mazoku couldn't love, or that Galen himself shouldn't love Xellos because he couldn't do so in return. It was naïve, but Xellos supposed he really did appreciate Galen's sentiments.
The next day, Xellos appeared in front of Filia as she went to the human settlement to get Galen from his lesson. "Xellos, you startled me," she said.
"Good afternoon, Filia-san," Xellos said. "How did everything go?"
"Oh, just fine. The family in the farm just outside town agreed to take Galen in case you had an emergency. It was difficult to explain it, though."
"Don't worry, Filia-san. Give people information, and they tend to come to conclusions on their own," Xellos said.
"I suppose so," Filia said. She also supposed Xellos used that technique quite often himself.
"Oh, Filia-san!" Who Filia recognized as Galen's teacher came out of the building, and quickly approached her. "I was hoping to catch you!"
"What is it? Is everything alright?" Filia asked.
"Yes, it certainly is! It's not related to his current studies, but I should let you know, Galen may make a talented sorcerer!"
"Why would you say that?" Filia asked. The humans here really didn't know much about magic at all.
The teacher led Filia to the back of the school, and pointed over the fence. "Galen! Show us your spell again."
Galen nodded. He closed his eyes as he concentrated. Xellos watched closely. Had he memorized the incantation? Experienced sorcerers could mutter it quickly, even reword and skip over parts if they wanted, but as the beginner that he was, Galen needed to concentrate and say the whole thing. "Lighting!" he eventually shouted aloud. A ball of light briefly appeared. The humans children and even adults around him stared.
"It's amazing, isn't it? I haven't seen anyone his age do anything like that before!" Galen's teacher praised, and continued talking to Filia, who just nodded as she spoke.
"So, Xellos," Filia began as the teacher finally finished, leaving them alone. "You've been teaching him, then?"
"A little. Everyone here seems quite impressed, and Galen-san really did work hard to get to this point. But you must know others his age have progressed far beyond this stage. He's behind. And I'm not really the best teacher of white magic."
Filia nodded. "Perhaps I should spend more time with him on this myself," she said.
"That is one solution," Xellos said. There was also the solution of allowing Galen to live where human magic users were common, and putting him under the guidance of a human teacher. Xellos didn't want to mention this to her directly, though. If she did bring Galen back to such a continent, it would make things less complicated once his duties for Zelas ended here.
Her following him would make for a nice happy ending, but Filia had chosen to leave him before. Xellos wanted to think that things were different now than then, but knew them being separated again was a very real possibility. Filia had duties here, and Xellos himself would leave the moment Zelas saw no further use for him being there.
It was inevitable, but he didn't like to think about it. Xellos even avoided giving Filia the mere suggestion. He didn't want to deal with the outcome of her outright refuse him right then. Deciding to push the likely turn of events out of his mind for the moment, Xellos's uneasiness dissipated.