*
*SERVANT*
When they arrived, Xellos was instantly down on one knee, his arm across his chest, the other hands holding onto his staff. He bowed his head, and could almost feel Zelas's piercing gaze on him.
"Is this the golden dragon?" Zelas asked.
Xellos nodded, and said, "Hai, Ju-ou-sama. This is Fi-chan."
Filia gritted her teeth, and hissed at Xellos, "Don't call me that!"
"Lift your head, Xellos," Zelas said, and Xellos did so, but didn't stand up. "Now, Filia. Ex-priestess of the Fire Dragon King."
"Hai, Zelas," Filia said, a slight tremble in her voice. "Why did you bring me here? What do you want with me?"
Zelas lifted a hand, and leaned back in her throne, crossing her legs. "Be patient," she said. She lit another cigarette and brought it to her lips. "As you know, all of my servants except Xellos were destroyed in The War of the Monster's Fall."
Filia nodded.
"Well," Zelas continued. "Without proper help, it's nearly impossible to accomplish anything these days."
Xellos paid close attention to what his mistress was saying. He'd never heard her talk about anything like that before.
"When I sent Xellos out a few years ago, part of the reason was to aid in the destruction of Gaav," Zelas said. "The other part was to look for a new servant for me."
Xellos's eyes opened in shock. He'd no idea he was supposed to do that! And Zelas had never told him, so what--
"That's all well and good," Filia said, a little more strength behind her voice. "But what's that got to do with me?"
"I told you to be patient," Zelas reminded Filia. "Now, every time Xellos reported to me, he told me of his traveling companions. Though he had no knowledge of it, he was giving me the information I needed in trying to find a suitable servant. He spoke of Lina Inverse, the spitfire sorceress, but she wasn't quite what I needed. There was her protector, the swordsman Gourry Gabriev, but with his elven lineage, it's impossible to do anything with him. The princess, Amelia, was too righteous. She'd drive me crazy with her justice speeches before I even got her here. The chimera, Zelgadis Greywords, was almost what I needed, but the magic Rezo instilled in him kept me from turning him into a mazoku. For a while, I had given up hope. Then Xellos told me of a young, violent, selfish lady by the name of Filia Ul Copt."
Filia glared at Xellos at the description he'd told Zelas. Xellos, however, was unaware. His attention was focused completely on Zelas. He hadn't known the information he was given was being used to find a servant. And, the way Zelas was talking, she was going to--
"When Xellos told me you were a golden dragon priestess, I almost gave up hope," Zelas went on, interrupting Xellos's thoughts. "But then you revoked your priestesshood. You are now eligible to become a mazoku and serve me, just as Xellos does."
For a moment, there was silence. Finally, Filia managed to squeak out, "Me?"
"Yes, dear, you," Zelas said. "Now, there are two ways we can go about this. There's the easy way. You cooperate with me, and allow me to convert you into my mazoku servant--"
"I wouldn't be a filthy mazoku if it cost me my life!" Filia spat, her dragon pride showing through.
"Or there's the hard way." Zelas went on as if she hadn't been interrupted at all. "I force you into submission. Either way, I get what I want. A devoted mazoku servant."
Xellos stared at Zelas. She was going to turn Filia into a mazoku! No! That couldn't happen. But, wait.... Why wouldn't he want that? Being a mazoku wasn't.... Xellos cut off his thoughts. Being a mazoku was hell. He didn't even really live, he just existed. He wasn't allowed to love anyone, he wasn't allowed to even care, he wasn't even allowed to die. Humans, and even dragons, had a limited time on Earth, and were released from their existence in the form of death. But Xellos couldn't be granted that release. It was a living hell. He didn't want Filia living like that.
"I wouldn't serve you--" Filia started, but Zelas cut her off.
"Once you are a mazoku, you won't have a choice," Zelas said. "You will obey me."
Xellos had to speak up. "Ju-ou-sama, don't you think it's a little unwise to use a drag--"
"Don't tell me what is wise and unwise, Xellos!" Zelas shouted. "I did not create you so you would tell me what to do! You know that!"
"If you created Xellos," Filia asked. "Why can't you just create another?"
With a heavy sigh, Zelas turned to Filia, and explained. "It's awfully draining to create a mazoku. Even us higher-ups can only do it once or twice. It just takes a lot less energy to convert someone. Even resurrecting a mazoku takes energy, you know."
"Oh," was all Filia could think of to say.
"Ju-ou-sama, maybe you could chose someone else to convert," Xellos suggested. He had to keep trying, he couldn't let Filia live like that. "With Fi-chan's priestess background, the conversion process would be very difficult and--"
"Xellos!" Zelas snapped. "You were not created to think or to tell me what to do!! One more word out of you, and...." She trailed off, leaving the threat dangling, allowing Xellos to think of all sorts of nasty thing she could do to him. "So, Filia," Zelas said, turning back to her. "Will you cooperate, or will I have to use force?"
Filia crossed her arms, and said, "I flat-out refuse to cooperate."
Zelas shrugged, and sat up straight on the edge of her throne. "I have no choice, then." She lifted one graceful hand into the air, her palm towards Filia. "This will hurt, but it shouldn't kill you if you hold still. It will be so much easier with you severely injured, you know."
Filia's eyes widened with fear when she saw Zelas's hand glowing golden, but she didn't move an inch. Xellos was amazed that Filia could stand her ground, but at the same time he was filled with dread. Suppose Zelas did kill Filia? Then what? Xellos didn't know why, but he felt that if Filia were gone, it'd hurt him terribly. But.... wasn't pain supposed to be pleasurable to him? Wasn't he supposed to enjoy pain? Then why was he dreading having Filia die? Xellos didn't understand anything right then, his mind was full of unanswered questions, but he did know one thing: he couldn't let Filia die or be converted into a mazoku.
Xellos hadn't made up his mind about what he was going to do yet, when Zelas fired off her spell. Filia gasped, and her eyes widened even further as the spell came closer to her. Without even thinking, Xellos leapt up from his position on one knee, and jumped in front of the oncoming spell. The impact of the blow knocked him backwards into Filia, who caught him instinctively.
"Xellos! You fool!" Zelas shouted.
Filia, who was one the floor, Xellos laying halfway across her legs, stared in shock at him. His eyes were closed again, and he wasn't moving. "Xellos?" she asked tentatively. She shook him a little, but he didn't respond. "Xellos!" For some reason, Filia's eyes filled with tears when Xellos still didn't move. She didn't know why she was crying, though. She hated Xellos, didn't she? He killed off thousands of her people, she despised him and his kind. So why was she so sad that he was hurt?
Zelas stood up abruptly, standing on the golden stairs leading to her throne. "Xellos, if you're dead, you will be punished like never before!!"
Filia gasped. Xellos was dead? But.... But....
Quickly, and yet still in a dignified way, Zelas came down her stairs, and took a closer look at Xellos. "Kuso," she muttered. "He's dead again."
"Again?" Filia asked, her eyes not leaving the now pale face of Xellos. She was vaguely aware of the fact that black blood was staining her dress and covering the floor, but she didn't really acknowledge it.
With a sigh of frustration, Zelas said, "Yes, he does this sometimes. He tries to kill himself, though he know it doesn't work, and then I have to resurrect him, and it drains me terribly." She heaved another sigh, and said, "Sometimes I think he does it just to irritate me."
"He tries to kill himself?" Filia asked, finally looking up at the piercing eyes of Zelas. "But.... why?"
Zelas shrugged. "Search me." Suddenly, Zelas realized who she was talking to, and said, "I'll have to lock you up while I resurrect Xellos. Can't have you hanging about, now can I?"
"Lock me up? Where?"
"The dungeon," Zelas said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. She let out a shrill whistle, and immediately two demons resembling wolves with wings walking on their hinds legs came into the room. Zelas said sharply, "Take the dragon to a cell until I send for her. Make sure she doesn't get out."
The wolf demons growled, and then each grabbed one of Filia's arms and started to drag her away. Filia kicked and shouted and tried to get away, but to no avail. It was useless. All she could do was watch as she was taken further and further away from Xellos.
After a few minutes, Filia was shoved into a small dingy cell. She braced herself against the wall as she was flung against it, and let herself slide to the floor as the barred door slammed shut. The wolf demons each took a guard position on either side of her cell door, making it impossible for her to leave. Despondent, Filia hugged her knees to her chest, dropped her forehead to her knees, and cried. Xellos was dead, and it was her fault, and no matter what she did, she was going to be turned into a mazoku. If Xellos had tried to kill himself before, then life as a mazoku must have been awful. Filia didn't want to know what it would be like, but she feared she'd find out soon enough, whether she wanted to or not.