~Disclaimer: I don't own Slayers, nor am I claiming to own any of its characters, settings, etc. besides my version of Grau and Grou. Don't steal them.

Author's Notes of Incoherent DOOM: Dynast was speaking in short, choppy sentences? O.o To be perfectly honest, I'd never noticed before, but it's kind of fitting; he's not very social, after all. ::glares at pre-readers:: . This is the kind of stuff that needs to be caught because I have few spelling and grammar mistakes...::gets out Phibby's soul orbs and grins:: I'll have to give my pre-readers more...incentive...:)

I wrote this at a very fitting time: It was so cold in my living room that I was shivering...O.o OH! I have another character coming in in a chapter or so, and the rating's going to go up, so you can't say that I didn't warn you. Oh, and I DO know what Dynast's beast form looks like and how big it is compared to a human. It's hard to describe. It's like describing Phibby's Mazoku form; I can't do it. My vocabulary isn't large enough. Let's suffice to say that Dy-kun's beast form is vaguely humanoid and very, very, big.

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"....and that's that, for now," Grau finished explaining. The twins had been alternately relaying what had happened with the meeting in Dilss to Xelloss in excruciating detail for the past hour and a half. They didn't need to make an extraordinarily detailed report to their master because of the link they share with him. Xelloss, on the other hand, doesn't have a link with Grau and Grou, so he had to be told what happened. Of course, Xelloss didn't need to know the brand of wine or the texture of the ceiling in the meeting room, but that was Grau and Grou for you. They can be rather....eccentric at times. But then again, no mazoku is completely sane. Not after the first century or so, anyway.

Grau and Grou sat quietly, waiting for Xelloss to spring The Question. He had been holding it in for an hour and a half and was bursting to ask. "I see that Lord Dynast has been rather busy as of late," Xelloss began, in a halfway-nonchalant tone. "Yes, he has," Grou said absently, milking Xelloss' anxiety for all its worth. Xelloss frowned at the two priests. They weren't usually this evasive when questioned. They usually either bluntly told you to mind your own business, or they cheerfully offered up the information.

"So, how long has Sherra been alive?" Xelloss said, getting right to the point. "Hmm...." Grau slipped his hand under his chin, feigning deep thought, "Well...let's see...ummmm.......one day," he said. Xelloss sweat dropped. He had assumed that she was at least a couple of years old. "She's a halfling, too," Xelloss noted. "Yeah," Grou said, "She was reincarnated into a human body right away. Dynast-sama was -really- mad when we found out that she was human. I never saw him that mad before. It was scary."

So. Sherra was a newborn halfling. That meant that she was young and impressionable. Xelloss grinned. This could get interesting. Her being reincarnated and then turned into a Mazoku meant that she has two memory seals on her. Xelloss lacked the power and the desire to break either of them; she didn't remember her past life as a mazoku, so that meant that she probably wasn't as much of a bitch as before.

"I'd be careful if I were you, Lesser Beast," Grau's razor-sharp tone cut through Xelloss' plotting like a knife, "Lord Dynast is even more protective over her than before. You'd best watch your step as far as Sherra-chan is concerned."

Grau had a point. That girl had at least half a dozen barriers around her, some from Lord Dynast, the priests, and even one from Dolgoufa. That wasn't any fun at all for Xelloss. He smiled amiably at the twins. "What makes you suspect me of anything?" he asked innocently.

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Sherra returned to her room, still preoccupied. She sat down on the bed, and absently ran her fingers through her long blue hair. She didn't notice that the bed had been made during her absence from the room. A smug voice brought her out of her reverie, "Where did -you- go last night?" Sherra started, and looked about the room for the source of the voice.

After a moment, she realized that it was Dolgoufa that had addressed her. She stared suspiciously at the sword. She couldn't remember very much of anything at all as far as Dolgoufa or anyone was concerned, but she did remember that she had to be careful around him about something, but couldn't remember what. "Do you remember me?" The sword continued, its voice still tinged with smugness. "Do you remember Grau or Grou? How about Dynast-sama? No? Do you remember Xelloss? Nothing? Not at all?" The sword kept to the people that she had interacted with. Maybe it could jog her memory a bit. It continued when its comments were met with a blank stare.

"You don't remember anything at all, then? The citadel doesn't seem familiar? Not at all? You used to know this place by heart. You could get anywhere by walking. You're sure you don't remember Dynast-sama?" Sherra's eyes glazed over. Now that he mentioned it, she does remember...something about Dynast-sama. She couldn't remember what was being said, or even where it happened. Just that whatever had happened had made her feel happy. Dynast-sama was with her. He was talking to her, and she was very proud of whatever he was saying. Had it been day or night? She couldn't remember...

Sherra suddenly remembered that she had been given orders. She shook her head, trying to push those thoughts away. "Now where are you going?" Dolgoufa asked, curious. "I'm supposed to take a bath and get dressed," said Sherra as she stood. "Well, your clothes are in the dresser and closet, and you already know where the bathroom is," Dolgoufa said as it floated down and came to a rest on her bed. Sherra walked over to the mahogany dresser and pulled open the top drawer. She blinked. It had all kinds of jewelry in it, all arranged by type and style. Necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings, and other things that she had neither a name nor a use for.

She slid the drawer closed and went down to the second one. It had pajamas in it. There were ones like the nightdress she was wearing, and flannel ones that buttoned up in the front with matching pants. She rifled through it, and thought that maybe Grau and Grou had picked some of these out for her. She just couldn't see Grausherra-sama giving her pajamas with smiling snowmen on them, or ones with little super-deformed penguins, either.

She found what she was looking for in the third drawer down. She pulled out an outfit similar to the one she had been wearing yesterday, albeit that this one was midnight blue. She walked into the bathroom, and after setting her things down on one of the polished black marble counters, she began to explore the bathroom further. She had a bunch of scented soaps and body washes. She also had the typical shampoos and conditioners, and bath beads and salts as well. They were all in cabinets or shelves, all arranged according to scent. Bath towels, hand towels, this bathroom had everything, not to mention the Jacuzzi-style tub. The theme, like the rest of Sherra's little world, was black with tastefully placed golden accents. She could hear Dolgoufa humming an ancient tune as she closed her bathroom door and prepared her bath.

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Xelloss had left, supposedly to confer with Dynast about whatever, and Grau and Grou kept their smiles on until the door closed behind the Lesser Beast. The second that door shut, their countenances changed drastically. Their expressions had hardened considerably, as though they were very displeased at something. "This can't be good," Grau said flatly. "Yes, Xelloss seemed more interested in Sherra-chan than he ought to be," Grou said quietly, "Could you feel his emotions? He cloaked them well, but not well enough."

In truth, Grau and Grou were quite possibly the eldest out of all the Mazoku Priests and Generals. No one was sure if Hellmaster had made his servants first or if Dynast had. That gave them an edge over the others. Xelloss may be the most powerful, but Grau and Grou had far more experience. They also wore masks like Xelloss did, only they didn't take them off when someone other than Lord Dynast or his servants was there. They had disillusioned even Xelloss, though he hadn't brought his guard down much. It's true that the Dark Lords get along fairly well, but how well their servants got along was another story entirely. It was like a race, each party for itself. It was a continuing contest to see whose servants served their masters the best. The Dark Lords themselves paid next to no attention to the little war going on between their underlings, so long as there were no open attacks. A little rumor here, a little manipulation there, a quick play on words, and another battle was started.

The twins were seated on a rug on the floor that lay a few feet from the fireplace. The floor was frosted over, it had been so cold last night. The rug and the floor in the immediate vicinity of the fireplace had defrosted, but the rest of the study was sparkling in the thin sheen of ice. That was alright. Not only did the twins enjoy the cold, but Xelloss loathed being up North for any prolonged amount of time. "We'll need to warn Sherra-chan..." Grau said as he sent out a mental link to the young Mazoku, who was quite content in completely ignoring Grau, seeing as she was half asleep in her bath. "Yes," Grou continued his brother's thought, "Sherra-chan needs to learn how to uphold and defend Lord Dynast's honor and dignity! Knowing her, she'll catch on -real- quick..." The twins sniggered. The two were silent for a few seconds. "Hey...wanna go spy on Xelloss?" "Okay." The twins disappeared in indigo blurs.

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Sherra sighed and leaned back in the tub. She needed this. After a lengthy internal debate, she was now soaking in a rose-scented bubble bath. Her alternative was honeysuckle. Oh, and lavender. And peony. And vanilla. And freesia. She brought one of her hands to eye-level and watched the opalescent beads of water roll off her hand, leaving a soapy film behind. There were mirrors everywhere in the bathroom, and even now she could see her face. She'd already washed her hair and everything. She sank deeper in her bath, troubled by the thoughts coursing through her. This whole thing seemed like a dream; it had a serious sense of déjà vu to her. She knew bits and pieces of information about things. Take Dolgoufa for instance. Her sword was dangerous, there was no doubting that, but there was something else she remembered she should watch out for, but couldn't remember what.

She had met Dynast-sama, and Grau and Grou, and as far as she could tell, they were the only high level Mazoku living in the citadel aside from herself. And yet.....and yet, she couldn't help but feel like there was someone missing. Her thoughts slipped back to her master, they always did. She felt close to him, much closer than she felt with the twins. There was something about him, something about his voice, his gaze upon her, and the way he moved that pulled her in. She couldn't put into words how she felt. Just that it was good. She smiled to herself as she stood and went over to the side of the bath.

This was the part she hated the most: getting out. The frigid cold of the citadel was a considerable contrast to the balmy temperature she had created in her bathroom. With a heavy sigh, she pulled herself out of the tub and grabbed a towel. She caught sight of herself in one of the mirrors. She really wasn't bad looking at all, in fact she thought that she was pretty, but her chest could stand to be bigger. She toweled herself off and proceeded to comb out her hair. It was shiny and silky smooth when dry.

Quickly, she pulled on her pants and sweater, and went into her bedroom to find her boots. Dolgoufa was still lying on her bed. She grabbed a belt and hooked Dolgoufa to it. She clasped the belt around her waist as she slipped her boots on. Pleased that she had finished her task so quickly, she happily walked out of her room and into the hallway.

"Yours is a face I have not been expecting to see again," a voice came from behind her. Startled, Sherra whirled around and faced the owner of the voice. It was that Mazoku man from earlier, Xelloss. Sherra shivered. Her hair was still wet and had made the back of her sweater quite damp. "What do you want?" She said, forcing her voice to stay steady. There was something different about the man, something she didn't like. His voice had changed somehow. It was slightly colder than before.

Xelloss didn't reply to Sherra's question. Instead he simply smiled knowingly and slowly approached the young Mazoku. He gave her a careful look over before commenting, "Your human form is a little different. You're taller now, among other things," Xelloss ended that last thought with a chuckle. Nervously, Sherra backed away from Xelloss. Xelloss let one eye crack open for a split second before musing, "I wonder why he brought you back, though? You were killed in a duel, defeated fair and square. I must admit, it is quite out of Lord Dynast's character to resurrect a servant who failed him so completely." He saw Sherra's confused expression and smiled inwardly. She was so much fun to play with! "What do you mean?" the girl demanded sharply, and for a moment, it was as if she'd never died, that the old Sherra was standing before Xelloss. Moments pass quickly, however, and Sherra quickly resumed her former demeanor.

If Xelloss was startled by Sherra's sudden outburst, he didn't show it. He simply kept smiling. "Aren't you curious why he still wants you around?" he continued, "Lord Dynast doesn't reward failure. Why did he bother to bring you back? Surely you've been wondering...?" Sherra was frozen in place, unable to answer. What was he talking about? Had she failed her master? How? If what he said was true...

"Xelloss!" Grau's voice came ringing down the hall, startling the two Mazoku. "I thought that you went off to speak with Lord Dynast! Did you forget where the throne room is?" Grau and Grou suddenly teleported in between Xelloss and Sherra, making a wall of sorts. Xelloss' countenance slipped for a moment. It annoyed him to no end that those two could still sneak up on him, even after all these centuries. "Actually, no, it isn't necessary," Xelloss replied. He really didn't want to speak with Lord Dynast, particularly if Lord Dynast knew what Xelloss had just done. "I'll be leaving now," he added as he teleported away. The twins looked over at Sherra, who was visibly shaken. "Sherra-chan," Grou began. Sherra looked at him, shaking. "Don't listen to the Lesser Beast. He works through trickery and manipulation. He twists the truth around, makes things seem like one thing when they're really another," he said. Sherra turned away from the twins and teleported, murmuring, "I'm supposed to see Lord Dynast."

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Dynast Grausherra, the most powerful Mazoku on this plane that was still able to move about, was currently seated on his throne, which matched his throne room and the rest of his citadel splendidly. Everything was in good taste, he had seen to that, and nothing was overdone. He was perturbed by what his priests had just reported to him, and the appearance of his very unsettled young General furthered his frustration. Xelloss hadn't given him a headache; he'd given him a migraine. Damn that little pest. But what was done was done, and there was no use dwelling on it.

He turned his attention to his General, who was visibly upset. She'd asked him if she had failed him in her past life, if her death was a result of her failure. This was dangerous ground to tread upon. If she was fully Mazoku, he'd not have been worried, but her human half incapacitated her. She could fall victim to insecurity and self-doubt much more easily than if she was fully Mazoku. If she found out.... Though her death had been honorable, Sherra had always been a perfectionist and that wasn't about to change. He could tell, even now. If she found out that she had failed him, what that would do to her psyche...he couldn't afford to lose her now, not after all he went through to reclaim her.

Grausherra's expression hardened as he said, "What's happened happened and it cannot be changed; it is in the past and will stay there. We need to concentrate on the task at hand: your training." Sherra bowed her head, somewhat relieved. It didn't matter, no, it won't matter what she did. Master wasn't angry with her, and that's all that matters.

There was an uncomfortable silence before the Dynast spoke again, thoughtfully, "Come here, Sherra." Sherra looked up at her master and approached his throne. She hadn't paid much attention to it before, but now that she was up close to it, she could see that it could comfortably seat two people, maybe three. Sherra didn't know what her master's beast form looked like, so she couldn't know that the throne was that big to seat the beast form. He had slid into one of the back corners, and pulled her down to sit in front of him. She didn't understand what he was doing until he informed her that she should have her hair "braided" when she was using her sword. She didn't know what a "braid" was, so she sat still and let Dynast-sama braid it. He showed her how to do it, and advised her to practice braiding later.

After several hours' time of intense sword training Sherra felt as though she was finally getting the hang of it. Grausherra was pleased as well. She was learning quickly, and remembering what she had learned two hours ago. Excellent. Sherra was panting, exhausted with the training. She had been right: her training had gotten a lot harder, but she enjoyed it. Grausherra, however, had barely broken a sweat. "Alright, that's enough for today," he said as he sat in his throne.

"It's time you got some firsthand experience," he continued as he sent out a summons to his priests. Instantly, Grau and Grou appeared. They shot a curious glance to Sherra before turning their attention to their Lord. "Take Sherra to Dilss with you tomorrow; she needs some firsthand experience. You know what to do. You'll depart first thing tomorrow morning," he turned toward Sherra, "Take Dolgoufa with you; you'll need him." Sherra nodded while Grau and Grou bowed and simultaneously said, "Hai, Dynast-sama."

Grausherra dismissed his General and Priests. He sighed and stood. He'd need to confront Beastmaster about this, but not today. His temper was barely in check and he'd probably kill her on sight. That wouldn't bode over well with Lord Ruby-Eye. He hated visiting Beastmaster. As if it wasn't enough that she almost constantly hit on him, but now her minion has to go and harass his. It wouldn't have bothered him as much if Xelloss hadn't put Sherra in such a precarious position. He sighed again. It was getting late. Evening had come and gone. He extended his mind to check on Sherra; she was asleep, and Grau and Grou were preparing for the next morning. Grausherra left the throne room in a black blur. The dawn was swiftly approaching, and even Dark Lords need sleep.

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~` End Chapter 8. So, how was it? Like it, hate it? Now that you've come this far, review it! Next chapter's going to be interesting to say the least, that I'll guarantee you.