Chapter 3
Val strolled leisurely into the village late that afternoon beside the violet haired mazoku who he'd met earlier that afternoon.
"So, which home is yours?" Xellos asked glancing around until he took note of a shop offering the sale of pottery and maces.
"Nevermind, I see it." he said, smirking and Val laughed to himself at Xellos' deduction. The two made their way the rest of the distance to the shop, Val walking in first followed closely by Xellos. At the sound of the door footsteps came loudly from the back of the shop punctuating Filia's dash into the front of the shop to meet her son.
"Oh Val! You've been gone so long I thought something happened to you, I-" Filia broke off her sentence as her eyes locked on Xellos who waved casually at her from behind Val.
"There was no reason for you to worry. I've been fine." Val said tonelessly.
"You! What are you doing here you filth?! Val, did he do anything to you?! Come away from him quickly!" Filia said, her voice strained. Val didn't move away from Xellos, instead raising his eyebrows at her.
"My, that's the pot calling the kettle black. You're calling him filth? You should be ashamed. The only thing he did to me is enlighten me to your lies. I know that the dreams are really my memories." Val replied. Filia's mouth hung open a moment and then she closed it glaring at Xellos a moment before looking sympathetically at Val.
"Val, I-... I didn't mean to... I was protecting you from yourself. Can't we talk about this?" Filia asked. Val narrowed his eyes and sneered at Filia.
"I have nothing else to say to you right now liar. I need to think on all this. Xellos, if you hang around then I'll see you later after I've rested." Val said, and then shoved past Filia and headed for his room.
"Val!" Filia called and then whirled on Xellos who stood smiling.
"Hello Filia! It's been a long time!" he said in his typically jovial voice.
"YOU! You've done it this time!" Filia yelled and Xellos rolled his eyes a moment.
"Oh come now Filia, this isn't all my fault. I believe some of the blame does rest with you. However we can talk about that over a cup of coffee, can't we? Let's go in the back." Xellos said and started for the back of the shop.
"Oh no you don't! I want you out of here right now." Filia ordered. Xellos opened his eyes in a menacing glare that made Filia feel as though her insides had turned to ice.
"I don't feel like leaving. Now lets just sit down like reasonable entities." Xellos said, moving past her toward the back of the shop and sat down, waiting for Filia to fix coffee. Filia, angered though she was knew the threat Xellos had inferred by merely looking at her so she quickly made coffee and then sat down opposite him, glaring.
"You know Filia, it was really unwise of you to lie to Val about his memories. I would've thought you'd have known better." Xellos scolded, then took a sip of coffee.
"I wasn't lying! I was protecting him!" Filia shot back, her anger on edge.
"You just tell yourself that... Well, unlike you I could see that the memories had to be explained to him. He does have a right to know. It's not like I made anything up!" Xellos said and Filia looked at him doubtfully.
"Yeah right, you probably glorified the mazoku!" Filia replied.
"It's the truth, Filia. I even told him about the time I was ordered to kill him by my master and how he beat me up pretty badly." Xellos said and Filia raised an eyebrow.
"You did? And what did he say?" Filia asked.
"He thought it was funny." Xellos said simply, shrugging his shoulders.
"Well if you're so brilliant Xellos, what will happen if Val starts acting like he was all those years ago when he was Valgaav? Huh? What then?" Filia prodded.
"Oh brother Filia! You truly are a simple minded creature. Val won't act like that because Valgaav died along with Darkstar and Volpheid. If anything he'll probably feel less confused than he was." Xellos replied, taking another sip of coffee. Filia glared at him venomously and he returned her expression with a smile.
"Well, regardless of what happens Xellos, you've done enough damage. I want you gone, far far away!" Filia said and Xellos raised an eyebrow, smirking at Filia.
"Oh really Filia. What can you do to make me leave? I can be wherever I want and there's nothing you can do about it and right now from what he said Val would like to spend some time with me." Xellos said, draining the cup of coffee and setting it down on the table.
"I can't make you leave but... You will not spend time with Val and that's that!" Filia yelled and Xellos shrugged.
"We'll see, won't we?" he said and smirked. Getting to his feet Xellos strode toward the front of the shop.
"I think Val will be in his room for most of the night so I'll be back around morning." Xellos said and teleported from sight. Filia glared at the spot where he'd previously been standing and cursed under her breath.
Val woke the next morning having slept the night through and came downstairs. As he walked into the kitchen he found Xellos eating breakfast and Filia cooking more food.
"Xellos, you're still here. Good." Val said, sitting down next to the mazoku and beginning to eat the food from the plate Filia had set out for him.
"Yes, I am. Though much to your mother's annoyance. Ah well, so what will we do today?" Xellos asked. Val looked at him questioningly.
"What will we do?" he echoed and Xellos nodded confirmation.
"Well Val, at least your eating. It looks like you're good for something, Xellos." Filia spat, sitting down at the table with her own plate of food.
"Well good morning as well, Filia." Xellos said and grinned.
"Val, you can't go anywhere today because I need your help here at the shop." Filia said and Val glared at her, looking up from his meal.
"What kind of help?" Val asked and Filia looked shocked, having not expected him to ask that.
"Well, you need to... Um... Help me move the maces." Filia said and Val rolled his eyes.
"Isn't lying about my past sufficient enough for you without having to make up stories to keep me from going somewhere with Xellos?" Val asked and Filia winced at his biting tone.
"All right Val, fine. I don't want you being around him, is that crystal clear?" Filia asked and Val snorted, rolling his eyes and then looking at Xellos who grinned.
"I don't intend on asking for your permission, Filia." Val said. Xellos finished eating his food and then sat, waiting on Val.
"Please just stay here Val." Filia begged as Val finished off the last of his meal, setting down his fork.
"I must decline, Filia. I have places to go. Come on, Xellos." Val said, getting up and heading out of the shop, followed closely by Xellos who waved goodbye briefly at Filia. Xellos walked out onto the street after Val and then glanced over at Val who appeared to be thinking.
"I have an idea... Now that you know the truth about your past would you like to see the final resting place of the rest of your kind?" Xellos asked. Val looked over at him and paused a moment.
"Yes, let's go there." Val said and Xellos nodded.
"Okay then, let's be off." Xellos said, taking hold of Val's arm and teleporting. When the two rematerialized they stood on a snowy ridge that lay just before the temple of the ancient dragons.
"It's cold..." Val hissed, wrapping his arms around himself as his body acclimated to the cold.
"Now Val, on the other side of this ridge is the temple of the ancient dragons. It's rather gruesome so I want to know if you really want to see this." Xellos said, regarding Val seriously.
"Yes, I need to see it." Val said, and began walking until he came to the crest of the ridge and stared out across the snowy plain at the rusted spears planted in the ground, their victims buried under layers of snow and ice. Val sucked in a breath, his chest aching at the barren sight before him.
"Quite desolate. The temple itself is even worse... The golden dragons tried to fit most of the remains of the ancient dragons in there. The walls are filled with the bones of your race. I've seen it first hand." Xellos said and Val chewed his lip, clenching his fists.
"It's just horrible!" Val yelled and then leapt forward, sliding down the slope into the midst of the buried destruction. Xellos watched him a moment before leaping after him and coming to rest at the bottom of the slope where Val stood, glaring around at the spears.
"They're murderers! The golden dragons are murderers!" Val screamed and his black wings burst from his back, stretching outward like great shadows. He leapt at one of the spears, screaming his rage and pulling at it, trying to pull it upwards out of the snow. After some strained effort it came loose and Val swung the spear about violently as he hovered in the air.
"I'll kill them! I'll kill them all!" Val screamed. In a split second Xellos had teleported into the air behind Val and wrapped his arms around the young ancient dragon, forcing Val's arms to his sides causing him to drop the spear.
"Don't! You're only hurting yourself getting worked up like this!" Xellos said harshly. Val struggled a few moments but Xellos kept a firm grip and Val was unable to break his hold.
"But Xellos, I've got to avenge them! They were massacred!" Val yelled.
"I know, I know... But revenge at this point is futile. What good would it do for you to kill anyone? It can't bring them back so why not let their memory rest in peace and just wish the souls of the dead well." Xellos said, trying to calm the raging youth. Val breathed deeply and gritted his teeth, and then feeling his resolve crumbling, he turned in Xellos' hold and began to sob brokenly. Xellos sighed, far from used to comforting an individual he assumed it best he say nothing at this point, opting to simply allow Val to get out his sorrow. After a time Val leaned back from Xellos' hold to meet the violet haired mazoku's solemn gaze.
"Forgive me, I got out of control. I couldn't help it." Val sighed, exhausted after his temporary fit.
"It's understandable and there's no reason for you to apologize. I assumed as much would happen when you saw this place but I believe it was necessary for you to come here. For some sort of closure to your nightmares, whatever that might be." Xellos said, releasing Val who beat his wings slightly and watched as Xellos brushed a bit of snow from his hair.
"Hey Xellos, why did you show up to tell me about the past?" Val asked. Xellos smiled coyly, floating backwards several feet in the air.
"Sore wa... Himistu desu!" he replied, winking at Val who raised an eyebrow at him and then glared.
"What kind of answer is that?" Val asked, flying a bit closer as Xellos proceeded to keep moving a bit farther out of reach.
"It's the kind of answer that I usually give." Xellos replied, grinning at Val who then dove at him through the air, trying to grab onto him.
"You're that desperate for an answer, hmm? Well I guess you could say that once I realized that Filia wasn't going to be up front with you the I had to be the one since there was no one else to tell you everything." Xellos said. Val sighed, crossing his arms.
"Well that's simple enough of an answer. I could've come up with that from my own conclusions." Val said and Xellos shrugged, still smiling at Val.
"If you've had enough of this place I'm ready to move on." Xellos said.
"Yeah, I'm finished here. There's nothing I can do for these other dragons besides mourn them. What were you thinking of doing now?" Val asked and Xellos considered this a moment. Xellos touched Val's arm and suddenly they were at the place where they first met, standing outside the cave they'd both sheltered in to escape the rain.
"Back here? What for?" Val asked, watching as Xellos sat on the one of the fallen trees that Val had crushed the other day.
"I just thought it was a nice place to talk that was sufficiently warmer than our previous location." Xellos replied. Val leaned against a still standing tree, eyeing the violet haired mazoku who sat passively watching him.
"I'd had a thought the other night that I just remembered now. I'd wanted to ask you about something you'd said. You had mentioned Gaav resurrecting me as a mazoku in my previous life. What was I like then?" Val asked and Xellos thought a moment.
"Well, you weren't too different looking than you are now, except for one thing... I think I like you this way better." Xellos said and Val tilted his head in confusion.
"This way? Was I ever some other way?" Val asked and Xellos grinned at him, getting to his feet and striding over to where Val stood.
"Sort of... You were essentially the same except for the fact that you had a rather nasty looking horn right there on your forehead." Xellos replied, poking Val in the middle of his forehead.
"Okay, it's good to know that I lost that when I was reborn because it sounds like it was a real negative for my appearance." Val said.
"To say the least." Xellos added, moving back to where he'd been sitting.
"Well, the other thing I was wondering was if you had the power to do like Gaav did and resurrect me as a mazoku." Val continued. Xellos opened his eyes and stared hard at Val for a long moment.
"I have the power, but I will not use it on you." Xellos said firmly and Val sighed.
"Why not? I think it would be interesting being a mazoku." Val replied.
"The issue isn't how interesting it would be. There is a big problem with you becoming a mazoku that Gaav carelessly ignored like the lummox he was. When resurrected your new mazoku blood rejects your dragon powers and body in turn causing you horrid pain. I won't put you through that because I know that the price isn't worth the transformation." Xellos explained and Val met his gaze attentively.
"You mean Gaav knew that resurrecting me would do that to me? That it would cause me severe pain?" Val asked.
"I can't be positive but it's likely he did, he was the type to overlook that sort of thing though when a situation benefited him, in that case your resurrection was a gain for him on that occasion. Having turned on the monster race he was scraping for any power he could get and you just happen to fall right into his lap." Xellos said and then shrugged.
"I appreciate you being up front with me. After finding out that for years Filia has lied to me about all I am it's nice to have someone speak truth." Val said. Xellos grinned at Val, watching the aqua haired youth.
"It really has never been my style to tell the straight truth but in this case I have that liberty." Xellos replied. Xellos glanced up at the sky, noting the position of the sun.
"It's been quite a while. Perhaps we'd better head back." Xellos announced and Val's expression darkened.
"Come on Xellos, it's still light out. There's no reason to go back. Besides, it's not like we can talk freely in front of Filia." Val said.
"Or can't we? What is she going to do about it if I do hang around. She couldn't do anything about it last night, or earlier today." Xellos replied.
"Let me amend that, we can't talk around her without being interrupted every two seconds by her annoying nagging." Val restated his point.
"Point taken... Even so I still think it might be a good idea to head back." Xellos said and Val sighed, giving in to the mazoku's prompting.
"Fine." Val murmured and Xellos nodded, placing a hand on Val's shoulder and teleporting them back to the city.
"It just bites... I just get to enjoy my time away from Filia and I have to go back to endure the wench's attitude." Val said and Xellos blinked a moment and then smiled at Val's words, laughing quietly.
"You really dislike her! I thought that I was the only one but apparently I was wrong." Xellos said, nudging Val who though in less of a cheerful mood still laughed. Val stepped into the shop and made his way into the back where Filia was working on shaping a new piece of pottery. She started to smile but then as she saw Xellos follow Val in her expression soured.
"Oh Xellos, I thought you'd already left." she said angrily.
"What gave you that idea, Filia? I think you were just hoping I'd leave." Xellos replied and Filia twitched with rage.
"Hmph! Val, are you hungry? I can make something for you once I finish with this." Filia said, glancing at her clay covered hands.
"Maybe a little later." Val said, and moved to sit at the dining room table. He waited for Xellos to do the same but when the mazoku didn't move Val looked at him questioningly.
"I'm sorry Val, I just remembered that I completely forgot about a minor tedious mission my master had assigned me so I have to go for now but I will be back later." Xellos said.
"Must you go?" Val asked and Xellos sighed.
"It's not like I have a choice, I can't directly disobey Lord Beastmaster. If I did then I would be gone for a lot longer than a brief mission. Just be patient and I'll be back." Xellos said and Val nodded, but still looked slightly disappointed.
"Good riddance, you can't be gone soon enough." Filia said loudly. Xellos raised an eyebrow and looked at the dragon maiden.
"I guess that's my cue to go! I'll be back later!" Xellos said, turning and walking toward the front of the shop. As he walked he casually nudged one of the vases off of the shelves letting it fall and shatter loudly.
"Xellos! You get back here!" Filia screamed, standing up from the pottery wheel. His brief laughter echoed throughout the shop followed by the shifting sound that marked his teleportation. Filia stood with her hands clenched at her sides, her teeth gritted as she glared at the front of the shop. The sound of Val laughing quietly interrupted her rage and she whirled to stare at him.
"Did you see something funny Val?" she asked, glaring at the young man. Val smirked at Filia, pushing a few loose strands of his long hair from his face.
"Yes actually. You really are hilarious how easily you let yourself get angered by him." Val replied.
"So you thought Xellos' antics were just comedic did you? You sound just like him! I think his negative personality is rubbing off on you." Filia said, forgetting the fact that her hands were covered in wet clay, placing her hands on her hips.
"His negative personality? You make it sound like a contagious plague! Well, whether or not he's influencing me it can't be any worse than my hanging around you, you are a liar don't forget." Val replied and then swung his feet up onto the table, smirking as he noticed how her hands were leaving muddy marks on her clothing.
"Val, I don't appreciate your behavior at all!" Filia said, finding herself unable to formulate a stronger defensive statement.
"Heh, I didn't suppose you would, I certainly wasn't trying to please you in case you somehow got confused." Val shot back casually and then examined his cuticles disinterestedly.
"Okay, that's it!" Filia announced, grabbing the other side of the table and jerking the table away out from under Val's legs, causing him to have to struggle not to fall off of his chair. Once he regained his balance he glowered at her threateningly as she gazed back at him.
"I've had more than I can handle of all this business. I won't have you hanging around with that mazoku filth any more. He's nothing but garbage and I will not allow you to associate with him any longer. I'm not going to have a son who socializes with scum like him. You've seen the last of Xellos!" Filia said commandingly, scowling at Val. Val drew a shaky breath, forcing his temper back so that he didn't destroy something.
"Go ahead and try and stop me if you can, but whether or not you like it I do plan on spending time with him." Val growled at Filia who met his gaze firmly with her own.
"I mean it, you will not see that trash again!" Filia said.
"You'd do well to mind your mouth, Filia. Because if he's trash then you're something far worse." Val said, and then reached out, pulling the table from her grip and moving it back where it was, sitting down and swinging his legs up onto the table top again. Filia shook with rage, glaring at Val a moment before rushing from the room.
"Stupid wench. Who does she think she is ordering me around? I'll see Xellos as much
as I like, any time I like." Val muttered, and then leaned back, boredom setting in as he settled in
to wait for Xellos to return.