by Handsome Puppy
Disclaimer: Slayers belongs to Hajime Kanzaka/Rui Araizumi/Kadokawa Shoten/TV TOKYO/SOFTX/Marubeni.
Author's Note: For some reason, I adore the combination of Filia as an innocent little girl and Xelloss as a wolf, and this little piece is one of the possible results from such combination. It's AU, a few centuries before TRY. This is a stand alone story that might have a sequel because I left some threads that can be further explorered. We'll see. ^^ A big thank you to Xellia Metallium for beta reading! Enjoy~^^
Beast Priest Xelloss Metallium found himself enveloped in a whirl of light, having been caught off guard by the Black Dragon on the ground whom he thought was dead.
"Nani?!" He span around quickly to give the old man the last blow, but there was nothing he could do about the spell.
"Chi!! This is not good!" Xelloss teleported out, feeling the change from within his body taking place. By the time he re-appeared far away from the battlefield, a large purple wolf stood at his place.
Who would have thought that the great Beast Priest would end up like this.
Xelloss struggled to stand but collapsed with a thud. Whatever that Black Dragon did to him was serious. The spell not only turned him into an ordinary wolf, but his Mazoku abilities were all sealed leaving him as vulnerable as an armless human. True, he still had his fangs and claws as a wolf, but these made no difference when his opponents were Mazoku. Apparently, someone discovered his current condition and made a fuss about it. As a result, many lesser Mazoku were now after him, wishing to destroy him in order to be recognised and even get promoted. Without his Mazoku abilities, Xelloss couldn't fight back and could certainly not regenerate himself when injured.
He let out another sigh. His eyelids were getting heavier by the minutes, and he was losing his senses from the wounds and fatique. Sleep sounded very inviting, yet he knew very well that he might not ever wake up again if he surrendered now. He fought to keep his eyes open. He had to...
Warm... It felt nice...
Xelloss snapped his eyes open when he realised that he had fellen asleep. He jolted with a start, startling himself in the process. One quick glance around told him that he was in some sort of cave. A fire was burning brightly near the mouth of the cave, and he was lying on a large piece of fur. If he looked hard enough, he could see more objects piled against the wall in deeper parts beyond the firelight's reach. Did someone save him? Xelloss remembered the condition he was in before he lost consciousness. He surveyed himself and surprisingly found no traces of any injury at all. Although his muscles were sore and felt very weak, but there was no sign of physical wound whatsoever. Whoever saved him must have used recovery spells, he concluded. His legs were still too weak to support himself so he had no choice but to remain lying.
Suddenly his sharp sense of hearing and smell informed him of the arrival of someone else, possibly the master of the cave. He lifted his head and his gaze shifted toward the entrance of the cave, his body tensed as the footsteps grew closer.
"Oh, you've awakened!" The comer grinned at him. Xelloss blinked. This little girl, who was probably only ten years old, was the one who saved him?
"You must be hungry. Shiro will bring in something for you shortly." The little girl untied the bundle in her arms and chose an apple from the assorted fruits and nuts inside the cloth. She walked over and offered the red fruit to the purple wolf. "Here, have an apple first."
Xelloss eyed the innocent face of the little girl and took the apple. He observed her carefully while eating the fruit. Her long golden hair shone brightly in the firelight, and her sapphire eyes were clear and sincere. She was buried within an adult-sized white priest robe that was way too big for her, the train of the robe dragging on the ground as she moved about. Despite her shabby appearance, a smile remained on her small face all the time. Xelloss looked her over once more, and it was then that he realised the girl wasn't human. Her ears were slender and pointy, and he could spot the tip of her tail from under the robe now and then. So he was saved by a Gold Dragon hatchling? The Beast Priest chuckled to himself at the irony of it all.
A white wolf came into the cave silently, a rabbit in his mouth.
"Shiro!" The little girl greeted the white wolf happily. The wolf nuzzled her a little, and then tossed the still warm body of the rabbit in front of the purple wolf before disappearing into the night again.
"Shiro is the alpha of the pack from the next cave. He helped me to carry you back." The girl said, picking up another apple from the pile of fruits. "Did you get separated from your master?"
Xelloss was puzzled for a second, then he realised that she must had mistaken the blood stone on his neck as an indication that he was owned. When he was transformed into a wolf, his staff was turned into a collar adorned by the red jewel. Hmph! If she thought he was tamed because he had a 'collar', then she was gravely wrong. A little Gold hatchling like her was no match to him even in this beast form. He could crush her bones with his powerful jaw easily...
"Filia." A voice called from outside the cave, interrupting Xelloss' train of thought.
"Uncle Milgazia!" The little girl jumped up from her sitting position. "Don't make any sound, ok? Uncle Milgazia doesn't like me bringing wolves home." She ran out the cave and disappeared from view.
Xelloss followed the girl with his ears, curious and suspicicous. If Milgazia found out about him, there's no telling what the Gold might do. The great Beast Priest could barely fight off one lesser Mazoku right now.
"Have you been a good girl today, Filia?" Milgazia smiled when he saw the small figure emerging from within the rocky maze.
"Hn." Filia nodded eagerly. "Shiro took me hunting this afternoon."
"Filia, don't enter the forest anymore. It's dangerous." The older Gold frowned slightly.
"But how else am I supposed to get food and water if I don't go to the forest? The wolves can't bring me these." Filia shook her head. "And please don't tell me to go to the Temple, Uncle Milgazia. I don't want to become a priestess."
Milgazia sighed. "Filia, why are you against the idea of being a priestess? With your ability, you can easily be one of the First Holy Order or even an Elder like your father in no time."
"Father left the Temple when he married mother to live out here. He never said anything about returning to the Temple for the eight years we were living here. I don't think he would want me to be a priestess." Filia touched the oversized robe that used to be her father's. "Besides, I like it here. Shiro's pack is really nice."
"Speaking of wolves, that's one of the reasons for my visit tonight." Milgazia said seriously. "Words got to us that there was a battle between a powerful Mazoku and one of the Black elders a few days ago near the forest. The Black elder lost and cursed the Mazoku before he died. I suspect that the increasing activities of lesser Mazoku in the area have something to do with the cursed Mazoku."
"Cursed Mazoku... You mean the Mazoku was turned into a wolf, like the big black one a couple years ago?" Filia trembled slightly, the memory of seeing the wolf being tortured to death by a mill of lesser Mazoku still fresh in her mind. She was with her father when they heard the agonising wails. Her father, being a former elder, recognised the wolf as a cursed Mazoku. He destroyed the lesser Mazoku. The black wolf, however, was already too far gone and died in front of their eyes.
"Yes. That's also why I don't want you going into the forest. Even when turned into beasts, Mazoku are still dangerous. Not to mention there'll be more lesser Mazoku lurking around now."
"I've been living here for all of my life, Uncle Milgazia. I'll be fine."
"If it's a year ago, I wouldn't worry at all. Your father is no longer with you; you are all alone out here, Filia."
Filia smiled sadly. "Thank you for your concerns, Uncle Milgazia. Like I said, I'll be fine. I'm not alone by myself. I have Shiro's pack."
Milgazia sighed. "I knew you'd say something like this. You're juat about as stubborn as your father was."
"I am not Filia ul Copt for nothing, ne?" Filia winked.
"Well, if you or any of the wolves detect anything unusual, be sure to call for me, ok?"
"Ok, Uncle Milgazia." Filia nodded, then she remembered something. "What's the name of the Mazoku?"
"The cursed one? It's Xelloss, the Mazoku of Mazoku."
"Xelloss...?" Filia pondered a little. Having been living away from the other Ryuuzoku, she was not educated in the same conventional way. The name that would cause any Ryuuzoku to tremble with fear, failed to get the slightest reaction out of her.
"Yes. I don't know what he would look like in wolf form, but he should have a large red stone on him somewhere."
"Oh." Filia said quietly. She turned to go back to the cave. "Is there anything else, Uncle Milgazia? If not, I'd like to get some rest. I'm tired from the day's work."
"I only wanted to warn you." Milgazia eyed the girl completely wrapped in the priest robe. "One more thing, Filia. Stop using magic. I know you're gifted, and both you and the wolves get hurt in the forest now and then, but you are not trained. You don't know how to control your power properly and end up hurting yourself most of the time."
The girl froze in her pose and spoke up timidly. "How did you know?"
"Don't think you can just hide under the robe, Filia. I can smell your blood." Milgazia sighed. "What was it this time? An injured wolf?"
"Yeah." Filia admitted sheepishly.
"Promise me you won't use magic without supervision?"
"I'll try." Filia laughed nervously and left in a hurry. "Good night, Uncle Milgazia."
"Good night, Filia."
Xelloss heard the whole conversation between the two Golds. He narrowed his eyes murderously. So the Golds were aware of his situation, huh? Would it be better to kill the girl before she lets the others know about him, or use her as a hostage? The latter didn't sound very probable. Knowing the Golds, they'd most likely ignore her anyway, especially seeing how the girl refused to go to the temple. Then he had no other choice. He would kill her.
Filia walked into the cave but stopped a few paces in front of the wolf. She looked sad yet determined. "Are you Xelloss?"
The purple wolf nodded, looking straight back at her. He tensed his muscles and nerves as the little girl approached him. Baring his fangs at her, he got ready to sink those fangs into her small and fragile body.
"Daijoubu. I won't let them find you. Daijoubu." Filia said softly and wrapped her arms around Xelloss' neck, surprising and stunning the former Mazoku. She buried her head in the rich purple fur of the large wolf. "It must hurt to have your people turning against you like this."
Xelloss blinked, and then he blinked some more. What's the matter with this little dragon?? Did she plan to hide him from the others even after knowing that he was a big bad Mazoku? A Gold like herself? And what was that idea of betrayal all about? It's in Mazoku nature to double cross everyone else except their masters. Didn't she know anything? How naive... or perhaps innocent would be a better word in her case. From the little conversation between her and Milgazia, it's safe to assume that the self-righteous Gold elders have not yet corrupted her. A sly grin appeared on his face. He might as well show her some mercy and spare her the agony of being betrayed by her own people later. It would be his payback for her foolish kindness. He opened his mouth and positioned his fangs over her delicate neck.
Filia released him at that moment, causing the wolf to pause in his action a little. She patted him on the head, feeling his soft fur. "I'm glad I didn't hurt you earlier with my healing spells. Mazoku can't take holy spells, right?"
Xelloss cocked an eyebrow. She was worrying about such trivial thing? Then he noticed the patches of dark red on the front of her dress now that her robe was parted. Being a wolf, he had an enhanced sense of smell. However, he was too accustomed to the smell of blood to give it much thought. According to Milgazia, she wounded herself by casting spells. Why did she go out of her way to help him? What was inside that little head of hers?
"As long as you stay in here, nobody will sense you. I learned how to put up barriers from Father and I'm pretty good at it." The little girl scratched behind his ears. "I'll go to the library tomorrow to see if I can find a way to lift the curse from you. For the moment, don't go out by yourself, ok?"
He was really wondering now. Why did she differ so much from the other Golds? What did her parents teach her? Maybe he would wait a bit longer before killing her. Besides, her touches were soft and she smelled nice too.
"I will call you Sei, after my mother Seirya. Everyone will just think you as one of Shiro's wolves." Filia withdrew her hand and walked around the massive beast to inspect him. "There are few wolves in Shiro's pack with some Mazoku blood in them so you shouldn't stand out too much. We do need to do something about the red stone, though."
Xelloss twitched a little. She named him, the formidable Beast Priest, after a female Ryuuzoku?
Filia went to the back of the cave and returned after a few minutes with a satchel handbag. "I'm just going to put the jewel in the bag, alright?" She said, slowly removing the collar from his neck and put it in the satchel. She then adjusted the band and tied the satchel handbag to his neck. "There. Now you look like a normal wolf!"
Xelloss sweatdropped. Did a normal wolf usually wear a bag around his neck? He must looked silly with the thing dangling in front of his chest. However, he couldn't help but give the girl credit for the consideration and the cover-up.
"Now, be a good wolf and go to sleep. No sneaking out during the night, ok?" The little girl said before lying down in the far corner of the cave. "Good night, Sei."
Xelloss pouted to himself when the girl was asleep. He was being treated like a pet! This was wrong! He was the most powerful Mazoku beside the Mazoku Lords! Now, if only he could remember anything from his long life, anything that would help him to get out of the stupid curse.
As he slowly drifted into sleep, he saw the image of a lesser wolf. He recalled the scene. It was not long after the news of the death of another Mazoku reached them. If he remembered it right, the killing took place in this area. The lesser wolf was picking a mate from the pack residing in the forest at that time and witnessed the whole thing. The unfortunate Mazoku was turned into a black wolf by a Black elder, possibly even the same one that was responsible for his present state.
According to the lesser wolf, the cursed Mazoku was found by his enemies shortly after his encounter with the Black Dragon. The small mob of lesser Mazoku tortured him until he died. They didn't get away with it, however, as a Gold priest happened to pass by the area with his little daughter. The Gold Dragon destroyed the lesser Mazoku, but the Mazoku wolf was already dead. The little girl didn't know the true identity of the wolf and wept for him. The father recognised the wolf as Mazoku and told her, taking her away from there. Right after the pair left, the body of the dead wolf glowed and returned to that of his former Mazoku self before disappearing like any Mazoku when they died.
Xelloss snapped his eyes open. Could it be that the cursed Mazoku was the same one the little girl mentioned earlier? If that was the case, then it was possible that the girl was key to breaking the curse. He looked over to where the girl slept and found the spot empty. Judging from the light, the sun just rose not long ago. Did she left already? Just then, the sound of footsteps alerted him of her presence. He turned to look at the cave mouth and saw the girl walking in, her long blond hair half wet.
"Good morning, Sei. Did you sleep well?" Filia saw him looking at her and smiled. "Do you want to go out? The morning air is really fresh."
Xelloss nodded and got up, finding himself much stronger than the day before. He felt refreshed except for a few sore spots. Cautiously, he ventured out the cave to look around and tend to his physical needs. When he returned to the cave, he found the girl nibbling at the fruits and nuts she collected yesterday.
"Don't worry if you're not strong enough to hunt yet. They will bring something for you. You can have some fruits if you want, too."
Xelloss walked over and took the apple she offered, wondering who 'they' were. Filia finished her breakfast and walked into the depth of the cave, only to emerge with a pile of books and manuscripts in her hands. He eyed her suspiciously as she approached him with the burden.
"It would be weird if I carry everything when you have a bag with you, so I'm going to put some in the bag with the jewel, ok?" She said, reaching for the satchel bag before he even nodded. Xelloss rolled his eyes a little. Kids always did what they want, permission or not.
Filia showed him the covers before she put them in. Some of them were about the Ryuuzoku race, focusing on those serving the Fire Dragon Lord and the Water Dragon Lord. Some were about magic and spells, and some were about nature in general. There were two books about wolves and one old manuscript about the Barrier.
"Since I don't go to schools and temples like the other Ryuuzoku kids - we don't get along anyway, I have to teach myself by reading. Uncle Milgazia thinks I'm reading about the Fire and Water Dragon Lords because I want to know more about my parents, but he doesn't know what else I read. If he ever finds out that I'm researching on magic and spells, he'll get mad at me." Filia stuck out her tongue.
Ah, a rebellious little child. How nice. If he didn't happen to be in his current state, he might just take her back with him and train her to work for his mistress. Xelloss mused as he followed the girl out the cave.
Filia led him to the riverbank and sat down. "We're meeting Shiro and two more wolves here. Shiro will bring a wolf with Mazoku blood today." Xelloss settled on large rock.
They waited for no longer than a few minutes before the white wolf from the previous night appeared with two other wolves. One of the wolves was an ordinary grey wolf, and the other one was dark green and considerably larger than normal wolves.
"Good morning, Shiro!" Filia ran up to the white alpha and hugged him. "Everyone, this is Sei." She turned to the purple wolf. "Sei, this is Shiro and his wolves, Blitz and Aoi." Xelloss nodded to the wolves politely, noting a familiar looking satchel bag on Aoi's neck. So he wasn't the only silly looking one, huh?
After the initial introduction, Filia put the rest of the books into Aoi's bag and climbed onto Blitz's back. "Are we ready to go, Shiro?"
The white wolf nodded and made some noises. Xelloss, even though he was a wolf now, couldn't understand what he was trying to say, but Filia listened attentively.
"I see. We'll have to be careful, then." She turned around to face the former Mazoku. "Shiro said there are two lesser Mazoku lurking near the village and there is a possibility that we might run into them. As long as you stick close to us and act like a normal wolf, you shouldn't have any problem. Observe Blitz and Aoi and do whatever they do." Xelloss growled inwardly but nodded to acknowledge what she said.
Shiro nodded and led the little pack through the forest. Blitz ran behind the alpha with the little girl on his back, closely followed by the two Mazoku wolves. They slowed down when the village gate was within view and prepared themselves when they saw the two figures.
"Good morning." One of the two men approached as the wolves came to a stop.
"Good morning." Filia replied politely and jumped off Blitz. "Who are you?"
"We? We are just passing by this area." The other man laughed dryly.
"I see." Filia walked over to the two Mazoku wolves to retrieve the books and manuscripts from the bags.
"Say, those wolves have Mazoku blood in them, right? Aren't you afraid, little girl?" The first man probed.
"Why would I be afraid of my own pack?" Filia smiled sweetly and ruffled the fur of the two Mazoku beasts.
"Ho, so you run with the wolf pack." The second man grinned slyly. "You must know the forest well, then."
"Yes, I do." Filia said with the sweetest smile she could muster. "The forest is a very beautiful place. It's as wonderful as life itself!"
Xelloss almost gagged out of reflex, but he remembered the state he was in presently when he felt no discomfort or turning of the stomach overcoming him. Not having to cringe or twitch whenever someone praised about life was new to him, and he didn't dislike it. He could bet anything that Filia said those things just to annoy the Mazoku. He smirked to himself and leaned toward the girl's hand currently rubbing his ears.
The man forced himself into something resembling a smile with some effort. "Well, have you seen a Mazoku wolf like that purple one but with a red stone on him?"
Filia felt the great beast stiffened at the question. She rested her hand on him. "Yes, but he is not here anymore."
"What do you mean?"
"He isn't part of the pack so we drove him away." Filia replied. "Why are you looking for him?"
"Just some little business. Nothing really." The first man said with a false smile.
"Oh." Filia turned to the direction of the village. "Well, you'll have to go somewhere else to find him."
The two watched the girl entering the village then eyed the wolves suspiciously. In a whispering tone, they discussed about their next plan.
Xelloss sat quietly like the other wolves, keeping an eye on the two. Those two were the last ones to attack him and would surely recognise him without much difficulty. Obviously, the girl's carelessness and actions confused them, and they were not able to decide whether to stay around or search somewhere else for him. He had to applause the girl for her quick reaction and innocent act. He also had to wonder why a Ryuuzoku would bother going through the trouble to cover for him, much less lying. Was it just because she was not corrupted by the teachings of those self-righteous Ryuuzoku elders, or was it something else?
Half an hour passed before Filia finally emerged from the village. She did not return alone, however, as two slightly older boys followed her out.
"You've seen the wolves now. Go back to the village, Kann." Filia said with an annoyed expression.
The boy with short spiky blond hair snorted. "I don't take orders from a girl, especially a run-down like you, Filia." The wolves shifted their poses and growled threateningly at the boy's comment.
Filia calmed the wolves down. "Fine. We're leaving anyway."
"Don't you run away now!" The other boy with straight blond hair grabbed her arm. "You bring Mazoku here and defile the village all the time. We're taking you to the Temple to give you a good spanking!"
Filia yanked her arm free and glared at him. "They are not Mazoku, Tor. One of their parents just happens to be a Mazoku wolf. They are exactly like any other wolves, and they are loving and caring, unlike you!"
"What?!" Tor stared at the younger and shorter girl before him. He fisted the front of her robe angrily. "You are one dead girl, Filia!"
"Tor!" Before his other hand could strike, Kann stopped him. "If you hit her now, we'll be the ones at fault. Just report to the elders and let them punish her."
"Hmph! You are right." Tor released his hold and pushed the girl to the ground with force. "I'll make sure the elders go extremely hard on you, Filia!"
The two lesser Mazoku observed the scene with slight amusement, taking in the negative energy. When the boys were about to involve the Ryuuzoku elders, however, they could not keep quiet anymore. The little ones had not the capability to sense their true identities and were of no threat to them, but the elders would knew immediately and had the power to destroy them. They were, after all, only lesser Mazoku. One of the two formed an energy ball in his hand. "I'm afraid I can't let you do that, boy."
Before the teenage Ryuuzoku knew what happened, a loud bang sounded as something exploded in front of him. When he came to, he saw Filia standing between him and the attacking man with arms stretching out in a pose.
"A magic shield?!" The offending Mazoku exclaimed in surprise as his attack was blocked by the little girl he easily dismissed earlier. Judging from the speed of which she erected the shield, she was obviously anticipating the attack. "Why you!!"
"Filia??" Tor stared blankly at the girl, not yet recovering from the sudden shock. "Since when can you do a shield?"
Filia bit her lips and stomp her feet. "This is hardly the time to ask such question! Go to the inn and get my uncle Milgazia! The Temple is too far and I don't know how long I can hold them off!"
Kann jumped from his spot and grabbed his stunned companion, making a beeline for the village which was inside a barrier that allowed only Ryuuzoku to enter.
As soon as the two boys were within the safety of the barrier, Filia dropped her shield. "Council Rock at dawn! Sei, follow me!" The wolves dispersed instantly as she ran past Xelloss.
Not familiar with the forest like the girl was, Xelloss was grateful for the guidance. Their pursuers, however, had the advantage of teleportation and were catching up rapidly. Xelloss clenched his jaw and slid under the girl when she was jumping over a fallen tree. Filia yelped a little in surprise when she landed on the back of the wolf but immediately settled and gave the directions. The former Mazoku didn't show it, but he was impressed with her unperturbed demeanor.
The chase was on as the two Mazoku teleported after the wolf and the girl. Luckily for the duo, the lesser Mazoku were unable to attack while keeping up with them. Whenever they were on a straight path, however, one of the Mazoku would pause long enough to throw something at them. All Xelloss could do was to run as told and rely on the girl for cover, and the long and tedious run was starting to take its toll on his feet and his newly healed body.
The pursuing Mazoku noticed the distance shortening and laughed. "Ho, getting tired already? Why don't you just give up, little girl? You can't keep the shield up forever."
"You are right." Filia glanced back and saw the powerful spell brewing in the second Mazoku's hand. She had a look of determination and jumped off Xelloss' back suddenly.
Xelloss felt the weight on his back gone and skidded to a stop. Before he could turn around, a large explosion sent him flying through the air and slammed him to the trunk of a tree. He quickly scrambled to his feet and shook his head, looking toward the source of the explosion. To his shock, Filia was lying on the forest floor with blood all over her, and one of the Mazoku was slowly disappearing. Mazoku disappeared into nothingness when they died. Xelloss put the pieces together in his head as he surveyed the scene before him.
One of the Mazoku was prepared to kill the both of them with one big and powerful spell. Filia saw this and jumped off his back so she could concentrate on her shield. She had somehow managed to reflect the deadly attack back to the caster, but not without inflicting serious injuries on herself. As a result, the Mazoku was destroyed by his own spell, and the girl was coughing blood on the ground.
"I must say I am very impressed, little girl. I've underestimated you." The remaining Mazoku approached leisurely with a sly smirk, a large energy ball on his palm. "As a result, I cannot allow such potential threat to continue to exist."
Filia struggled to her hands and feet, not looking at the Mazoku and murmuring something under her breath.
"Filia!!" A roar sounded in the air high above the group. High Priest of the Water Dragon Lord Milgazia had finally arrived.
"Ho, things aren't looking too good for me. I better finish the little brat and take my leave." The Mazoku glanced at the Gold Dragon in the air and returned his gaze to the girl.
Milgazia recognised the unusual purple beast as the Beast Priest alright, but his focus wasn't on the former Mazoku. He was staring intently at the little girl. "No, not Choatic Disintegrate! You'll die in your condition before you can finish it, Filia!!" But it was too late. The girl took a deep breath and looked up at the lesser Mazoku with a deadly glare. "CHAOTIC -"
Xelloss' head jerked toward the girl as he picked up whispered words of ancient tongue. His eyes widened when light started to appear around the girl's body. Without thinking, he bolted toward her and rammed into her, causing her to lose both her balance and concentration and breaking the chant. Almost at the same time, the lesser Mazoku released his attack.
Filia coughed more blood out and forced her eyes to open. At first, all she could see was black, then as her sight slowly adjusted, she realised she was seeing blood. A lot of blood on dark purple fur, and most of it was not hers.
"SEI!!" Filia screamed and tried to pull herself out from under the large beast so she could take a better look at him. As soon as she freed herself, she ran up to face the wolf. "Sei!! I'll heal you right now!! Hold on there!"
But her uncle stopped her effort. The little girl looked up at the tall man with teary and scared eyes. "What are you doing, Uncle Milgazia? Sei will die if we don't heal him!"
"Filia, this is no ordinary wolf. It's a Mazoku." Milgazia eyed the dying beast solemnly. "Besides, you can't afford to use anymore magic. You'll kill yourself."
"Then you heal him!" Filia cried and hugged the large wolf, not minding the sticky blood. She buried her face into his fur when she realised Milgazia had no intention of helping him at all. "Xelloss! Don't die! Xelloss!!"
Both the lesser Mazoku and Milgazia were stunned when they heard the little girl uttering the name of the Beast Priest.
"Filia, you... knew?!" Milgazia took a step closer.
"Ha! To think the great Beast Priest Xelloss Metallium died trying to protect a Ryuuzoku brat! You are indeed pathetic." The lesser Mazoku leered. "Don't worry. I'll make sure this gets known all over the world."
All Xelloss could feel was a terrible sense of dread. His eyes were seeing nothing but darkness, and his body and mind were slowly going numb. So this was what it felt like to be destroyed, huh? He laughed dryly to himself. Dying like this really sucked. Then he felt something warm on his chest and he could hear a very faint voice calling his name. The girl seemed to be all right. That's good. He didn't want her getting hurt. She was too innocent and pure, so different from the rest of the Gold Dragons.
Was she crying? For him? Even knowing that he was the most hated Mazoku by the Ryuuzoku? No one had ever cried for him. Tears were foreign objects to Mazoku, but a little Ryuuzoku was shedding them freely. All because of him. He wondered what Beastmaster-sama would say if she saw this. What would Beastmaster-sama do when she learn of his destruction?
"Beastmaster....sama..."
It was nothing more than a faint whisper, but it sounded like a thunderous roar to the lesser Mazoku and the Ryuuzoku High Priest. They watched in shock as a blinding light enveloped the body of the wolf, leaving a man standing there where the beast was after the light faded. It was a young man with shoulder-length purple hair in priest attire with a big grin plastered on his handsome face.
Smiling cheerfully with some wickedness at the same time, he pulled out a wooden staff adorned with a blood red jewel from the small satchel bag hanging by his waist. "I believe some proper payback is in order, isn't it?"
Filia blinked in confusion. The wolf turned into a man right before her eyes, and the lesser Mazoku was now cowering in fear. As she watched, her pursuer was engulfed by a black flame with a snap of a finger on the mysterious man's part.
Xelloss finished the lesser Mazoku casually and turned to face the Ryuuzoku High Priest. His closed eyes trailed to glance at the girl for a few seconds and went back to the older dragon. "Now, what do you plan to do, Milgazia-san?"
The Water Dragon Lord's servant narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth. Then his niece ambushed him.
"Uncle Milgazia, is that the real Xelloss?" The girl clung to her uncle for support, watching the grinning man anxiously.
"This is he, the one and only Xelloss!" The Mazoku priest grinned.
Relief and gladness washed over the little girl as she slumped down to the ground. "Thank goodness..."
"Beast Priest Xelloss." Milgazia kept his gaze on the grinning Mazoku, his face solemn and serious. "I cannot allow you to roam as you like. Prepare to fight."
Xelloss chuckled dismissively. He took one step forward and extended his staff.
"NO!!" Filia pulled at the Ryuuzoku High Priest's sleeve frantically. "Please, don't fight Xelloss, Uncle Milgazia! He only just turned back from the curse and he almost died saving me!"
"Filia!!" Milgazia raised his voice to scold her. "This is a Mazoku we are talking about. The Beast Priest, no less!" This was when he regretted not teaching her about the danger and evilness of the Mazoku race.
"He was a good wolf. So what if he is the Beast Priest?" The girl pleaded. "Please, Uncle Milgazia. I'll go to the Temple!"
Both priests blinked in surprise. Xelloss opened his eyes to look at her, confusion plain in his amethyst slits. He was a good wolf? Where did she get that from? Even if he was a good wolf, what did that have to do with anything? Did she think she was seeing the real side of him when he was a wolf? He WAS Mazoku, the natural and destined enemy of Ryuuzoku. She should know better even without a proper Ryuuzoku education.
Milgazia's eyes widened. "You refused to go to the Temple for years, and now you are willing to go to save HIM?!"
Xelloss pondered. Since Filia's tears broke the curse, there was no doubt the girl really cared about him. Why would a Ryuuzoku ever have any good intention toward a Mazoku? He thought they were born hating each other, were they not?
"I'll go to the Temple." Filia repeated and closed her eyes, ready to submit.
Milgazia finally sighed. He placed a hand on her forehead and chanted in a low voice. Filia fell slumber and was caught by the Ryuuzoku High Priest before hitting the forest floor.
"Leave at once." Milgazia gathered the battered girl into his arms carefully and turned to go. "As much as I detest this, I have to keep my end of the bargain. She will not remember anything from this past week."
"I don't like to owe others any favour. I will keep her life at our next confrontation." Xelloss called out to the retreating priest, who paused a little and nodded before continuing his walk.
Xelloss teleported above the dense forest canopy and glanced at the grand Fire Dragon Lord Temple that was leagues away. She would become a priestess, and they would become enemies. Those Ryuuzoku elders were very good and efficient at converting people. When they meet again next time, she would be just like any other Ryuuzoku, blindly believing and following everything the elders said. Yet, he couldn't ignore the tiny little voice inside him. She was strong at heart. Maybe she could retain her purity and innocence.
"If that's the case..." Xelloss looked up into the blue sky, his left hand feeling the fabric of the small satchel bag. He closed his eyes and teleported out with a mysterious grin.