The Status Quo
Chapter Eight: Surprise! Mysterious Ancient Dragon?
Footsteps resounded upon the white marble flooring. Lucile and Mortieri walked into her throne room stopping at its center, "it certainly was nice seeing Xellos again, a shame it had to be under these circumstances"
"un" Lucile nodded lightly, "it really was..."
"Is something wrong?" her husband wrapped his arms around her looking deeply into her face, a light blush crept up on her face, "no, nothing is wrong!" she waved her hands dismissively, "are you sure? I can tell when your lying..." If it has something to do with Voirlendi or Virvieri I want to know...
Lucile uncoiled herself from his arms giving him a light peck, "nothings wrong, I just have to call Zellas now"
"oh" he took a step away, "I have some paperwork to get to then" he turned to leave but stopped as he felt her grab the hem of his cloak, he looked toward her blushing face. "Don't worry when this is all over we can get back to those... nightly pursuits we enjoy so much... It just doesn't feel right now"
He grasped her hand giving it a light squeeze, "I understand" he disappeared into the dark.
She brought her outstretched hand to her chest reveling in the warmth that still clung to it before feeling her way toward her throne. She sat down in it as a small screen appeared from a small crystal embedded in the handle of the chair. It revealed the back of Lady Beastmaster's long blond haired head, "Have they left already?" she questioned calmly a plume of smoke rising from where she undoubtedly carried her cigarette.
"hai, Zellas-san" her voice remained its cheery self
Zellas turned slowly taking another drag of her cigarette and puffing it into the air, "and how were they?"
Lucile could barely contain a chuckle, "Imagine Mortieri and I during the Koma War"
"Good..." Zellas smiled in a deeply predatory manner, "If anything else should surface on your end keep me informed..." the screen flashed and then disappeared, Filia looked toward her large window knowing that beyond it a beautiful sunny day existed. "I wish we had never created it... that seal"
A swift breeze blew through the open fields, long grass and bushes were whipped around by its force. Filia didn't even feel it, she was kneeled on the ground her hair obscuring her eyes. A small tear fell down her cheek followed by another, "Xellos..."
"IIEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
The scream broke her from her daze as she whipped her head around to see a young girl with white hair standing from some bushes. Tears rolled down her face as well, "Ingrid I'll kill you!" she was attempting to run into the field when a young man with brown hair and pale yellow eyes held her back from behind, "let me go Kusetsu! I'm going to kill you! You bastard! Let me go!" she screamed loud enough to catch the attention of Ingrid who stood proudly holding Xellos's cloak and staff. The young man was having trouble holding her back, "calm down Snowy!"
"heh, I'd like to see you try little girl! I've just defeated Zellas's greatest general and priest, and it was far easier than I had ever imagined!" he followed by a peal of some of the worst laughter ever recorded in history,
Snowy ground her teeth together fiercely as she attempted to cast a spell, a menacing red aura surrounded her. Before she could she and Kusetsu disappeared into darkness. Filia now stood rigid, facing Ingrid who slung the cloak over one shoulder.
"Now all I have left to do is deal with you and I will be rewarded the position I was always meant to have..." he walked casually forward reveling in his success.
"I'll kill you..." Filia whispered softly
"eh?" the mazoku leaned closer straining to hear
"I'LL KILL YOU!" Filia's own golden aura exploded around her; not for the first time in her life Filia was angry...
"oh? And how do you expect to do that little dragon? When not even the great Xellos could" he held out his great halberd in one hand Xellos's staff in the other. Filia glared at the mazoku she stood at the ready about to cast one of the few powerful God Spells she knew... Her hands crackled with energy as she bent low about to speak the words, Ingrid expertly brought his halberd up high with one hand, "sayonara, dragon!"
He swung the great blade down, she brought up her hands prepared with a shield spell, suddenly the blade stopped...
"aaaahhhhhhgggg!" Filia watched as the large mazoku screamed in agony he gripped his left hand with the other. The jewel at the top of the staff glowed menacingly as did the rest of it a burning red. It seemed to almost burn with flames as it forced Ingrid's hands from it, the staff floated in the air...
"yare yare Ingrid-san It would seem the great Xellos has tricks left afterall" the staff disappeared in a flash of light. Ingrid scrambled to pick up his halberd, fear ran through his eyes and face, he was chalk white. "I defeated you Xellos! I killed you!"
Xellos appeared high above them appearing and disappearing in intervals as he fell downward.
"haaaaaa!" he swung with the full force of his glowing staff, splitting the mazoku in half down the middle. He landed on the ground, a cross swing and Ingrid was nomore... Xellos turned to face Filia, his tattered cloak floated safely into his arms. She stood only a few feet away from him, "Xellos..." So it was all a trick... huh that's interesting...
Xellos put his hand behind his head, "I apologize for anything my dopalganger might have said, he has a tendency toward the overdramatic" he laughed a little unconvincingly
She took a few steps toward him, "Xellos could I see that staff for a minute?" she asked sweetly, "ah, sure..." he handed the staff over to her. She swung it a few times, finding it to be very light, but conveying a feeling of intense power. "This has a very nice swing to it..." she commented nonchalantly
"yes it does" he responded jovially
whack whack WHACK!
"Thank you Xellos I feel much better now!" I SO just had to hit something or I was going to go insane! Her sweet voice seemed to ring over the field. Xellos lay in a twitching battered and bruised lump on the ground as she walked back onto the road, he sighed, "ahh that's the Filia I like too" ite what am I saying?
Kusetsu remained bowed as his master stood on the top of the steps before him. She held the cigarette to her lips drawing the fragrant smoke from it, the tip blazed its ashes cascading to the ground.
"So what you are telling me is that Xellos is dead?" she casually blew the smoke into the air,
"hai, my master"
Zellas stared passively at the three weapons that loomed before her, "and what of the fate of the golden dragon?"
Kusetsu paled, "umm, I was unable to determine what happened to her, exactly..."
Zellas turned on her heel, "oh?" she stalked forward casting her cigarette to the side lazily as she sat in her throne crossing her legs, "and what is the reason for this?"
The servant sweated profusely as he struggled to remain bowed, "I was discovered after Snowy attempted to take revenge upon Ingrid for Xellos's death, master"
"Is that so?" her elbow was on an arm of her chair, her head in her hand.
"hai, master" he responded solemnly, he could only imagine the kind of torture that awaited him, his eyes glanced furtively at the weapons to his side.
"May I ask how a young pup was able to find you and take revenge against a powerful enemy?" her voice full of curiosity,
Kusetsu hesitated for a moment, "I am not sure Lord Beastmaster, in fact I was wondering how she was able to find me, I was well hidden..." he paused noting her 'get on with it' expression, "anyway, I was struggling to hold back Snowy who was about to cast a flame spell of some kind..."
"A flame spell?" Zellas interjected, "I was unaware a pup in wolf form was capable of such a thing..." her voice carried a kind of predatory ring to it which matched her smile
Kusetsu gulped, "well, she was in human form, master"
Zellas didn't look the least surprised, "and where would she be now?"
"She disappeared after we returned so I am unaware of where she is exactly..." he fidgeted fearfully,
Zellas sighed deeply shifting her position in the chair so she was practically laying across it. "oh well, it seems everything is going well then, Xellos has been dead before, and I have you for my plaything later..." her expression blossomed into a sadistic smile as she stared down at Kusetsu, "Unless you plan on busily finding Snowy and bringing her to me for that time period, then I may reconsider..."
"hai, my master!" he took one final fearful glance at her before he quickly disappeared into the dark.
"Oooooh I love it!" Filia squealed as she examined a finely crafted mace, its pure black metal boasted a strengthening and lightening charm, as if she needed it... nevertheless making it indestructible...
Xellos stared at its plain deadly painful weapon as she tested its balance repeatedly, "Do you really need a new one of these?" he had to comment nervously, "Of course!" One single step over the line Xellos and bam! I feel so much better now...
"I see you like our great "Nariva" class mace, miss" a young shopkeeper was busy polishing a set of scythes as he spoke
"hai, I love it!"
The shopkeeper laughed lightly, "that's very good for me because it happens to be the most expensive one we have..." Filia's expression fell, I don't have much money with me sniff sniff She placed the mace back on the counter turning to leave in an utter depression
"but just for you I'll let it go for 15 gold coins"
"hontoni!" Filia turned around tears streaming down her face instantly seeing the shopkeeper's friendly expression, "hai hai, now would you like anything else?"
"No, that will be all I need thank you very much" she waited as the man carefully placed the mace in a paper bag, "hai, thank you for shopping"
Filia grabbed the bag turning to leave, "umm, excuse me..."
She turned to see his still smiling face, "the coins please"
Filia flushed, "oh right! I almost forgot how silly of me... Xellos could you pay him?"
Xellos turned from a compass he was examining, "I'm not paying for that thing! Why should I pay for something I'm probably going to be beaten with?"
"datte... onegaishimasu..."
"Not going to happen"
"datte...datte...datte.."
"No!"
"onegaishimasu onegaishimasu onegaishimasu!"
"oh alright!" Xellos finally wilted under her puppy faced pouty childlike expression... honestly your worse than the puppies...
"arigato Xellos!" I may just hold off the beating I had planned... but why am I still angry over that? Why was I so hurt by what he did? Making me think he was dead...
"You were hurt by it because that mazoku tricked you!" but he wasn't he was tricking Ingrid by pretending to be dead, "Perhaps that is why you were sad..." that he was dead?
She was broken from her trance when she felt a shake on her arm, "Filia, time to go..." Xellos's voice floated to her ear. She looked around remembering where she was, "Oh right" she looked at the bag he was holding, "arigato Xellos" she grabbed the bag from him ripping the mace out of the packaging. She stared at it momentarily as the sun ricocheted off it, "you are forgiven..."
"I thought you forgave me back there" he rubbed his where his staff had whacked absently, it still kinda hurts, to be hit by my own weapon...
They walked out of the shop and began to walk down the northern road out of the city. It was a large town of some unnamed province that nevertheless expounded in paved roads and stone buildings. Its relatively narrow streets were clogged with people in the busy marketplace, it quickly became vary difficult to get around.
"hey watch where your going!"
"gomen nasai!" Filia apologized for the fiftybillionth time she accidentally bumped into someone, these crowds really are hectic, I'm starting to get annoyed...
Inexplicably the crowds began to thin, Xellos and Filia found themselves alone down the main road. Xellos looked around, "this doesn't feel right, keep your eyes open..."
"hai" Filia kept close watch with Xellos as they stretched their senses out as far as possible...
"Get out of the way! Out of the way!" a kart flew through the narrow road
"You call this a good price! I paid at most half this over in Zaria..."
"Fish for sale! Get your fresh fish, while it still is!"
In an instant the market place was back to the way it was.
"umph" Filia was hit by yet another passerby falling to the ground, "watch where your goin'!" the young man screamed at her as he made his way through, "gomen..." she could only respond weakly. She got back to her feat, "what just happened?"
"I have no idea, though for a moment I felt something very powerful, and familiar..." Xellos's voice became contemplative as they began walking again, he tried and failed to think of where he had felt it before.
"I wonder if it has anything to do with Val..."
Xellos broke from his thoughts staring at Filia, her voice had been so low and sad...
"daijobu Fi-chan I'm sure the 'great Xellos' will be able to solve this!" his jovial voice mocking that of the late Ingrid. That voice jogged something in Filia's memory...
"Xellos... back there with Ingrid..."
"hai?"
"did you see a little girl with white hair?" she asked remembering her expression, the sadness and hatred that seemed so prevalent on her face... how can that be?
Xellos brought his hand to his chin, "hmm, I was pretty busy at that time, so I wasn't really paying attention..."
"oh, I see..."
"why do you ask?" Xellos looked at her questioningly
She shook her head quickly, "No reason... I just... her name was Snowy, does that help any?"
Xellos looked at her strangely for a moment, "I do know a pup named Snowy, but she doesn't have her human form yet..."
"I see..." It's probably nothing after all, but...
They had been walking for a little while now and were close to the edge of the town. It had been built out so much that its edge greatly resembled its center, the streets were still lined with people and wares. Xellos looked ahead, something caught his senses. He held out an arm, Filia stopped giving him a questioning glance, "I sense something..."
A figure stepped from the crowds, its head was slightly bowed and covered by a hood as was the rest of its body in a large robe. Its padding footsteps became the only sound to be heard as it walked slowly closer. Xellos watched as it stopped right next to them, and then ... slowly walked on. Xellos sighed, I guess it was just my imagination...
Suddenly a wave of power struck his senses he turned to see the figure turned to him, a dark blue eye peeking from the hood. He watched as the figure quickly ran.
"matte!" he disappeared, "Xellos what's going on!" Filia yelled after him as she began to run after the figure.
The person ran through the crowds pushing whomever got in the way easily to the side. The figure quickly rounded a corner to a deserted alley, "umph!" a female voice grunted as it slammed into Xellos.
"thought you could escape? Ancient dragon..."
The woman looked up from the ground enough so that part of her face could be seen, "I still can..." she disappeared in a flash of light,
Xellos looked around determined to sense her aura, he phased up into the air...
Filia dashed further down the main road, "Honestly where did that mazoku go so fast!" And with that woman too... Investigate
She saw Xellos appear up in the air, she was about to call to him before he disappeared again, reappearing a few blocks away...
"Xellos what are you doing?!" she ran faster...
An empty alleyway sat in the stillness. A bright light flashed and a pair of feet sounded on the paved ground. The woman looked around the alleyway noting the absence of anyone or anything significant. She felt inside her robe and removed a small chronometer from within, it ticked slowly.
"ichi, ni, san..." she placed it within her robe being sure that she was well covered.
The first sight Xellos saw as he phased into the sparse alleyway was the woman clothed in the heavy robe. A wind blew through the alley, his cape billowed in it as he stood still eying her. A few minutes pass... "you are an ancient dragon, right?" his voice was low
"hai" she responded cheerfully
Xellos breathed a sigh of relief, "that's good then at least I haven't gone insane, yet..." his smile faded into a frown, "may I ask how you escaped the massacre of your kind? There weren't anymore children then, and all the men and women were wiped out, save for Valteria..."
She chuckled slightly, "sore wa himitsu desu..."
At that moment a strong wind blew through the alley, it swirled the litter around fiercely and forced back her heavy hood. A long cascade of dark purple hair fell down her back as her head was revealed. Staring back at Xellos through a set of dark blue eyes was a young female ancient dragon. She walked forward confidently approaching Xellos as she stood only a few feet away from him she held out her hand. She held it against his cheek, he stood stoic as she kept it there a moment, "I assume you hate the dragons and mazoku more than anything in your life..."
She brought her hand down to her chest, closing her eyes for a moment, "iie"
She opened her eyes, "I love them..."
"Do you plan on resurrecting Lord Shabranigdo? Or Lady Ciephied?"
She only smiled lightly, "maybe..."
"What are you doing Xefia? Return here immediately" A voice ran through the girl's mind, she inwardly smirked, "hai hai"
Xellos watched as the ancient dragon smirked in front of him. She took a step forward, he could feel her lips on his cheek as she kissed him lightly before running to the end of the alley and disappearing in a flash of darkness.
Xellos felt the place on his cheek in shock, "what was that all about?"
His mind decided to relegate these things for further contemplation later while he returned to Filia who must be wondering where he got to. However as he turned he learned this was hardly the case...
"What was that all about, Indeed!" Xellos saw one of many Filia's he had come to know, this one was surrounded by flames and sported flashing red eyes. This was the Filia that brought forth great pain, or perhaps he let from time to time...
He waved his hands dismissively, "It's not what it looks like I swear!" Oh yeah that's gonna work like cold water to a Dragon Slave...
"Crush!" she snarled as she swung at him, missing as he phased to the astral plane reappearing behind her.
"Honestly Filia It isn't... wait a minute..." he stopped dodging immediately and as a result was conked on the head. And then again. And possibly a third time...
Filia stood huffing and puffing from the exertion, "now Xellos, you were going to explain what your falandering was?"
Xellos got up from the ground that he was pummeled too, "I will only because you care, Fi-chan"
She looked at him strangely, "because you care?" What the...? I don't, yes you do! But I don't! Oh yes you do! It would seem that the battle within Filia's mind has become more even...
She shook it off repeatedly, "anyway... who was that woman? I couldn't really sense anything from her other than an strong power..."
"that my dear Filia was an adult ancient dragon..."
"Ehhhhhhhh!"
A small abandoned cottage stood on the very outskirts of town, a dilapidated room in the front sat empty. Xefia appeared in a flash of darkness she leaned against the aging door frame. She couldn't help but chuckle wildly, "I can't believe I just did that! Ha hahahaha... ha" she breathed a sigh...
"I can't believe you did that either, Xefia" she knew the voice without turning
"yes well, it's just so good to see them again..." I can't wait to do it again... tee hee
"I feel the same as you, however it is far too dangerous to be seen at this time..."
"hai hai, as you always remind me... Maven-san" she turned to see the woman before her. Her long soft brown hair waved in the light breeze, her bright red eyes shined in the light of the sun...
"As distracting as being here is we must never forget why we came..."
"hai, how could I forget... Lil' Miss Lsama" she smirked
"Lina Inverse... right?"
The dull thud of a body contacting the ground resounded throughout the cavern. The girl slowly rose unsteadily pushing her long white hair from her face. Snowy breathed raggedly as she wiped a hand across her bruised face. She steadied herself facing a large group of mazoku before her, "I told you Xellos is dead! We have to go kill that damned Ingrid and those golden dragons right now!..nnnrrgggg kkkk kk.." a cold hand wrapped around her neck lifting her from the ground. A set of cold gray eyes stared into her, she struggled in the air trying desperately to break free. The hand squeezed tighter, "and we have told you that pups have no place making orders!" the man tossed her to the wall. As she slid to the floor he turned from her, "you should be reminded that you are only here because for the moment you serve a purpose..."
Snowy slowly opened her eyes looking around the room as the various demons in attendance nodded their agreement, she gritted her teeth rising to her feet.
"Then what would you have me do, Jokatsu-sama?" she tried desperately not to fall back to the wall
Jokatsu stared around at all in attendance before turning to her, "we feel that it is in our best interest that you return to Zellas, give a plausible reason for your interference in her operation, or..."
He walked back to a rough seat that had carved from the rock, "accept her punishment..."
Snowy gazed at the faces before her, they deftly nodded their approval. She bows her head, "hai, Jokatsu-sama" If not here then I will get revenge myself... she clutched the pendant at her chest, reveling in the memory of it, before disappearing into the dark.
Jokatsu leaned back in his seat, "now, as for the matter of Xellos... how many here believe what the pup had to say?"
No one raised their hands or gave any sign of acknowledgment, "good..." his smile widened...
"And as for the matter of the ancient dragon..." he got up from his seat pacing slowly to the center of the cavern. "Is there any lingering doubt regarding who took our prize from us?"
A mazoku stood from his seat to Jokatsu's right, "hai, Lemure? What do you have to report..."
The man straightened out a pair of glasses he wore religiously before rolling out a thick parchment, "ahem...It would be of my best determining that the dragons are the most probable. After examining the reports of our spy network, we have determined that no direct or indirect order was given by the three remaining Dark Lords, as well as most of the smaller dominions surrounding their respective territories..." he took a short breath before continuing, "that coupled with the fact that the direction that Xellos was last reported traveling was north, we can conclude that they most likely received information similar to our own that would lead them to the conclusion to seek the Golden Dragon leadership"
He concluded rolling up the parchment and taking his seat once more on the hard stone. Jokatsu stood in the center of the cavern deep in thought, "It is the conclusion then that we shall begin an exploratory operation..." he turned pulling out a long fencing sword, "we must be absolutely certain of the extent of their involvement before we strike, we shall not have a repeat of 1000 years ago..."
"I disagree..." a voice wrung out through the shadows
"who is there? Show yourself!" Jokatsu brought his sword to the ready, as did others who looked around bearing their various arms.
From the darkness of a hidden entranceway soft footsteps were heard. The light slowly pealed away the darkness revealing a young man with short light blue hair and equally ice blue eyes. A long sword hung at his hip almost clanking against the ground with each step, a large shoulder guard rested on his right shoulder, a smaller one on the left helped to support his light blue cloak...
The gathered mazoku stared fearfully, a cold wind blew through the cavern, and the men decidedly dropped their weapons to the ground. They clanged and clattered on the stone floor as Jokatsu remained staring calculatingly into the man who had just arrived.
He smirked, "what would bring you to our little meeting, Lord Dynast?"
The wind blew warmth through a grassy hill. The sun shown brightly as it moved across the sky... as it waned across the sky. A young brown haired woman lay in the grass, staring into the blue sky, feeling the sun's warmth. She did all these things without realizing it, her mind was elsewhere... with other people, in other times....
She barely registered as the small sound of rustling air, and a shadow cast across her face announced the presence of her tomodachi.
She flopped down on the grass, letting her long purple hair loose on the grass, "ahhhh! It's so boring now... all they have been doing is walking in silence for an hour now... I should make them do something..." she rose slightly before feeling a warm hand on her arm.
"Don't even think about it..." Maven voiced through closed eyes
Xefia turned to her, "I thought that would get you up..." she smiled brightly
Maven sat up on the ground rubbing her eyes, "I was dreaming I think..." she yawned slightly as she stretched her arms,
"Oh? A bad dream again?" those have been happening a lot...
Maven smiled as she stared at her friend, "no, not a bad dream, but a strange one... I'll talk about it later..." she fell back down on the grass spreading out her arms.
Xefia stared down at her for a moment before slumping back to the ground herself. They lay for a moment, the sun continued to cast its warmth to the world, its light supplying all things with life...
"Xefia" Maven stared lazily into the sky
"hai..." she turned her head slowly to her friend
"what happens next? I want to know what to expect..."
Xefia looked back at the sky, finding funny shapes in the clouds, "ah that, well lets see..."
She sat up turning to see Maven, "it starts with Dynast..."
A large expanse of dirt road lay ahead. Filia trudged alongside Xellos as they made their way onward. Filia's head was slightly bowed as she walked, her hair cast a soft shadow over her brow, which was currently knit in frustration. Her mind was spinning in a kind of anger as she trudged along. A little more than an hour ago Xellos had informed her of that girl being an ancient dragon, needless to say she was shocked. However, after he had imparted to her this revelation, he had remained silent about the numerous other questions she had asked. It was almost childish how he'd suddenly remark on how good the weather was, or how the sun reflected so nicely in her eyes, just to watch her blush no doubt!
Filia turned to see Xellos glancing at her, their pace had slowed considerably over the last hour. She stopped suddenly, "Xellos I've had enough, I want you to answer me!" her voice echoed over quite a distance...
Xellos stopped a few feet away from her, he turned slowly revealing his jovial smile, "what exactly would you like me to answer, Fi-chan?"
Filia gazed into his pale yellow eyes forgetting her voice for a moment as her words seemed caught in her throat. Xellos continued to stare at her intensely, prepared at this moment to answer what he knew she was destined to ask him...
Filia shook her head slightly, clearing it from its temporary haze she screwed up her courage standing there before him, "I want you to tell me why Val is so important to the mazoku and the rhyuzoku!" she could feel her voice begin to fail, "why they took my baby from me..." her voice was very small and afraid.
For a moment there was utter silence. Filia felt her vision become cloudy as she stared into Xellos's serious expression, she could feel herself begin to cry. A tear fell as she stood before him, she wanted him to answer this one question so badly, it hurt so badly...
Through her closed eyes she felt the soft warmth of a gloved hand against her skin, wiping away the small tear as it fell. She opened them to see his hand pulling away from her face as he stood close in front of her.
"It's a long story..." his expression was somber as he walked from her to flop down on the side of a grassy hill. He turned to her, "but I'll tell you anyway..."
Filia deftly sat next to him on the grass, she nodded as a moment passed between them...
Xellos looked up at the sky remembering with all his strength the events of that day so many years ago...
"It was nearing the end of the Koma War, at the final battle between Lord Shabranigdo and Lady Ciephied..."
The time wound back to that day many years ago, the full power of Shabranigdo clashed with the unbridled purity of the mighty Ciephied. Shabranigdo struck forth with a red blast that sent great pieces of earth flying in all directions. Ciephied retaliated shooting forth a large ball of light that struck Shabranigdo knocking him to the ground. He stood once more and they both squared off again. Their minions scattered around the mountains and valleys watched in awe and respect as their Great Lords dueled, they knew the outcome of the war depended entirely on the victor of this one battle. Xellos stood next to his master on the closest hill to where the duel now recommenced...
"The fight lasted for many days with neither side giving in until Ciephied used her last ounce of energy to seal Lord Shabranigdo away..."
"Everyone knows that, its common knowledge... what does that have to do with Val?" Filia interrupted impatiently,
Xellos sighed, "I'm getting to that..." Patience is a virtue...
He cleared his throat, "ahem, anyway what is not widely known about that event is that Shabranigdo and Gaav were not the only ones to be sealed..."
The Great Dragon Ciephied wound her long body high into the sky, Xellos and the rest of the mazoku and rhyuzoku watched as she glowed fiercely. Shabranigdo stared up at her from his place on the earth, the glowing aura that raged around her expanded outward. She continued to chant in a language few knew as the light expanded forth. Shabranigdo watched as a white ring was drawn around him, seven lines were drawn inward to the center of the circle. Gaav flew upward until his height reached that of Ciephied launching an immense stream of flame. Ciephied turned her eyes to him for an instant and in that instant he plummeted to the earth and disappeared. Her attention returned to Shabranigdo as the light around her brightened further until it became blinding even to those of the rhyuzoku who were forced to look away. In that instant no one saw precisely what took place, but when the light faded away what had happened became clear...
"At that time just before he was sealed, Shabranigdo bounced back the same spell against Ciephied that she used on him... We later discovered that he had sealed her in six parts"
Xellos paused a moment looking around, his eyes narrowed, a light wind blew and somewhere it seemed a chime sounded, or at least that is how it felt.
"Something wrong?"
"no, I just felt a chill for a moment"
He looked back at Filia, "anyway... after Shabranigdo and Ciephied were sealed away... we searched for a few years, managing to find most of the pieces, but then what to do with them?"
"I think it would be to our best advantage to resurrect Shabranigdo as soon as possible..." Dynast sat around a large table, the remaining Dark Lords and their servants sat with him.
"I disagree, we don't need old Ruby Eyes anymore, we can run things fine ourselves..." Hellmaster leaned back in the chair boredly, "It's not like we can't take out a few dragons ourselves..." he drawled looking at his nails, "What do you think, Zellas?"
A slightly younger looking platinum blond woman stirred, pulling her hand from her head, her arm from the table, "feh, I still think we could use his power, if the Golden Dragons were to attack us as we are now, I would like to be assured of our victory" she wore a slightly more modest outfit than her future self.
"If they were to resurrect Ciephied before us, then we could be as easily annihilated as Gaav..."
The table shook as Zellas fist hit the table, "We do not need to be reminded of that incident, Grauchera" her eyes shown coldly
Dynast's face remained its cold calculated demeanor as he shifted straighter in his chair. "May I say something?" a voice called out from the shadows
Zellas smirked, "yes, say what you will..."
Xellos appeared from the darkness of some unknown plain of existence carrying a tea tray. "I hope I'm not overstepping my bounds, but I don't believe we have heard from Lady VaulGuaDulphur yet, or have I missed something?" a woman with long blond hair recoiled slightly at the name.
Xellos put the tray down on the table as the woman turned to him, "please call me Lucile, or at most Lady Deep Sea Dolphin" I hate mother for that name...
"very well then, Lucile-san..." he bowed slightly before standing at attention to the side of the room.
Lucile moved her hand slowly forward until she grasped the a cup, tea had already been poured into it. She took a sip of it to steady herself, her hands shaking slightly, Mortieri sat next to her, he grasped her hand from under the table. They both sat blushing a moment, fidgeting slightly...
"Get on with it already, honestly... your making me sick" Hellmaster played with the balance on the chair switching what foot pressed against the leg of the table.
"I think that we shouldn't bring Shabranigdo back... because if we don't then the dragons won't either..."
Silence followed...
"Are you insane!?" Hellmaster almost fell from his chair,
"What makes you think they would do such a thing?" Zellas asked curiously
"I as well have a difficult time believing that the Dragons would believe a promise made by us, even if it were sincere..."
"I think it should be sincere, we should promise never to bring them back... both of them" Lucile interrupted with more confidence now
Another silence...
"Are you suggesting a truce?" all eyes narrowed Lucile and Mortieri,
Mortieri stood, "yes, we are suggesting just that, if not an end to the hostilities than at least a promise to never resurrect Lord Shabranigdo or Lady Ciephied..."
Everyone stood from the table at once, "That sounds like treason to me..." Hellmaster began from his corner a blue aura surrounding him, "it would be fun to get rid of some of this pent of energy..."
Mortieri stood in front of Lucile, "if it's a fight you want you will have to go through me..." as he spoke a sword appeared in his hand. Hellmaster snarled, "you think you can handle me little fishy? Heh I'd almost feel bad beating you so quickly..."
"what did you say!?"
"now, now everyone I don't think this is very productive..." Xellos interjected from an unknown corner of the room, "my servant is right" Zellas sat on an edge of the table tossing her hair back,
"we should at least hear all the options available to us, that includes the unorthodox..." the tempers immediately calmed down as those gathered returned to there seats. "If I may continue then?" Lucile questioned the group, Hellmaster turned away in the chair, "feh, do whatever you want" Dynast remained silent and calculating as usual
Lucile took a breath, "I believe that if we meet with the Dragons then we can establish some kind of agreement. In some common area we can lay down the pieces we have and then they can lay down the pieces they have no doubt collected. And in that one place they would stay unless both sides agree to unseal both of them... never separately" she finished looking around at her comrades contemplating faces...
Zellas sighed, "Although I am painfully aware of your reasoning behind this idea..." she flinched slightly at the sight of the two so close together, "I can't help but think it would have an up side..."
Dynast raised an eyebrow, "How would giving away our most prized asset be in any way to our advantage?"
Zellas smirked, "If they accept our proposal, then we get a break from this war for a little while, but if they don't... well we'd have a large percentage of the Dragon hierarchy right in front of us, to solve this matter one way or the other..."
Her words wrung through the room, Lucile sweatdropped, "well, I suppose you could look at it that way..."
Dynast sat in contemplation for a moment more, "I can see your point..." he stood from the table turning to leave. As he walked away he removed three small orbs from a pocket within his cloak and tossed them to the table. "You may have the pieces I collected" he disappeared into the dark... Phibrizzo was next to stand, he tossed two similar glowing orbs to the table. "Do with them what you will... I don't really care as long as the world is done ill by it..." he smirked as he too disappeared
The table was now nearly empty, Zellas stood with Mortieri and Lucile, Xellos was by them. Lucile unwrapped an orb from a small cloth placing it on the table, "I hope this puts an end to this, then..."
Zellas sighed as she stared at them both, "I don't know what got into you Lucile, but..."
She placed an orb that appeared in her hand on the table, the seven glowing spheres shined in unison once placed together. "I hope this leads to something interesting..."
She smirked as she walked from the table, "come Xellos we're going home..." she disappeared
"hai, my master..." Xellos turned to Lucile and Mortieri, "It seems I will have to forgo that rematch again, such a shame..."
Mortieri smiled as well, "I'd just beat you to the ground anyway"
"hai hai..." he turned his staff clanking against the ground as he disappeared into the dark after his master...
"And so it was decided that we would approach the dragons with our idea..."
"And they agreed?" Filia couldn't help but comment shocked
Xellos's eyes narrowed, "hai, and the place chosen to seal the pieces was Zephalia, the eternally sleepy little kingdom..."
"But why? And how does that relate to Val" Filia was on the edge of her seat her apprehension building...
Xellos stood from his seat on the grass, stretching, "I was told that it was the perfect bluff, no one would ever suspect the true resting place of the most powerful beings in the world would reside in the world's most boring kingdom..." Even then there was nothing to do...
Filia stood as well, "I see... but what about Val?"
Xellos put his hand behind his head, "well, that all involves the seal that was placed over the pieces, it was very specific..."
"specific?"
Xellos laughed slightly, "It's sort of complicated, but beyond a ritual it requires one of two things..."
"what two things..." Filia stepped closer to him,
"well, either a wedding takes place between one member of each side within the confines of the sanctum, or..."
"or?" Filia leaned in even closer now...
"proof of that union"
Filia flushed immediately, "PROOF! You can't mean!?"
"sonotori..." a voice rang from the receding sunlight of the afternoon,
"whose there?" Xellos called into the daylight, a cold wind blew, bits of ice and snow flew about caught up in it. Xellos looked out into the grassy hills that surrounded them to see the new figure that now stood before them, he couldn't help but smirk,
"Lord Dynast... sashiburi"
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Chapter Eight: Surprise! Mysterious Ancient Dragon? End
A lot went into this particular chapter, although the original conception again changed drastically at some points I feel it ended up for the better.
And to all those who are wondering why Deep Sea Dolphin is as she is, I was hoping to hash that out a long time ago, but things just seemed to carry away from that part and now I'm not sure how I'll be able to convincingly fit the parts in on that I wanted to sigh I can only hope...
Next up! Chapter Nine: Blood