Chapter 4
Devious! - Choose a side and take it!
Thyruss glared suspiciously at the mazoku. Who was this guy? Judging for this appearance, he doesn't look anything special. He doesn't look like the type of person to sneak into his citadel and elude all the guards in order to confront the warlord himself. Too overpower, and outwit, all those bloodthirsty maniacs would have to take a brave man. Thus, such a task was better suited to a warrior with incredible strength or impressive cunning.
But this 'Xelloss' doesn't seem the type to possess any of these qualities.....
Nevertheless, if he's come all this way, then he must have something important to say....
"So….. Xelloss" the warlord said. "You seek sanctuary?"
"That's right" the Trickster priest replied, opening his eyes. "In fact, I wish to join you in your cause. I want to join your crusade to overthrow the Saillune ruling house"
Upon hearing this, Thyruss' gaze hardened.
Hang on.
That name....Metallium.....
"How do you know about that?" the warlord snapped. "How can you know of my intentions when I've told only so few?"
Xelloss softly chuckled as he closed his eyes and delivered his answer:
"That's a secret!"
Thyruss could feel his fingers twitch with rage but he still retained a cool head.
"You say you have information that can help me" the warlord point out. "Otherwise you wouldn't have gone to all this effort to speak to me"
Thyruss was certain he had heard the name somewhere before. But where.....?
"Of course" The mazoku replied, opening his eyes. "But it all depends on how badly you want this information."
"Cut the crap!" the warlord snarled. "I'm not in any mood for such nonsense."
"Pity"
Thyruss' eyes hardened and he got to his feet.
"You know" he said, as he made his way out from behind his desk. "It is not an easy business to set up and maintain a revolution you know..."
"Oh, absolutely" Xelloss replied - His eyes had now retuned to a state of being open and they were taking in every movement the warlord made.
"Which is why" Thyruss went on, now advancing towards the mazoku. "I currently have no tolerance for any mind games whatsoever..."
The Trickster Priest said nothing. Instead, he let out a slight chuckle as Thyruss continued:
"....So, I'm going to get your information on way or another...."
"Bring it on...." Xelloss murmured, under his breath.
"...even if I have to force it out of you - like THIS!"
In one swift movement, Thyruss drew his sword and sliced it in a huge arc through the air.
But the sword never came into contact. Instead all it did was pierce an empty space where the mazoku once was.
The warlord blinked. What the?
"You are so predictable, you know that?" came a voice behind him.
Thyruss turned his head to see the Trickster Priest standing behind him and grinning. Snarling his anger, the warlord brought his sword down on the troublemaking mazoku.
But to what avail? Xelloss didn't seem too bothered about such a blade - he just vanished again.
The
warlord paused. Who was this guy? He seemed capable some extraordinary power -
the likes of which Thyruss had never seen before. He also seemed to retain a
cool head and showed no fear whatsoever.
Considering the trouble he went to in order to get here, he must have something
to tell - But what?
And why does the name of Metallium sound disturbingly familiar...?
"Looking for someone?"
At the sound of his name, the warlord looked up - to see Xelloss floating in the air above him, just below the ceiling.
"What are you doing up there?" Thyruss snapped.
"That's a secret!"
Snarling in fury, the warlord weld his sword in Xelloss' direction - But no amount of effort would ever bring the blade into contact - The mazoku just chuckled as he dodged everything that Thyruss threw at him.
"Hey! That's not fair!"
"Compared to what?" came the reply.
Finally Thyruss sighed. Defeated, he lowered his sword.
"All right then." he said. "You win. I'll grant you sanctuary in my crusade."
"Very sensible, Thyruss" Xelloss said, using the warlord's name for the first time.
"So tell me" the mazoku went on. "How many men do you have ready to aid you in your revolution?"
Upon hearing this, the warlord's expression grew embarrassed.
"Erm.... Five"
Upon hearing this, the Trickster priest fell over backwards in disbelief - into the wall.
"Five!?!?" Xelloss exclaimed. "You expect to overthrow Saillune with only FIVE?!?!?"
"Yes." Thyruss replied calmly. "Of course, I do have a secret weapon....."
And it at this, that Xelloss' gaze hardened. A secret weapon eh? Now he was interested.
"But in any case" the warlord went on. "We could always do with an extra spare set of hands. So I hope your information is worth all this trouble."
"Trust me, it is" the mazoku said. "Ever heard of Lina Inverse?"
"That I have" Thyruss answered with a raised eyebrow.
"Then you might be interested to know that she is a friend of the Saillune ruling family" Xelloss said firmly. "In fact she is here, right now, in this very city."
The warlord paused as the enormity of this revelation sank in. He had heard stories of Lina and those stories were truly the stuff of legend. He had heard of her incredibly destructive prowess. He had heard of her motivation drawing on her on a quest to find a half-decent meal. And he had heard of her lightening fast temper.....
But he had never believed such accounts. He had always found her achievements and her reputation difficult to comprehend. Henceforth he always laughed at such stories, dismissing them as just that - stories. Old wives only believe in that nonsense...
However, in any case, if the rumours were true then he must take caution....
Xelloss caught the warlord's expression and guessed what he was thinking.
"I can assure you that Lina is certainly a major obstacle in your path" the mazoku said. "And I speak from someone whom has spent a long time travelling with Lina."
"Really?" the warlord growled. "Then how do you expect me to trust you? For all I know, you could be working for Lina"
"Well then" Xelloss shot back. "If you feel that way, then you're discarding the only reliable source on Lina Inverse.
"Besides" he added. "Lina couldn't care less about what happens to me!"
Thyruss shrugged. "Makes sense."
"Well then" he continued. "I see no reason as to why I should refuse your offer."
"Thank you" Xelloss grinned, as he closed his eyes. "Rest assured that you have made the correct decision."
And with that, he turned to go.
....wait a minute! Metallium! Of course he has heard that name before!
"Wait!" The warlord yelled.
The mazoku turned around, his facial expression one of intrigue.
"Xelloss Metallium...." Thyruss mused. "The name sounds familiar...."
The Trickster Priest didn't reply. Instead he smiled a malevolent smile.
"Of course!" The warlord yelled. "I know. You're cohorts with the Lord of Wolf Pack Island!"
"Indeed I am" the mazoku grinned.
Thyruss blinked at this revelation.
"Holy L-sama" he murmured "I have a mazoku in my midst.....
".....FANTASTIC!"
And suddenly, before Xelloss could do anything, the warlord grabbed him by the waist and scooped him up into a massive bear hug.
"Marvellous!" Thyruss said with delight. "With a mazoku in my command the revolution is as good as won!"
"Yeah....." Xelloss grimaced.
"Your proposal is definitely accepted! With you're power and my schemes, Saillune will be history!!!!"
The mazoku blinked, as his lungs began facing difficulty in receiving the necessary air needed to keep functioning.
"I'm so glad you think so….." he murmured.
Later that evening, the warlord took the mazoku on a guided tour of the citadel:
Right now, they were both within the mountain underneath the citadel. Xelloss was being led by the warlord down a spiral staircase, that had been wholly craved from the rock, with their way lit up by a succession of burning torches.
"What I'm about to show you" Thyruss explained. "Is the heart of our operation. It is here that we keep the secret of our victory, learning how to use it and discovering it's true potential"
"Really?" Xelloss muttered. "Considering you've got five people helping you in your revolution, you need all the help you can get."
"What was that?" the warlord snarled, turning to face the mazoku.
"Nothing! Nothing!" Xel grinned. "Nothing at all!"
Thyruss glared at his new-found ally but turned back and resumed on his way.
With Thyruss as his guide, the mazoku had seen a fair portion of the citadel. But what Xel had seen wasn't particularly interesting. If anything it looked very much like the headquarters of every other lunatic, would-be, power-monger.
But it was this place deep in the rock that Xelloss was particularly interested in. Knowing how these idiots worked, they always kept their most powerful secrets in the most deepest of lairs underneath their hideouts. And if Thyruss was confident of victory, then he must have some secret weapon of some sort. And if he's so assured of succeeding in a revolution with only five people then his secret weapon must be of the exceptionally powerful type....
The stairs led deeper and deeper into the mountain. Suddenly, the stairs ended at a doorway. An open doorway where golden light blazed from.
Thyruss turned to the mazoku and grinned.
"This is it" the warlord proclaimed
"I see" Xelloss noted. "And this is you keep your almighty secret weapon?"
"Oh indeed" the warlord replied, as he led the Trickster Priest past the doorway. "And this is what it is!"
What was beyond the doorway was certainly an impressive sight: It was a giant room that too had been carved into the rock. But, unlike the stairs, this room had proper floors, walls and a ceiling - all made up out of countless golden tiles. Torches illuminated the entire room, adding illumination to the tiling effect, and revealing the room's contents. The room suddenly was a mess - There were various scorch marks on the walls, floor and even on the ceiling. There were also piles of rubbish scattered randomly around the room, each of varying size. There was also a stench of ash and flame that hung in the air.
At one end of the room there was a table containing a mess of charts, notes, crystal vials and other scientific apparatus. At the other end, there as a woman on her knees, with her back to the two men.
Xelloss opened his eyes, in a bored fashion.
"This is it?" he demanded his tone of voice betraying his lack of impression .
"Watch" Thyruss replied.
Just then, the woman stood up and turned around. It was then that Xelloss got his first good look at her. She dressed in a gorgeous, strapless, blue gown with gold lining. She had the skin of the finest porcelain and a face that was kindly and gentle, yet intelligent and dark. This woman also had ruby red lips and dark hair swung over the back her head and held in place by a gold head band.
The woman seemed to pay no attention to the two newcomers. Instead, she walked to the table and picked up a piece of wood up off it. Holding this from herself by the full length of her arm her eyes hardened.
"FIREFLASH!" she yelled.
Immediately, the plank of wood burst into an impressive jet of flame. Then, the woman hurled this jet of flame across the room - where it struck the opposing wall with an incredible explosion. The whole room shuddered as the wall was engulfed by the huge ball of flame!
But it didn't take long for the explosion to die down. Within time, the whole thing died down - thus leaving yet another burn mark on the wall.
Both Thyruss and the woman looked pleased with the result. Xelloss blinked his facial expression one of astonishment. He had no idea what he had just witnessed. He was not certain as to what the woman had cast or exactly how she went about it. But, from the looks of it she managed to cast something that resembled the Flare Arrow from the Lore of Dark Magic. But even this had quite a powerful effect. Xelloss had seen Lina cast Flare arrows before but, in the terms of effect, even they seemed feeble by comparison.
"That's our secret weapon" Thyruss grinned triumphantly. "Impressive, I think you'll agree"
Xelloss nodded.
"This is what is going to win us Saillune" the warlord said, as he made his way over to the table "Alchemy."
"Alchemy?" Xelloss echoed. "Isn't that the art of turning metal into gold?"
The warlord didn't answer. Instead, he strode over to the awaiting woman. Gently, he placed his hand underneath her chin and brought his lips to hers.
Then, he broke contact and fixed the woman with a warm smile.
"That was quite a sight" he said softly.
"The strongest yet" the woman replied confidently.
"You have done well" the warlord smiled.
"Thank you my lord."
"So tell me" the woman went on, her eyes in Xelloss' direction. "Who's your friend?"
"Him?" Thyruss replied. "He came to me offering to hep us if we let him join our cause."
"He doesn't look anything special." the woman sneered - to which Xelloss' eyes hardened.
"Don't you know who this is?" the warlord retorted. "This is Xelloss Metallium!"
Upon hearing this, the woman's eyes widened.
"No way!" she exclaimed, softly.
Satisfied his point had been made clear, Thyruss then turned to Xelloss.
"This is Valentina" he said. "She is my most trusted advisor and my most powerful practitioner of Alchemy"
"You expect to overthrow Crown Prince Philionel with a science of turning metal to gold?!" Xelloss demanded - his facial expression one of utter exasperation. "You're going to have a tough time doing it! I'm sure the people of Saillune will be frightened by gigantic mounds of gold!"
"Of course not!" the warlord said, his voice stern and his eyes blazing with annoyance. "Yes, we both study Alchemy but we have taken this science one step further.
"You see, in the art of Alchemy, you can have anything you want - provided you are willing to give up something else. If one can provide something of equal amount, the rewards are powerful beyond belief!"
Xelloss closed his eyes. Well, that would certainly explain the impressive feat of magic he had just witnessed. He had seen Alchemy in practice before but all that was just the work of educated men who were looking into it as a science and greedy men who needed a quick way to get rich.
Therefore, this was the first time the Trickster priest had seen such a concept being used as a source of MAGIC! And this certainly was a different, and indeed fascinating, way of casting spells.
It seems that in his thousand-something year existence, there are still things in this world that can surprise him…….
"I must admit you certainly have confidence in your abilities" Xel said. "But isn't the usage of Alchemy somewhat limited?"
"Not quite." Thyruss grinned. "All we need to do is surrender something to obtain our power. Just as long as that is one object, we can do anything! Why, we have advanced the science of alchemy that we can bend the strongest of metals to our will! Iron, copper, tin, gold, silver, lead - we can manipulate it as easily as a child can snap off the head of a doll!"
"Really?"
"Of course!" the warlord grinned. "All we need to do is simply touch something with a trace of metal and we can use it any form we see fit!
Xelloss didn't reply. Right now, he was contemplating his next move. Thyruss had such a strong faith in his power that he seemed hardly bothered by any obstacle of any shape or form. He seemed hardly the type who will resort to desperation - and that in turn makes him somewhat difficult to manipulate....
"But in the meantime" Thyruss said, "Perhaps I should leave you two to get acquainted eh?"
And with that, he turned away and headed out of the room and up the rock staircase.
This left Xelloss alone with Valentina.
The Trickster Priest grinned a mischievous grin at the woman - But even with his eyes closed, he could still tell she was glaring at him.
"A mazoku eh?" she growled.
"Me? A mazoku?" Xel teased. "Who's a mazoku? I'm not a..."
"SHUT UP!" Valentina snapped. "Don't play dumb with me"
"Well you're certainly a crabby person"
"I can be if you want!"
"Somehow I find that hard to believe."
"Don't test my patience, damn you!"
"I'm sorry" Xel retorted. "I thought I was already doing that"
Valentina fumed at the mazoku, but she wisely kept her anger in check.
"Since you're new" she went on. "Lets get one thing sorted. There there's only one rule here: No one is greater than me."
"Really?" Xelloss replied in mocking tones.
"Yes really" the woman said. "You have just arrived but already my lord Thyruss seems to be quite in awe of your powers as a mazoku. So I'm telling you now to back off. No one but no one gets in between myself and my beloved. Got it?"
"Now what have we here?' Xel mocked. "I think Thyruss' mistress may be somewhat jealous!"
"Don't speak like that you lapdog!"
Upon hearing this, the Trickster Priest opened his eyes. He certainly was surprised by Valentina's sudden comeback. Being dubbed a 'lapdog' ignited a blaze fury of within him – But in this case, he refused to let his emotions get the better of him. After all, this alliance with Thyruss was all a sham – If she had been talking about Zelas, Valentina would be dead in a manner of seconds.
"So tell me" he said, his voice now soft and dangerous. "What makes you think I really care about Thyruss?"
"What?!"
"I'm only here to help you in overthrowing the Saillune ruling house - Nothing more."
"I would like to believe that" Valentina snarled. "But somehow the prospect of having a mazoku joining us seems just a little too good to be true."
"Oh come now" Xelloss reasoned. "Stranger things have happened"
"Perhaps in your lifetime but not in mine"
"Then may I suggest that you get out more?" the Trickster Priest giggled.
"Just what are you really planning?" Valentina growled.
"That's a secret!" Xelloss grinned, closing one of his eyes in a wink.
Upon hearing this, the woman grabbed the mazoku by his collar and fixed him with a mask of rage.
"If you get in my way" she snapped. "I will have your head on a plate!"
"I would like to see you try" Xel replied his tone of voice a hybrid of a mocking remark and a threat.
"Taunt me while you can, fool……."
"Thanks, don't mind if I do"
"…..Because I will have my eye on you and if you step out of line once I will be ready."
"And you think mere threats like that can frighten me?" Xel scoffed. "You may say you'll be watching me but who will be watching you?"
Valentina blinked – but it didn't take her long before her facial expression grew furious.
"You think I'm scared by a mere mazoku?"
"You should be" the Trickster Priest proclaimed, he's voice now more softer and more dangerous than before.
"I'm not just any mazoku..."
And with that, he vanished - leaving Valentina by herself.
Well, she had only just met this newcomer, but already she wasn't liking him.
If anything, Xelloss seemed to be a danger to Thyruss' revolution: He seemed to retain a cool head and a smug attitude no matter what was up against him. There was no use in threatening him because he hardly seemed bothered at all. And his confidence reveals that he must be in possession of some extraordinary power. Furthermore, he seemed to have plans of his own……
It makes her wonder exactly what is going on in that head of his....
But all in all, having a mazoku arrive on one's doorstep eager to help out doesn't happen to anyone. If anything, Xelloss seems to be up to something.
Something that she will find out about.....
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