"..If your mind has been made up, Majesty, surely I will not question you, but I ask again to please take pity upon the girl.."
"...I am decided and my decision is final..."
"..I plead for leniency, Majesty, but if you shall not oblige, I will cease my plea.."
"...I shall not oblige you, Master Xelloss..."
The drifts of conversation coincided with the pounding of Filia's head. She had the sensation she was underwater or, at least far, far away from where ever she laid. Beneath her, the ground swirling and spun as if it were not solid. Pain slowly doubled as she regained consciousness, and only gradually did she become aware of approaching footsteps and someone shaking her shoulder, calling her name.
"Filia..Filia, wake up."
With difficulty, she succeeded in opening her eyelids, only to squint slightly as her environment was so dark. Pupils still focusing to distinguish light and shadow, she made out the form beside her.
"Xelloss..? Where am I?"
"In the forest of the Dragon Frogs still, I'm afraid." His voice betrayed an amused smile. "I must say, the inhabitants of this forest aren't very happy with you."
Filia groaned, struggling to sit up against a tree she had lain close to. She rubbed her eyes wearily and replied in a dry voice, "I didn't think they would be. What's been going on?"
"Your punishment's been decided. My attempts at persuading them to let you free or at least to go easier on you haven't been very successful."
"Ugh.." She tried massaging her aching head. "At this point, I don't care. They can do whatever they want to me as long as I can finally leave this place afterward."
"I'll inquire about the way out." He rose and left her side. Bigger fish had still to be fried.
"DRAGON PRIESTESS, YOUR CRIME HAS BEEN JUDGED AND YOUR PUNISHMENT DECIDED,"a throaty voice rumbled, causing Filia to clamp her hands over her ears. "ARE YOU READY TO SHOW PENITENCE?"
"Yes, only don't speak so loud," replied the dazed and already hearing-sensitive priestess.
"SO BE IT. LET YOUR PUNISHMENT BEGIN," the voice replied, not a bit lower.
Underneath her, Filia became aware of tremors of the ground as something obviously very heavy moved towards her, each footfall shaking the forest floor. Suddenly, a light was struck and Filia found her face in very close proximity with a great pair of lips.
"PUCKER UP."
With a scream of horror, Filia packed unknown power into a punch and let it fly without thinking.
Gasps of frogs all around her immediately were heard as the light from a few moments before extinguished. There was a hushed silence, then an abrupt proclamation.
"..SHE LAID OUT THE KING!"
A flurry of croaking broke out in dark as apparently the Dragon Frog King was examined. The noise epically fell silent, however, as the clearing was soon lit up by the red light of the dragon priestess's inexorable and easily piqued rage.
"..YOU HENTAI FROGS THINK YOU CAN JUST STRUT AROUND, OWNING THIS FOREST AND TRYING TO PUSH RIDICULOUS PUNISHMENTS ON WHO DARES TREAD ONTO YOUR PRECIOUS PROPERTY." A few frogs visibly shivered. "WELL, YOU'RE ABOUT TO GET A RUDE AWAKENING IN THAT DEPARTMENT. A PAINFUL RUDE AWAKENING, BECAUSE THIS IS ONE TRESPASSER WHO REALLY KNOWS HOW TO ENJOY FROG LEGS, MORNING, DAY..OR NIGHT."
In short summarization, the evening became known as the tribe of the Forest of the Dragon Frogs' last.
...ooooooooooooooooooo...
"Well, Filia, you certainly taught those frogs a lesson they'll soon not forget," commented Xelloss cheerfully, as the two walked a path, still in infamous woods. "If any are still alive," he added, on an afterthought.
Several steps behind him, Filia softly groaned, hand on the side of her head, suffering the most painful migraine she had ever known. "Anger..overload..," she whispered slowly, as to not aggravate her already intense ailment.
"Certainly! Even I didn't plan everything to turn out that antagonistically," replied Xelloss, walking backwards to talk to her.
Filia stopped dead in her tracks. "..Plan?" She swallowed, to ease her throat's dryness. "You PLANNED that whole fiasco?"
The mazoku simply smiled at her, continuing to walk backwards.
"XELLOSS! I can't believe you set that whole thing up!," growled the dragon priestess, clenching her teeth in anger. I can't believe I also fell for it, added a voice in her head, woefully. When am I ever going to stop playing into his schemes..?
Xelloss, without so much as a pause to change direction, smoothly walked back to where Filia still stood, wording her short-comings to herself.
"Now, Filia," he admonished her, "Who's to say you wouldn't have figured a way out of the situation on your own, in time? At most, I merely nudged you along."
She quirked a tense eyebrow at him, not very much the convinced party, but sighed and conceded. "Well, I suppose I should thank you then, Xelloss. It's true, I would have eventually gotten away from those frogs, though, as you said, in a matter of time." Too tired to care for much longer, she quickly curtsied, eyes closed as a sign of modesty. "At least I never had to kiss that frog king.."
Sighing again, she began massaging her temples and resuming her walk. Abruptly, she stopped short once more. "Xelloss, you didn't arrange for the frog king to–"
"Ahh, I knew these directions would eventually pan out!" Xelloss, having moved quickly while Filia was in a lull, neared the end of the forest, light sifting through its edging leaves to proclaim a beautiful morning. He waved back at her. "Come on, Filia, the forest ends here!"
She groaned again, more with frustration and exasperation than with pain at the predictability of one of Xelloss's character aspects. Wincing at the steady throb of her ache, she glanced quickly back at the dense nature behind her and started forward.
She looked back again instantly, certain she had seen a pair of golden eyes somewhere among the thicket. However, the wood was still and innocent.
"Fi-li-a!"
She glared suspiciously at the trees and greenery all around her and heaved another sigh.
"Coming, Xelloss, Mr. Disappear-for-three-days-then-play-matchmaker-for-a-person-who- would-love-nothing-than-to-permanently-alter-your-annoying-face-everytime-she-sees-it.." She continued her walk and soon left the forest behind.
...ooooooooooooooooooo...
Decided to split the last chapter into two for reader's convenience. Yeah, the abrupt change in pace from short chapters to one of about 2000 words shocked even me. (Plus, you guys weren't reviewing and I wondered what had become of you - mass Slayers fan obliteration?)
Next chapter'll be coming up shortly, in which everything will be explained by The Informer (also known as Xelloss, the perpetual fly in Filia's tea).