Memoir - 3

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Lithshali attended to Xelloss' injuries, chattering away. Xelloss almost chuckled at the dragon's contradictory nature. He needed silence to concentrate, but he talked all the way through the process. "I'm sure this won't surprise you in the least," the dragon went on, "but I did not expect to see you. Yes, no surprise there, I can see it in your eyes. Which are as human as the rest of you. I didn't realize that at first, but I should have seen it much earlier. I mean, a dragon can just sense a mazoku like that, you know? Sometimes even when he can't see it there. But, well...I never thought I'd ever see Xelloss in my life. At least, I'd hoped I wouldn't. And then I do. And, well...you being alive is enough at the outset, but human? If I didn't possess the draconic ability to sense essences, I'd have disbelieved you. Though, on retrospect, I should have been able to tell when I touched you. Now I feel a little slow for not guessing on my own.

"In normal cases it might be strange that you would end up human, never mind thinking of how. But anything that the Ourachs touch often comes away...twisted. And we all knew the Ourachs had you, Xelloss. Everyone knew that Devil's Nest had taken you along with its other victims. And that was back before...we knew...what the Ourachs really were..."

Lithshali was quiet for a minute before he continued. Xelloss listened with rapt attention. Even without ordering him to stay still and silent, Xelloss' physician had made his patient a captive audience. The human had never heard an account from anyone but Firia of what had happened during his imprisonment. And Xelloss had never, ever, in all of his life, been able to hear a dragon talk about him honestly. Not even from Firia.

"...That was back when we counted the Ourachs as close allies. A few of the Hieriphists had their doubts, but overall, we all trusted them. They were our brothers, after all! And even though Devil's Nest was a controversial topic amongst the populace, everyone agreed that your capture and incarceration were the greatest achievements in the last century. But..."

"It's just..."

"...Well, interrogation is understandable for any prisoner of war. But in all of the non-Ourach tribes, we were whispering heated disagreements. Torture...well, you were a mazoku, and it had been done by us before. And Xelloss, you've done very evil things. But if you were to be punished for crimes against the dragon race, then, well...we didn't think it was very appropriate for the Ourachs to hide you away like you were their trophy. Justice is one thing...cruelty is another. Word got around about exactly what they were doing to you."

Lithshali's face became unreadable. "Some said you deserved it."

"And, well," the dragon went on past the anger boiling up inside of Xelloss, "a lot of dragons disagreed. If they didn't say anything, you knew it was because they didn't want to be caught sympathizing with...with you. I know. I was one of the quiet ones. But there were more dragons that voiced their dissent than you would think. Because...it just wasn't right. Even the righteous, the dragons who said what the Ourachs did was no more than what you would do to one of us, admitted that they couldn't have done that to you. Nobody could have. Nobody." Lithshali was holding back tears. "By the time you escaped, there were a lot of us who would have just let you go if it were our decision. Enough was enough. Nobody dared say that they were glad you finally got out. But a lot of us thought it."

Xelloss couldn't say anything.

"I...oh, dear. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you...here's a handkerchief. Take it. I'm finished." Lithshali pulled a chair away from a nearby desk and slumped into it. He sighed wearily. "It makes me even sadder to look back on those days. It's so hard to think of a time that we even trusted the Ourachs. And your past tribulations actually aren't unlike the current ones of many dragons. Ceipheed's tears. I'm so sorry. I feel so horrible about what my race did to you, what my brothers claimed was justice. I can't imagine what the memories do to you, Xelloss."

Xelloss forced words to emerge from his throat. "I...can't either."

Lithshali sighed. "At least you have Warren now."

WHA- Xelloss' mental statement of bewilderment was cut off as the door opened.

Ahh. Warren was finally back. He was carrying a tray with the tea set and Xelloss' bread resting on it. To Xelloss' relief, he appeared to be much calmer. Warren set the tray onto the nightstand, shooed Lithshali from his chair, and sat down. His eyes never once strayed from Xelloss. The human realized from Lithshali's nervous posture that it wasn't so much himself under inspection as it was the dragon's healing expertise.

After a long time, Warren took his eyes off of Xelloss and turned his attentions to the tray. Xelloss saw Lithshali's shoulders slump with relief. No comments obviously meant no trouble. He blinked as Warren shoved the plate of bread and cheese into his lap.

"I don't want you getting into any damn fainting spells. Eat." Warren set his teacup aside and put Xelloss' on the corner of the nightstand nearest the bed. He then poured another cup and handed it to Lithshali, who accepted it very hesitantly. "It's not going to bite, you damned twit. Just because I don't like you doesn't mean I'm not going to pour you a cup of tea if you're around when the pot's full." Warren took a very menacing sip of his brew. "That would be rude."

Xelloss devoted himself to eating his bread. His hunger had by no means decreased after the dragon's flawless healing. Even though his stomach betrayed nothing, he could tell by the drained feeling in his body that he was far from full. He paused between bites. What the...his bread was never this bland. And the cheese had lost all of its bite. He took a sip of his tea, tasting only water. "Lithshali?"

Lithshali started, almost spilling his cup of tea. "Yes, Xelloss?" He didn't see Warren scowl at the dragon's use of Xelloss' name without his former title.

"Could you please remove that numbing spell? It was very good at what it did, but I don't think I need it now." Xelloss inwardly sighed as Warren glared at the dragon. He didn't want to cause any trouble, but the spell could do more harm than simply numbing his tastebuds. If he somehow got hurt while under the charm, he wouldn't know it.

Lithshali turned pale and set his tea down, rushing to Xelloss' side. "I'm sorry, Xelloss! I was so worried about your injuries that I didn't think about undoing what little charms I'd put on you." He touched Xelloss' arm, breaking the numbness.

Xelloss stretched as feeling flooded back to him. Now that was a welcome relief. He resumed eating, now able to enjoy the taste of his food. When the room became silent for too long, he looked up. Warren was staring at him. He had been watching Xelloss all this time, his face a strange mixture of longing and regret.

At least I have Warren now, huh? They had to have known each other before Xelloss' capture. But Xelloss couldn't remember anything from that period, except maybe basic power structures and magical trivia. He wished that he could have one snippet, one little hint as to who Warren was.

Xelloss finished off his bread and sipped his tea. He hadn't paid attention to its flavor in the kitchen - he'd been too preoccupied with worry. But now that he could taste things properly, Xelloss became even more bewildered. How-

Lithshali flew into a fit of coughs. He barely managed to set his cup down without spilling what was left of its contents.

Warren raised an eyebrow. "Is something wrong?"

The dragon composed himself, his voice weak as he caught his breath. "I'm sorry. It's...a little strong."

The mazoku shrugged, sipping from his cup. "It's not my fault you have bad taste."

Xelloss sniffed the tea, then took another sip. Wow. "What gave you the idea to put ten cloves into it?"

Warren's face had been almost kind at some points after he'd walked into the room. He'd showed concern for Xelloss, exhibiting a sort of guarded closeness to him. But what facial evidence there had been of such feelings turned into stretched, rigid bitterness. "...It's my favorite tea, Xelloss." The words were angry, their delivery almost an attack. He waved his hand at Lithshali in a motion that Xelloss' mental magical index told him was associated with deafening spells.

Warren leaned over, filling Xelloss' field of vision entirely. His voice was an angry whisper, almost shaking with pain. "You taught me how to make it one day. I had never brewed tea before. You said, 'A good cup of tea is worth more than all the sorrows in the world,' and I was very, very sorrowful that day. You made it just for me, my special blend. It was our favorite. We always drank it together. Just you and me." Xelloss watched tears creep from Warren's eyes, the mazoku shaking with...anger? Pain? Regret? "We always took turns making it. The last time we had tea together, you took care of it. So I did it today." He quickly turned away from Xelloss, his shoulders quaking. "Why the fuck did I even bother to keep a pact that you've long forgotten?"

Oh shit. We were friends. Very good friends.

"It probably didn't matter back then either, but at least you had the decency to pretend it did." Warren stood up, waving his hand at Lithshali first to break the deafening spell and then to send him away. The dragon vanished. "We're leaving, Xelloss. Get up." Warren's face lacked any of the emotions that Xelloss had witnessed overtaking him. Now there was only the aloof superiority that he had first walked into the human's life with. A little of the sadism began to permeate the waters, making Warren stand a little straighter. "Move it, Xelloss! You've got much more ahead of you today. This is no time to be lazy."

Xelloss sat up slowly, eyeing Warren very suspiciously. He seemed to be calculating something. After a few moments, he stood up, set the stray dishes onto the tray, and walked to the kitchen. Warren followed him, frowning. "And just what are you doing?"

"Putting the dishes away, of course." Xelloss rinsed the dishes before drying them and putting them and the tray where they belonged. "I'm not leaving them out dirty. We get ants here, you know." He walked back to the bedroom before Warren could form any arguments around his bewilderment.

Xelloss grabbed a small pack and began neatly placing clothes into it. Warren scowled. "What the hell do you think I meant when I said we were leaving now?"

The human snapped the catch on the pack. "What are you going to do, kill me? Wouldn't that be a bit of a waste after all the trouble you went through to get me healed?" He grabbed a small brown bag with a long strap. It was almost identical to his old satchel, which had gotten confiscated very early on during his tenure at Devil's Nest. The contents were a little different[Xelloss could barely recall that whatever was in the old bag had been irreplacable], but the meaning was the same. In it were the few silly things that he was least likely to ever want to part with[photos, a lock of blond hair, a dried up four-leaf clover...], plus a book and a ledger. "I get the feeling that I'm not coming back for a long time, Warren. I just want to pack and lock up the place. I'm stupid and weak and human now, so I do things like this occasionally. Indulge me." He put the backpack on, then slid the strap of his satchel over his shoulder. His mace was propped next to the nightstand. He slid that into the holster for it on the back of his belt.

"Oh, yes. You're prepared for anything." Warren followed Xelloss as he walked through the house, blowing out lamps and shutting windows. He finally went outside, locked the door, and left the key under a nearby planter in case Firia came back while he was gone.

"That's quite precautious. Your miles-away neighbors and any roving bandits are sure to be deterred." Warren folded his arms. "Is that all? Do you want to feed your goldfish before we leave?"

"You mean I kept goldfish back when I was a mazoku? Gee, I forgot that. Hope they didn't starve," Xelloss sniped back.

Warren calmly punched him in the face. He teleported them away before Xelloss even hit the ground.

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Xelloss came to and opened his eyes. He was lying face-deep in slate blue carpet. Warren hauled him up before he could say 'MRMPH'.

"Welcome to Wolk Pack Island." The mazoku pushed Xelloss backwards. Off-balance from the teleport, the human stumbled and sat abruptly on the small bed behind him. He examined his surroundings as Warren looked off into the distance. They were in a modestly-sized room decorated in soothing light blues and grays. There was a door to his left [probably locked], a black jacket and a red scarf hanging from a hook on the back. Behind him a window let in a cool, salty breeze.

Xelloss' eyes wandered back to his host, who was still standing in what appeared to be a trance. He cleared his throat. "If it's not too much trouble on your part, could I please see my son?"

Warren's eyes flicked to him for a moment, then unfocused again. "SHH!"

Xelloss shook his head and slumped. He considered the prospects of nagging Warren. Annoying the mazoku would certainly lift the human's mood. But Xelloss really didn't want to go through the hassle of bodily harm until he stayed healthy for at least a few hours in a row. He mused on the prospects of that happening while being in Warren's presence for an extended amount of time. Perhaps he should just climb out of the window while Warren was still tranced.

The mazoku finally blinked, then shook his head a little. "Damn hag..." he muttered under his breath. He turned to Xelloss. "Can you keep that kid from breaking anything in here?" He looked impatient [imagine that...] and tapped his foot until his guest answered.

Xelloss scowled. "You act like he's a pet that I haven't bothered to train."

"Better than I could have phrased it. Thank you, Xelloss." Warren smirked and snapped his fingers. Valteria fell onto the bed as the mazoku unlocked the door with a key and exited. "Don't touch anything or I'll break your arms." The door closed behind him, a subtle click indicating that Warren had locked it back.

Valteria blinked, looking at his surroundings in a daze. "...Dad? What hap-" He was cut off as Xelloss hugged him close.

Xelloss' heartbeat thundered in his ears as he held his son. He'd been so afraid that Valteria wouldn't come back to him whole. "Valteria, do you feel alright? Did he hurt you?" He swallowed, trying to calm his breathing.

"I'm fine, Dad. Where was I?" Valteria pushed away. "Stop squeezing me so hard. You act like I was gone for hours or something."

"Humor your senile father." Xelloss held Valteria for a few more moments until he could finally breathe normally again. Then he released his son. "Warren kept you in a pocket dimension while we talked for a while. Then he brought us here."

Valteria frowned, looking around the room. "I was suddenly in this big white space, floating. It was only a few moments until I was here. You must not have talked for that long."

"Well, that pocket dimension probably had skewed directional and temporal axes, so you wouldn't feel the chronological effects of reality," Xelloss said, lapsing into technical language.

"Right, Dad. That sounds simple enough." Valteria kept examining the room. "Who was that guy? Why did he bring us here? Where are we?" His gaze wandered to his father with the last question. "Hey, your hand's back to normal!"

Xelloss was quiet for a few moments, trying to figure out how to tell Valteria what was going on. "We're on Wolf Pack Island, the mazoku base of my former boss. Her name is Zelas. Warren works for her, and I believe he was a friend of mine from the days before I was your father."

"Did he do bad things like you used to?"

"Oh, I'm sure of that. We probably did them together." He looked down at Valteria. "Now Terry, do you remember what Mom and I told you happens when you do bad things all your life?"

"L-sama turns you into something that behaves. Then she makes you marry someone so you can't get away with anything ever again."

"Ye-" Xelloss paused. "Where did that second one come from?"

Valteria blinked innocently "Observation."

"Well, don't you ever let your mother hear it." Xelloss stood up, feeling a little ansty. He needed to walk around. "Terry, it's important for you to understand what's going on here. We're guests of the Mazoku now, and I don't even know why. Mazoku feed off of bad emotions and they like to hurt people. They're far beyond anything that we can fight. I know they won't kill us. But you need to be on your best behavior. Don't annoy them or give them a reason to punish you. They won't treat you kindly just because you're a kid." Xelloss kneeled in front of Valteria, grasping him gently by the shoulders. "Do you understand, Terry? They really only want something from me. You have to be on your best behavior, and stick by me no matter what."

Terry nodded, his face beginning to betray the fear growing inside him. "Is Mom going to be okay? What if she comes home before we get back?"

Xelloss swallowed a lump in his throat. He didn't even know if they would get back. "I'm sure we'll be able to send a sign that we're okay." He looked down, gaze traveling along the carpet.

"Dad?"

Xelloss looked up. "Yes, Valteria?"

"You're not a very good liar today."

The father sighed, then dropped his hands from Valteria's shoulders.

Valteria inwardly berated himself. Mom had always told him that he was supposed to keep his Dad out of trouble. Now they were both in peril AND depressed. He sat there for a few moments, wondering what to do. Then he cocked his head. "Dad? You never said what happened to your hand."

"Oh!" Xelloss rose, the air of sadness dissapating. "Warren healed it."

Confusion washed over Valteria's face. "I thought you said once that mazoku can't do that."

"Well, he brought a dragon in to do it."

"A dragon? But you said mazoku usually hated dragons!" Valteria got up from the bed, walking across the room to where his father was pacing. His gaze was caught by a desk whose surface was decorated with knicknacks, which he examined while waiting for his father's answer.

"They do. Warren was certainly no exception." Xelloss ceased his pacing and stood next to Valteria. "Things are just getting more and more confu- Terry, don't touch any of that."

Terry clasped his hands behind his back, then resumed his scrutiny of the desk. "Oh, come on. Do you really think he'll break our arms?"

Xelloss rubbed his arm, wincing in memory of Warren's brutality at the breakfast table. "I'm certain of it."

"Well, I won't tou- hey, look at this!" Valteria pointed at a framed picture on the desk. He backed up a little when he realized how close his finger was to it.

Xelloss bent down to see what had grabbed Valteria's attention. As he examined the picture, his eyes widened. It was of him and Warren, having drinks on a balcony. It was nighttime and the lights of a city [Atlas city, it's the only one that huge] stretched away in the background. Warren looked so much different, lighthearted and cheerful. He was laughing as Xelloss grinned with raised eyebrows.

Xelloss grabbed the picture, squinting at it. "Photographs were only invented half a century ago. About fifteen years ago, in Atlas City, it started to be a common practice to station cameramen in restaurants. They'd take your picture and then let you buy the photograph. Fifteen years ago...this might have been before I ever met your mother, Terry." He blinked. "Or even after I met her."

"Dad, you're touching it!" Valteria grabbed his wrist. "He'll break your arms! You said he would!"

Xelloss shrugged. "It wouldn't be the first time." He set the picture down where he'd found it, then looked around the room one more time, paying more attention to the personal effects in it.

"What do you mean?" Valteria let go of Xelloss' wrist. "What happened when you two talked?"

Xelloss sighed. "Don't get Warren angry, Terry. Trust me."

He walked to the bedstand, something there grabbing his attention. "These...Terry...these were my gloves. One of my extra pairs. I used to wear them..." The powder blue gloves were wrapped around the base of a candleabra, along with a blue band of patterned fabric. The pattern matched the trim on the cloak he had worn while in his position as Beast Priest. Two candles glittered in the candleabra, one periwinkle and one lavender. A strip of paper was tied higher up on the neck, black calligraphy running along its grainy surface. The few snippets of writing that Xelloss could see were bits of an old prayer to L-sama. It was a plea for help in finding the hopelessly lost.

Xelloss felt inexpicably awful all of a sudden. "So this is Warren's room..."

"Dad, look outside!" Terry pointed at the vistas beyond the window.

The land outside was a tropical island paradise. Lush jungles lead to pristine beaches which reached into sparkling emerald waters. The ocean beyond stretched out as far as Xelloss' eyes could see. He watched a parakeet flap by, perfecting the scene.

"Boy, that Zelas lady sure knows how to pick out a base." Valteria frowned. "I thought a mazoku hideaway would be more...dangerous. This place is really nice!"

Xelloss nodded. "You could say that. But I see sharks in those waters."

Valteria blanched. "You're right." He sighed. "I guess climbing out the window and making a run for it is a bad idea then, isn't it?"

"I considered it, but it is definitely a bad idea." Xelloss sat down on the bed. "Even if you flew us out, there'd be wards and who knows what else to stop us. All we can do is wait for Warren to come back and then see what Zelas wants from me."

The ancient dragon sat down next to his dad. "I hate waiting."

As if answering Valteria's cue, the door latch clicked. An exceedingly calm-looking Warren walked in, shutting the door behind him.

The pair watched as the mazoku checked around the room, ignoring them completely. He scrutinized the furnishings, making Xelloss slightly nervous for a moment. But Warren apparently thought that nothing had been tampered with, because he didn't break Xelloss' arms after looking at his desk.

After he finished looking around, Warren walked to a mirror. His passive expression turned slightly aloof as he examined his appearance. Obviously he didn't approve of the rumpled outfit that he had worn as a disguise. He waved his hand and a sudden wind ruffled the clothing. As the fabric moved, it changed, rippling into a long black tunic over black pants. The bottom of the pants and the front of the tunic were laced with silver thread. His brown leather boots and grey gloves remained the same, but were now much cleaner. He smoothed a few seams over rather meticulously, gave himself one last glance, and then gestured over his shoulder. The jacket and scarf floated from their hook on the door and into his hand. He donned the jacket, checking to see if his sleeves were even and if the collar was straight. The jacket was short, only reaching his midriff, and its cuffs were trimmed in a silver variation of the pattern from the blue band of fabric and Xelloss' old cloak. Finally, he wrapped the long red scarf around his neck and then under the jacket, bringing the ends back around his waist and tucking them in.

Warren seemed to be satisfied with his appearance now. He finally turned to Xelloss and Valteria, acknowledging their presence in the room for the first time since his return. His face still retained its eerie calm. Xelloss wondered just how much of an act that calm was. Deep under Warren's mask, he could see traces of anger.

"Someone has requested your presence. Please accompany me so that I may introduce you." The delivery was polite, but the sincerity was lacking. Warren turned away from the both of them and opened the door. Xelloss and Valteria got up and walked out as the mazoku silently directed the two to preceed him. He then followed them.

The door shut. The latch clicked.

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