SLAYERS TRY ( AGAIN ! )

Written by : TokyoFlame

.::.

Legend : Italic sentences = thoughts

Characters belong to the respective legal owners

~***~

Xellos sat at the edge of the highest cliff in the region, the view from his angle was breathtaking and majestic in all its glory. His staff was laid unused by his side, his legs crossed and dangling away in mid-air. He was lazily outlining the various cities' boundaries with a black gloved finger, his dark-purple hair swaying gently in the mild windy climate.

Four weeks.

Never had a day passed without him thinking of Filia. No, it wasn't an obsession, but her name seemed to appear just once every day. He was still on the search for the source of power, and he was gradually nearing it. It had been sometime since he left Filia's residence abruptly due to Zelas's interruption, and he had not returned to visit her yet.

No reason to, anyway.

Xellos's expression gradually turned somber. He was actually noting down the number of days that had passed since he saw her, and such an action was a first for him.

Taking down time.

As a Mazoku, he was virtually immortal. He had no natural predators. He wasn't subjected to the Four Stages every human had to go through ( Birth, Aging, Sickness, Death ). The only way to 'die' was to perish in a battle or be killed by Zelas Metallium. He wasn't afraid of such 'death', that was why he was oblivious to pain or sufferings yielded onto his body. His existence was merely for Zelas's convenience, and she held the privilege to 'destroy' him as she so wished. Therefore, he lived one day at a time, without his own personal goals. He was just fulfilling Zelas's commands, he was just a useful tool to the Dark Lords, and sometimes he pampered himself by killing random Mazokus who annoyed him greatly. After all, he derived the greatest pleasure from causing agony to others personally.

He had no reason to count the days.

He had all eternity.

Xellos sighed very softly to himself, almost a resigned huff. This new concept of ticking off days was foreign and very strange to him. In fact, it was frustrating.

Poor humans, they having to count down to their mortal deaths.

He eyed a particular land in the horizon, the city of Luthia. There, he would complete his mission.

Filia dropped the small jar she was holding unwittingly, causing the dreaded scene of glass smashing across the shop's floor. The two beastmen looked at each other worriedly, before they started whipping out brooms and a bin to sweep up the glittery mess. Filia's eyes turned apologetic as she started to pick up pieces of glass.

" No Tencho, please go and tend the shop's counter. We will take care of this. "

" But ... "

" Please. "

Filia gave one last look around, before she slowly nodded her head in a distracted manner. As she took her position again behind the counter, one customer walked in and she shook her head forcefully, determined to serve her customers dutifully.

I am such a weakling. To think that I would let something like that affect me so much.

As Filia quickly wrapped up the products that the customer bought, her eyes landed onto a handsome timepiece that the customer's belt held. Immediately, she was reminded of the span of time that had passed ...

... since the last battle, since I last saw Lina-tachi, since I bade farewell to Valgaav, since ---

" Excuse me, are you all right ? "

The concerned voice of her waiting customer snapped Filia back to her senses. She realised she had froze for a short while, her eyes trained onto the timepiece still. Feeling embarrassed and even more apologetic than ever, she politely handed over the bag filled with the customer's purchases and bowed low as he walked out of the shop.

The two beastmen exchanged more worried looks.

" Would you two tend the shop for the rest of the day ? I think I want to lie down for a while. "

" Of course, Tencho. "

Filia bowed again and swiftly made her way upstairs to her room. Collapsing down onto her bed, she realised how tired her body felt. Her mind. Her spirit. She no longer had the sprite and energy she used to have in her younger days, although she had not aged physically in any way. She merely changed her appearance, because as she mentally matured, her sense of dressing altered accordingly as well.

If only he had never appeared.

Filia thought she could cope without Valgaav. She was a person who needed a goal, someone or something to live for, a purpose in life to spur her on. Before she was embroiled into the battle against Darkstar and a Mazoku-reborned Valgaav, she had always been carefully trained in the Temple of The Fire Dragon. She did not see the outside world. She thought the Ryuuzokus were representors of everything good. They were the symbols of justice.

Her world crumbled after the truth was unraveled.

Did she admit it ? Did she show it ? Although everyone told her that it wasn't her fault, she felt that the fact that she was a Ryuuzoku was horrid enough. She did not know how to make it up to the last of the Ancient Dragons. She thought death was her only option, and it must be performed by Valgaav himself.

I am different from Xellos.

Filia was not part of the Ryuuzokus who had participated in the massacre of the Ancient Dragons. Her hands were clean.

Xellos's hands weren't so.

He single-handedly killed her people, her race. Even though the Dragon Race was made up of different species, as long as they were dragons, they were her people. And Xellos was the one who killed them all.

If only he had never appeared.

Filia repeated this to herself again. All her self-reprimanding thoughts were triggered off because of him, Xellos. He never failed to remind her how her pure race was tainted with blood, innocent blood. They were no different than Mazokus themselves. He kept taunting her, despising her, made stupid faces at her. Laughed at her outbursts, smirked at her childishness.

Yet, in the eye of the storm, in every dangerous situation, he saved her without fail.

WHY ?!!

Filia sat up again, that question burned into her mind for decades. Xellos was such a labyrinth. To unravel him, she decided that she probably had to dissect him in a laboratory.

Her memory brought her back to the nail-biting moments of battling Darkstar + Valgaav. She was so reluctant to join in the fray as she knew that her hands would truly be stained with blood, an Ancient Dragon's blood. However, torn between saving the rest of the world and Valgaav, she was truly confused. Would they understand why she initially refused to help ? Could Lina-tachi feel the pain between two hard choices ? Why did they force her to use her God-given powers ?

Xellos dropped a wry comment when she finally decided to join them, making her feel instantly at ease. He was, for once, genuine and encouraging. Warm, in fact. The familiarity of his tauntings had grown on her, over a long period of time.

She did miss him, and all the others at first.

Valgaav occupied her time, so she was truly busy and had no free time to herself. Now that she was alone, she thought she could survive somewhat, until she met Xellos again. Then she realised how lonely she was, how she craved for company. She was after all a Ryuuzoku, not a Mazoku. She couldn't live so aimlessly. It was eating into her, day by day.

Xellos's vague promises were nothing substantial, but they DID give her something to look forward to.

Filia felt the need to cry, for the first time since she shed tears on Valgaav's departure.

Xellos stood wordlessly in front of a small hut. Without a doubt, he could feel the pulse of the source of energy coming from within.

Strange, that it would be here.

Xellos pushed open the door, knowing fully well that there would be nobody inside.

After all, they thought he had walked into an ambush.

It is coming from the kitchen.

As he strode towards the source, many shadows started zipping through the walls. Xellos's sharp senses conveyed to him that they were demons, not even real Mazokus. They were of such diluted origins that their abilities were also drastically lessened. Then again, Xellos did not let his guard down. He knew how crafty his comrades were. There were some who would love to see him dead.

" I have no time for playing games. Send your puny bodyguards home. Come out and meet me. "

There was a moment of silence. Nothing moved, nothing swayed. Slowly, however, before Xellos and the kitchen door, a dark shadow started to rise. Xellos took one look and immediately knew that this obstacle was Viwa, a Mazoku, residing under Grauscherra's reign.

" Viwa, a flesh-eating Mazoku, coming all the way down to greet me. I'm pleased. "

" Xellos, don't be so arrogant. "

The shadow slowly solidified and before Xellos, a figure of a woman came into being. Viwa had changed into a long black-haired, beautiful woman, with deep emerald-green eyes and porcelain-clear skin. She was dressed in a long black dress, down to her knees, with black heels to match. Only high-leveled Mazokus were capable of transfiguring.

Xellos smiled anyway, his hand gripping his staff a little more tightly.

" My my, our attires match perfectly, Viwa. "

Xellos was totally dressed in black, except for a dark-purple sash tied across his waist. Viwa gave a short burst of laughter. They were within a feet of each other.

" I have orders not to allow you, Jyuushinkan, to touch the source. "

" From who ? "

" Grauscherra-sama. "

" Why so ? "

" I do not question orders. "

" Well, I have orders from above to raid the source. "

" Go back. "

" I'm afraid I can't. My head will be in danger of rolling. "

Viwa smiled rather evilly at the thought, making Xellos even more excited. He loved enemies.

He even loved tearing them apart.

" Xellos, you have been gathering more and more power. What are you scheming ? "

" Nothing, I assure you. "

" I'm surprised that you're even lying. "

" I never lie. "

" Leave ! "

" I can't, Viwa. I really need to see the source of the power coming from behind you. "

" So we cannot compromise huh. "

" Not surprising. "

There was a poignant pause of silence, before the two Mazokus suddenly disappeared into the Astral Plane.

The fight had started.

Author's Notes :

It's been a busy week. I've been watching a lot of Senkaiden Houshin Engi as well. -smiles-

Anyway, this is the new chapter and I wonder if it's slightly odd. Hmm, this story will gradually see a X+F ending, but I think it will be in a different style. Oh, thanks for the kind reviews , they're really encouraging !

Legend :

Tencho = Shop Owner

28th September 2002