· · · · · · ·
The scent of burned flesh carried through the halls and the way the corpses jerked when deposited on the ground had its own crispy sound.
He didn't blame the workers for their rough treatment of the dead, they had seen too many. They rushed out of the death ward, back to the living that needed more help.
Still, Milgazia had to kneel down and pay his respects to his old friend. He laid a hand over the elf's face, trying to close the remaining eye without success — the lid had melted into the socket. He considered laying his cloak over him, but that would make his friend stand out from the rows. That didn't seem right. In dead all were equal.
The remains of the Zenaffa writhed around the corpse, weakened without a magic source to feed on. Milgazia coaxed it to let go, allowing it to latch onto his arm.
He carried the miserable little thing to the nearest Zenaffa herder, whose duty was to salvage the damage armors. Neither of them spoke when he handed it over.
Between the herder and the exit door lay three rows of scorched elves from, wall to wall. Xelloss had taken all of a second to figure out how to take down a Zenaffa warrior without testing his power on the armor itself.
Milgazia had learned to use a human form thousands of years ago, but now his step felt heavier than it should be. The itch of wings and tail trying to grow out needed constant attention, the weight of his bones couldn't have enough magic.
This wasn't new. He'd promised himself he'd do better next time. Another war had always been a certainty. He thought he knew what to expect, only to realize it wasn't about knowing, but feeling.
"Uncle, where are you?" The voice came from outside the ward, racing closer with each word.
He had to tell her. She could handle it, he was sure. She'd dealt with her mother's death well, she'd accept her father's. If anything, it would just add to her drive.
"Uncle, they're going to start soon!"
He hurried to meet Memphis, too weak to let her come here. Nobody to mention it in passing, no chance of her seeing the corpse carried away or hearing the last calls of the Zenaffa.
Just as he rounded the corner, Memphis bumped into him and toppled over as a result. Rubbing her nose, she stood up. "You're heavy today, uncle."
"I just came from the sick ward," he said, and needed to say no more.
"We'll make the devil clan pay, uncle, I swear. Just let me out there!" Memphis said. The proud smile she usually wore when declaring she'd win a battle wasn't there.
"Memphy, we've been over this. We are not attacking the devil armies and you are too volatile for this delicate operation."
"Uncle! You need me, I'm one of the best Zenaffa warriors!"
A healer passing by hushed her. "There are sick people nearby, have some respect."
"Sorry," Memphis said, too loud. She took the healer by the arm. "Hey, is father in the sick bay? I haven't found him yet. I bet he can speak for me."
"I haven't seen him," the healer said before moving on.
"Maybe we can get you a supporting job, Memphy, but only if you swear not to do your own thing. You must follow your instructions to the word," Milgazia said, against all rhyme and reason.
"I won't let you down!" Memphis said, still too loud.
"I said maybe. Let's visit the strategists." He took her by the shoulder and pushed her away from the death ward. "The fact that you cannot keep your voice down in this area does not speak in your favor."
"This better?" she whispered.
"Yes. Too late, but better."
The truth was that he couldn't handle her sorrow right now.
They sought out the other elder dragons, finding them in the designated war hall close to the surface. Azonge and Ospirias were in a heated debate, which froze when they saw Milgazia. While Ospirias crossed his arms and looked away, Azonge held out his arms and stepped to Milgazia.
"Ah, Milgazia. I've gotten word from down the mountains. The human armies of Dills will deal with the devils that dispersed south. First word is they've massacred the swarms. See, with our help even humans can rise to the challenge!"
"What a waste of resources," Ospirias said.
"Lowlife or not, they are sapient beings and must be protected," Azonge snarled. "If you must have a more direct benefit, Ospirias, they're killing our enemy. Is even that that not good enough for you?"
"The question is whether it is good enough for our gods," Ospirias said. "We are allying with the dreaded Xelloss and a heretical dragon, whose blasphemous magic would shield us better than our gods?"
"I don't know what the gods would approve of," Azonge said, "You may have noticed they are ill at the time. Now, organizing an army, especially one of humans, is very difficult. I would know. Earthlord Rangort must have known about Sailoon for a time already, yet only after that pillar drives the gods mad do we get this strange order to conquer Sailoon and find random people. Rather strange, isn't it?"
"Airlord Valwin and Flarelord Vrabazard cannot even communicate or command angels. Clearly, Earthlord Rangort has reason," one of Rangort's monks said.
"No, actually this is not clear at all," Azonge said. "Airlord Valwin and Flarelord Vrabazard have no angels. Maybe if they did, they'd be sending us strange orders too."
"You are treading close to heresy," Ospirias said. "You imply Earthlord Rangort is insane?"
"We've seen evidence the gods are not of good health! Scorched lands in the east and the west! Your own lands have burned!" Azonge snapped, fangs growing as he spoke. "Milgazia. Say something! Stop being so cautious!"
"Azonge is correct that there has been great devastation, but this has not occurred down south, has it?" Milgazia asked.
"Admittedly, Earthlord Rangort has spent a lot of time in hell," another of Rangort's monks said. Milgazia really had to catch their names some time.
"The assumption Earthlord Rangort is affected by the foul curse has no bearing in reality," Ospirias said, and off course Azonge made a proverbial lunge for his throat.
At any other time, Milgazia would have broken up the verbal fight, but not now. Compared to everything he had to do, it was trivial.
Especially in light of who was here. On the other end of the hall, Xelloss sat cross legged on a broken statue while humming a cheerful tune. Memphis glared at him. Milgazia couldn't tell what would happen if she knew he'd burned her father to death. The loathed but distant murderer would hit home a lot more.
Below the statue, Filia, Lyos and the soldiers recruited from Sailoon gathered, speaking in hushed voices. None of the chimeras were harmed by Xelloss, their skin too enduring to fire. Milgazia didn't want to linger on why he hadn't choked them. In fact, Xelloss had omitted Rangort's troops the most.
A Sailoonian separated to give him some new information : Lei Magnus could not withdraw to the astral plane at all. He'd emerged from the mountain using power to blast and melt the rocks away, but had not flown away.
Milgazia was about to share to tell this to the arguing leaders when Lassandra suddenly stood at his side.
"Clear a room for me," she said. Something pulled at him to comply, a strange sense of ease and need. He found her a room, which Memphis cleared away.
The Sage stepped inside and began wordless magic. Milgazia could neither sense nor see anything she did, only an elegant motion with her hand directing the flow. Whatever she was, she blended into the world without a seam.
Xelloss shifted into the room, standing as far from Milgazia as possible. Both he and Memphis ignored him.
Between the Sage's hands, a pillar of Megiddo flared up. In the facing light a white-haired human woman remained, as opposed to the draconic angels Milgazia had seen a few thousand years ago.
In fact, both in face and the color of her clothing ... that was one of Lina Inverse's companions. Milina. This woman should be dead, yet here she stood as an angel. What had happened?
"Lassandra?" Milina asked. Then she spotted Xelloss and her face contorted, but she made no move to attack.
"Hello again, miss Milina. If I may, the lady here would prefer to be called Leyunso. You may find it useful to know ... ahem ..." He reached into his bag and pulled out pen and paper. After scribbling something, he handed her the note.
She looked up sharp after reading it. "This isn't a joke or word trick?"
"None the least, miss Milina," Xelloss said.
"This is will be difficult communicating, but I will try, lord ... should I call you any title?" Milina asked Lassandra.
"Yes, whatever you want," Lassandra said.
"Leyunso it is," Milina said.
"We clearly won't get along," Lassandra said despite her happy grin.
"Why did you summon me? I should not be away for too long." She didn't look at Leyunso, but around. "If it's about this reconfiguration in the flow, I can't handle it."
"No, we have a different situation. We require a diversion," Milgazia said. "A holy entity such as you would be the only one to not arouse suspicion from Lei Magnus—"
Milina held up her hand. "Hold it, Milgazia. What's going on?"
Before anyone else could, Xelloss rattled off a lengthy explanation that only had one line dedicated to his recent slaughter. Milgazia wondered whether Milina had anything to say about that, knowing her past associations. Chastising a devil was useless, off course, but the mere act would serve to acknowledge the tragedy.
All Milina said was, "Xelloss, you had orders and Zelas played along with the others?"
"I'm afraid so."
The silence lasted long before Milina said, "I need to talk to Zelas."
"Can this wait until after Lei Magnus is subdued?" Lassandra said. "Just so he doesn't run off in the meantime?"
"I suppose," Milina said. "Give me the details of your plan."
"I mean no disrespect, but wouldn't it be better if there are multiple angels?" Milgazia said. "Perhaps you can return to your station then."
"They are too busy." That was a strange answer, given that she was available.
"Let's join the others," Xelloss said. "They're already aware you'll come, but I you might want to have a word with them first."
Milina nodded. Lassandra already was out of the room, the angel and devil followed. Milgazia went last, taking one step after another.
Why was she an angel? The last he'd heard of her was when Lina Inverse told him about why Shabranigdu had woken in Luke. Only one thing was certain : the gods held a plan that he had no grip on. The world had come to far the dragons were left behind.
Milina moved towards the group of Filia, Xelloss and Lyos, foregoing the leaders of the dragon clans altogether. Having nothing else to do, Milgazia followed her.
"Filia Ul Copt? I am Milina. I'm here to—" Milina started.
Filia's eyes went wide. "Oh my goodness, you're miss Milina? Miss Lina told me about you. How can you be here? What's with those wings?"
"There's something weird about her," Lyos said. "I think she's somehow godly, but I'm not sure how. What wings?"
"You don't see them, mister Lyos? She's not just a human soul."
Milina blinked, looking between the two. "Xelloss? Why are they not informed yet?"
"Orders," Xelloss chirped.
Milina groaned. "Zelas can choke on my feathers for all I care. Lyos, Filia, I'm an chimera of Rangort, who gave me a little of hir power. I also am in on Lina's plot. I guard Luke in hell and with him I'm an alternative fusion source. The plan only uses you two since Luke cannot leave hell. I'll tell you more after this is over, in private. For now, Filia, do you have that hell gem of the Ancients with you?"
Filia nodded and pulled it out of the pocket space gem on her glove. "Why do you need it?"
"It can link to the Ancient Dragon spirits in hell. Since they are near Luke, they can arrange a channel from him tome, allowing us to fuse magic for as much as can be transferred."
Filia handed her the orb, which Milina took between her hands. Unbeknownst to them, Milgazia had to fight off a slew of questions. She had a hell gem of the Ancient Dragons. Did she even understand what that meant? If she had shown him this before, there would have been no need for doubt.
"By the way, when did you become able to see the astral plane?" Milina asked.
"A while ago I used a piece of Valwin's power to project myself onto the astral plane. Can I mention ... her, you know. Blue. She helped. I learned from miss Luna too. Later I gave the part to someone who could use it more, but I can still see a little."
"Shame you let it go, though that might have saved you too. If the devils had seen you with godly power, you would have become a prime target," Milina said. At this point, she flexed her back, causing white feathered wings to unfold.
Memphis finally found her tongue back; Milgazia had almost forgotten she was with him. "Whoa, what is going on? How did you get part of Valwin's power? Who is Blue? What plot of Lina?"
Filia fidgeted with her gloves. "Eh ... it's a long story."
"Too long for now," Lyos said. "Did anyone forget Lei Magnus?"
"Should we contain him at all? Maybe he could be our ally," Filia said. Milgazia was on the verge of agreeing, but Filia herself backed down. "I guess we can't trust him, but maybe we can ... persuade him ... "
"Typical miss Filia, always clinging to the ridiculous. Maybe you're just hoping for a project," Xelloss said.
"Shut up, trash," Filia snapped. "You wouldn't understand."
"Thank chaos I do not," he said with an extra wide smile. "Your thought process would impair my sanity."
Filia gritted her fangs and stiffly walked away, muttering things Milgazia would never dare to say out loud to a devil.
· · · · · · ·
Milgazia went through the motions with thousands of years of practice behind him and fresh fear to keep him focused. Direct the elves, reign in a hyperactive Memphis and remember nobody can teleport. There must be escape routes. Regulate light sources. Healers must be at stand by.
None of his clan or the elf clan would be involved in the immediate attack; Memphis would only aid indirectly. Her Zenaffa would be amongst the ten chosen to imprison Lei.
More than a few soldiers asked why they didn't ally with Lei Magnus if he was the enemy of the devils. Milgazia repeated the same to all of them : Ospirias had sent a group of ruby dragons to negotiate, but they had been killed on sight.
It was clear Lei could not be trusted, but how they'd become so convinced he was not ... Lei Magnus had killed dragons, sure, but humans could not see well in the dark and devil sight across the astral plane was far more limited than its holy variant. He might have attacked preemptively since other dragons had already fired at him at an earlier point.
Milgazia knew with certainty that Lassandra lied when she tried to convince them Lei Magnus was trustworthy ... which was a strange thing, since she'd helped them devise a plan ... perhaps to win their trust? That had to be it. She had tried to convince them of a lie. Lei could not be trusted.
How did he know it was a lie again?
"Uncle, we're ready," Memphis said, jarring him from his thoughts. "I hope father's watching, he'll be so proud. I'm going to ace this, uncle!"
Milgazia himself was a liar too, he remembered.
While he himself stayed took to the air in true form, the elves fanned out on the mountain opposite of Lei Magnus. Their armors separated from them, taking on serpentine forms. Only thanks to the thick magic of Ragradia would it be possible to control them at such a range.
The idea was that Xelloss and Filia would spring ahead with fusion magic shield to guard their frontal fighter, Lyos. Dragons, elves and Sailoon chimeras would gather around, but only to give the illusion they tried to drive Lei back into the mountain. Milina would be in the perimeter of the seal's hole, hiding in magical distortions. Lei would avoid going back in and they would leave him an escape route that would send him straight at Milina, who was ready with her own fusion magic. If she disabled him long enough to get the armors on, they'd have him.
As if it would be so simple.
Lyos was meant to sneak up, but the moment he stepped out of the temple, rain clustered around him. Not only that, but the river seeped out of its banks and snow turned to streams all flowing at him. Within a minute, Lyos has the entire landscape pointing out his presence.
Lei saw them at the same time Milgazia saw him.
The human looked so small on that slope, only set apart by his movement. One step at a time, he did not even fly. If not for Milgazia's ability to sense devils, he would have believed him harmless. He wasn't. The power of Shabranigdu was so intense that every across the valley it stung through the flow.
The power filled up with blood lust. If any human existed behind this, he surely had drowned in the malice his devil side. Milgazia didn't doubt anymore.
Before Lei could attack, Lyos shot across the valley. The element of surprise gone, he played it off as a rabid frontal attack.
Milgazia turned away, unable to follow the speed of the battle. There was no telling the side effects of this battle between chimeras, so he had to get the elves away. Though he should focus on that, he couldn't help but look back.
Fusion bore a hole in the chaos of the blue and red magic, a solid nothing that obstructed Lei's sight. Right after that, an explosion thundered through the mountains, followed by a red circular wave from the core of the battle. A white light, Milina, shot away from it.
Though he couldn't see the humans, only the currents of energy, the core of devil power was nowhere near the entrance at this point. In fact, it felt like gearing up for another wave. The plan had failed within half a minute.
Lei's power flared out into five directions. Raw variations of the Drag Slave, yet far more potent and concentration. Their mere passing melted the rocks.
Time didn't slow down very often for him, but amidst this chaos came an unusual opportunity.
Xelloss shifted erratically into view, too blind on the astral plane to navigate the area without physical eyes. He was maybe a kilometer away, speeding nearer.
Milgazia hesitated as a thought got hold on him : if he filled this area with magic right now, Xelloss would be blinded. He might die when hit by one of the errant power, or at least be hurt enough that the dragons could finish it off. So what if the gods used him for a plan?
Xelloss deserved to die.
Milgazia hardly took a conscious decision. In dragon tongue, he cast an old haze spell. A thin, golden fog filled the area all around him. To the holy it meant nothing, but Xelloss slowed down in confusion. Then their eyes locked, and Milgazia was certain he felt Xelloss's wrath across hundreds of meters.
One of the red power surge spiraled towards Xelloss, but before it struck, Filia flew in from above. Within seconds her magic merged with Xelloss's darkness. On their shield, the red power scattered as if the wind blew it aside. It hadn't been fully neutralized, merely scattered.
All that now came straight at Milgazia. He turned and fled, but the heat melted his wing membrane before he was even hit. He fell.
Right then the far away fusion shield disintegrated and Filia in dragon form shot towards him with uncanny speed.
"Transform or you'll be too heavy!"
He did so just in time for Filia to scoop below him with a pillow spell. It softened his otherwise lethal landing on her back, but didn't stop her descent. She'd gone too low, scraping across the mountainside until her shoulder hit a rock. Blood sprayed over his face. He clenched her mane, almost thrown off by the impact.
Above them the energy passed over with singing heat, but a shield of cold surrounded Filia.
In her descent, she tore a few meters across the ground before she hooked her claws into rocks. After grinding to a halt, she lay there breathing for a few seconds.
Time's flow returned to normal, or close to it, as Milgazia realized the enormous foolishness of his actions. He should have gotten away when he could, Xelloss probably could take a Drag Slave. This shouldn't have happened.
"I'm going to transform now," Filia said. "Please step off before you hurt yourself more."
He dropped between her neck and wings. A sharp pain shot up through his legs, causing him to buckle forward and almost slide down the slope. Filia steadied him with an arm, then transformed.
When she reappeared as a human, her wounds were closed. Though it didn't normally happen with such young dragons, transformative restoration wasn't unheard of. The lack of spell was. No words either for healing, for the pillow spell or the cold shield.
No time to fret over that, because between the red flares he saw a tiny figure. They'd landed at the foot of the mountain where Lei stood, diagonal to the exit he'd carved. All his power fixated on them — he meant to take out the fusion warriors.
"It's worth attacking those two!" the Sage of Siephied called from somewhere below the valley. Milgazia couldn't see her, yet her voice sounded so close ...
Fortunately Lei did not listen to her, but it solidified Milgazia's beliefs of Lassandra's ulterior motives.
Lei moved further down the slope, not in their direction but straight down. Filia relaxed a little and knelt at Milgazia's side, hooking an arm below his back to help him sit up.
Now Xelloss didn't need to mind Filia anymore, he lost all restraint. Out came the devil Milgazia had seen but a few times during the Devil's Descent War.
A nonstop barrage of black magic rained down on Lei Magnus. Lyos joined the fight with equal rage.
The only reason the devil and the knight didn't get into each others way was the quality of their self direction. It wasn't truly cooperation, merely minding another entity on the battlefield. Lei had to shield on two sides with power he couldn't fully control. They herded him up the mountain, towards Milina.
Flares of darkness began to surround the angel, merging with her power into greater wings. First it encircled her, but at they opened all of Lei's attacks scattered on them. No backdraft, no explosion, no dissolving of her own force, no redirection. Her shield was absolute. In Sailoon, only a hand full of Sailoon soldiers had gotten close to this speed and potency; they were the ones who had gotten away from the recruitment efforts. However, Milina lacked direction. Her partner wasn't even on the same level of existence and if she needed a change in purpose, she had to explain with words.
So it was that Lei found a hole in her barrier. He didn't fly, but he took a powered leap off the mountain and caused an avalanche in the process. The dust hid him visually; with the distorted astral plane he'd be hard to see the other way as well. Milina and Xelloss hesitated to follow, but Lyos flew right after him. Xelloss stopped projecting, Milina followed shortly.
Milgazia couldn't see anymore, nor hear anything over the rubble. A silence followed that only allowed him to worry. Were the Zenaffa armors till operational? Filia continued her shield, her entire pose tense.
A Drag Slave sized explosion erupted from the foot of the mountain, throwing back Lyos. Milina appeared to catch him.
Lei Magnus came up the mountain, using an earth-moving spell not unlike Milgazia's own. Lyos stayed in the air, brandishing his sword as the waters rose up. Whatever he screamed drowned out in the noise of attacks, rushing waters and grinding rocks.
Lei conjured up a ruby blade, but Lyos laid the first blow. Lei blocked only barely, the clash of blades burning power in all directions. The ground shook with power, Milgazia couldn't tell whether it was Lei's shield of Lyos's force. The clouds grew thicker above them and rain fell, but never hit the two fighters.
Lei Magnus parried Lyos off, lost his footing, then Xelloss attacked in cone form. That almost cost Lei a leg, then he had to ward of Milina's holy blade.
Something had changed about Lyos. Lei tried indirect spells on him, sleep, sensory decay, but he broke through them all. The same organic spells had gotten the better of him when the dragons had used them.
Whatever he deflected came their way, but Filia poured all her energy in the shield.
"Can they do it without you and Xelloss's fusion?" Milgazia asked.
"I'm sure they can," she said with the confidence of a young dragon. "We landed the first blow."
This made no real tactical distinction since the first blow was rendered moot. He didn't point this out to her, though.
Having little else to do, Milgazia let his fangs grow and his draconic vocal chords thicken until he could roar. The sound carried, and though he couldn't see the elves from here, soon the silver Zenaffa shot by them like fish in a river. They'd been waiting, thank goodness.
Just as the armors converged around Lei Magnus, Milina aimed a triple attack from her hands and wings. Lei had to divert his power to shield against her only for his attack to dissolve into the flow. Fusion magic bore through his defense, carving a way for the Zenaffa.
Milgazia couldn't see more as Milina's wings expanded to tint all the flow with light, blinding Lei and everyone else. It did not hurt his eyes, but Lei Magnus screamed.
When Milina withdrew, Lei was on his knees. The white armor encased his chest, wrapped strings renched his hands shut. Two thin straps crossed before his eyes.
It was over.
Now the immediate fear was up, adrenaline receded and Milgazia became intricately aware of his pain. Clenching his hands, he resolved to wait till a healer arrived.
This happened sooner than expected. Filia dropped her shield and laid her hands over his legs.
"Oh lord of holy waters, in flow with the waves, grant thy blessing and mercy upon this soul. Healing Hand!"
His flesh knitted back together, the pain taken away with each stitch, a familiar sensation. Until Ragradia's demise, this had been the prime healing spell amongst the northern dragons.
"How did you know that spell?" he muttered.
"No time to explain!" She stood and offered her hand, which he took. "Get on my back, I'll finish healing you once we are are in the temple."
Without waiting for an answer, she transformed again. As full dragon, scooped up Milgazia and held him aside of her neck.
"I ... eh ... are you sure?" Riding another dragon felt wrong, somehow. Dragons were not pack animals, especially not for each other.
"It'll be alright as long as you keep your weight light. Do you have enough magic for that?"
"I do," he said, taking hold of her hair again. That she didn't mind the potential offense made it easier.
Filia took off as soon as he sat. Holding on with his better hand, he ducked close to her neck to keep the wind out of his face, but didn't need to. Filia raised a small shield to lessen the wind's impact.
"You know a lot of magic that is from before your time. How?" he asked.
She looked back with one eye, her ears a little flat against her neck; the eastern golden's sign of hesitation.
"What would you do if Aqualord Ragradia were revived?" Filia asked.
He must have misheard. Filia ul Copt wasn't the sort of dragon to jest about such holy matters. Maybe she'd scorn, but not jest.
She repeated the question, this time a little louder.
"I would offer him my service again," he said after some thought.
"Then offer it by not telling anyone that I just healed you like this. Lord Milgazia, swear it."
"I will swear, but only if you answer me one question. Did you merely imply, or does he live again?"
"In a way. She is safe with the Knight of Siephied," Filia said. "She did not come back to Kataart because in her weakened state, Lei Shabranigdu would try to kill her."
"We would have protected her ... "
She chuckled for some reason. "They don't think you'd have done it right."
"Back?"
The chill up their spine betrayed Xelloss before he spoke.
"Miss Filia, that was to be a secret," he said just before he projected his human form.
Filia scowled at him. "I am not the keeper of your secrets. Lord Milgazia deserves an explanation about this and now we're on that, I deserve to know more as well."
Milgazia wouldn't learn anything new, because they took off in a subdued variant of their usual bickering. Filia's spitfire wasn't in it, her voice stayed low.
What was played here? Was someone as flippant as Filia really involved in such a grand scheme that reviving gods was part of the deal? Was that even possible?
To see the Aqualord again was something Milgazia dreamed of, but didn't ever fantasize about. Impossible hopes only tore one down.
If Aqualord Ragradia lived again, they could restore the dragon tribe to its former glory. This time, it would be better. One of the last things Aqualord Ragradia had told him was of his regret that he'd waited so long in intervening with the humans war.
Azonge had ideas about closer ties to the human realm, while Ospirias bordered on heresy with suggestions everything would be easier if they ruled the world. While the latter was ludicrous, Azonge might have been on to something. If Ragradia returned, all could change.
"Here, I'll share this much," Xelloss said, appearing before Milgazia all of a sudden. Too close, leaning in with one eye open. Milgazia nearly lost his grip. "Whatever zealous vision you're having, it'd be better to give it up. You wouldn't be the first dragon to be let down by their gods, right, miss Filia?"
"Not now," she growled.
"Oh?" Xelloss drew back, walked across her neck to lean over her head. "Not now? Picky about timing when you just endangered our plan just to save him?"
"I couldn't just let him die," Filia said.
"Oh, you could. All it required was for you to not do anything."
"To enable your vital needs of being a childish prick? I thought it I could take a small detour to save a life. If we hadn't lost fusion magic it wouldn't have been a big problem."
"Not that life."
Beat. Filia's mouth dropped.
"I don't believe it. You're still angry about his bad jokes? Sounds like you have the bigger problem here!"
"May I remind you that you hate his jokes almost as much as I do?"
"You may and I won't deny it, you rotting pile of manure, but I don't blame lord Milgazia for this! It's not his fault nobody ever dared to tell him how boring he is and it's not like he chose to be that way. Above that, because they are just bad jokes. I wouldn't let him die over that."
"Well, I didn't choose to be hate him. That is a natural consequence of our opposing natures as boring and fun."
"Ha! You? Fun? Only to yourself. You're exactly like lord Milgazia in that respect. Nobody but you thinks it is funny."
"That is my intention, unlike Milgazia," he sneered, but it didn't sound as smooth and controlled as before. Milgazia wished he'd be better at reading human tones.
"There you go, derailing the topic again," Filia hissed. "With how much your petty emotions get in the way, I think you need a rezast spell to do some housecleaning yourself."
Xelloss dropped his staff on the top of her head. "Oops, how clumsy of me."
Filia growled — she didn't seem hurt badly, but it still was pain.
"If that's all you can do in reply, that means I won," Filia declared. "You didn't even wait for a wall or door to present itself, despite how close we are to the sanctuary!"
Indeed, she already made the motion to land. Milgazia hadn't even noticed the ruins, he'd been too occupied with the surrealism of the dragon slayer bickering with a dragon.
About his life and apparently, his sense of humor.
"My jokes are bad?" Milgazia asked, but they didn't hear him.
· · · · · · ·
The armies retreated back into the sanctuary. A few of the elected elves had been injured and a dragon had died while carrying them to safety. Milgazia should have been there to help, not pursue unrealistic vengeance plans. Filia finished healing him before moving on to others.
He started counting his steps as he walked through the corridors. Though they had victory, it was a quiet, pained victory. The devil chimera's presence put a strain on everyone's already fragile peace. More than one begged that they might leave, but where to? All around, the remainders of the devil armies waited. There was no safe exit. They'd have to wait until teleportation would be possible again.
Now all this had gone by, he had to tell Memphis something.
Still, he found distractions. It had come out that the angel was friends with a host of Shabranigdu who resided in hell. Through the Ancient's hell gem, he'd spoke a few things that ... heavily implied a romantic interest. The connection between fusion magic and that rekindled rumors about Filia and Xelloss. Though he shouldn't care, Milgazia sought out Azonge to talk about that.
Some part of him hoped Memphis would find out on her own.
By the time he found his friend (the still living one), he hadn't even made up an excuse why it was important.
Azonge and Ospirias were, again, arguing.
"I do believe she is on our side," Azonge said. "At the very least, she has a conscience and standards."
"It may be she once was a pure soul and such vestiges remain," Ospirias said. "Having fallen into a forbidden relationship with a devil is exactly the thing that would corrupt someone."
"We don't know whether they are involved," Azonge said. "There are a lot rumors, but none confirmed. A dragon with scrying power saw them on a couch under a blanket, but given the circumstances that could be something else entirely."
"What circumstances?" Milgazia asked.
Azonge cast Milgazia a strange look and said, "Ehm, we'll cover that later, you wouldn't believe me if I said so. Anyway, that angel says the Sage wants to talk to Lei Magnus as soon as possible."
"No," Milgazia blurted out. "She encouraged him to attack me and Filia ul Copt."
"Actually, that sounds very interesting," Xelloss said as he shifted in. "Let's have those speak."
Nobody wanted to say no to this devil.
Milgazia arranged for the meeting by informing the outer guards. Xelloss followed him around, his fake smile on his face the entire time. Xelloss needed to die.
What he wanted for Lei Magnus he wasn't sure though. Old human tales told of the great sage Lei Magnus, but Milgazia had never paid attention to such things. Humans greatness was mediocrity for dragons. You might notice it if the fireworks were loud enough, but it still was gone and meaningless so soon. As such, he had no idea who he was.
Lei Magnus had been led into the greatest hall, where Ragradia's statue stood. Below this he looked so small.
He did not resist the Zenaffa armors. Milina sat opposite of him, on the kiln near the entrance. She held a relaxed pose, legs crossed and hands cradling the hell gem. However, her wings were wide out, its lower feathers passing over the entrance. Milgazia ducked to avoid touching them.
Xelloss followed after him, then came Leyunso. Milgazia didn't like going first, but he had to bypass the inner barrier they'd raised.
Now seeing Lei Magnus close for the first time, Milgazia was unimpressed. The man bore none of the marks of greatness. He wore wide robes with excessive shoulder pads, the human choice of those looking to impress. Yet his pose had nothing intimidating or grand. His face was turned down and hands hands laced before his knees.
"Lei Magnus, this woman wants to speak to you," he said. With that, he stepped back. Not too far, he wanted to hear.
Lassandra would have hunched down, but Lei stood up before she could.
"Who are you?" he asked, solid red eyes narrowed at her. Someone had apparently considered the blinding pointless.
"My name matters."
"I'm still curious," he said after hesitating.
She shrugged, whatever that meant.
"She offers you an alliance," Xelloss said.
"Why does she not speak for herself?" Lei asked.
"That is a secret, but one I assure you may work in your favor once the allegiance exists."
"Why would you?" Lei asked her directly.
"I'm absolutely not in a need for allies," Lassandra said. "I am not curious about your concerning the three retainers."
"I could use support and they were there. Would the dragons have listened if I offered allegiance, hmm?" Lei asked.
"Probably," Xelloss said. "As Shabranigdu, you would have no reason at all to reject your own troops, or be rejected by them. You see, the dragons are in a need for allies themselves, seeing as their gods have been blinded. Fortunately, we beat them to that idea by making it clear you won't be their ally for real."
"How would you know?" Lei asked.
"Ever heard of the Sage of Siephied?" Lassandra asked.
Lei tensed up, the armors tightened around him. "I should have asked what you are."
Lassandra shrugged again.
"I've heard of the Knight of Siephied. What does being a Sage mean?" Lei asked.
"Sages hold memories of the gods. They are chimeras of godly mind and mortal soul," Milgazia said, unable to keep his curiosity to him. Something was wrong with the Sage of Siephied, he wanted to know more.
Lei Magnus shook his head. "No ... this isn't a chimera that I'm looking at. Nobody knows chimeras the way I do, I've spent so much time being one. The Lei Magnus of the past would be appalled by me, and Shabranigdu is appalled right now. A thousand years on ice is a lot of time to think. If you are whom I suspected, you must have had so much more time. Did you ever get a choice about what you are?"
"I'm not," Lassandra said.
Lei Magnus laughed. "She did this, didn't she? She spit you back into the world."
"Did she do as I wish without caring what I wanted?" Lassandra asked, a strange smile on her.
"Am I really meeting Siephied?"
"Am I really meeting Shabranigdu?"
"A form of him if we get into semantics, just as with you." Lei leaned back against the wall, sitting down again. She followed his example.
"I'm beginning to guess She did something to your ability to speak. Once, you said the power to keep followers and take on small forms was so useful, since faith makes for excellent food. In retrospect, that's probably why you got the upper hand during our battle. Just enough to divide me. Or him. Either's true at this point."
Lassandra gave him a big grin. "Wouldn't you know all about the benefits of gaining followers by now?"
"That's why we went for Ragradia's power. I figured it out where you got so much food to tilt the tides. And now, here you are, unable to breed faith," Lei said, matching her grin.
"My my," Xelloss said. "You caught on to her curse quickly."
"The Lord of Nightmares has Her whims, doesn't she? It's almost predictable she'd do something like this."
Xelloss and Lassandra exchanged a look, then they whispered so softly that Milgazia couldn't hear. Milina approached, adding in on the quiet conversation.
"Are you aware of the whims of the Lord of Nightmares? How so?" Lassandra asked after a minute or so, leaned forward a little.
"Sharing experiences, you two?" Lei asked, nodding at Xelloss and Lassandra. "So did I. Granted, it was less of a mutual thing than with you. I thought I was leading the one I spoke to along, only to realize they could eat my emotions. They were onto me soon."
"They?" Xelloss asked. "Who ever could you have spoken to?"
If Lei's smile meant anything, Milgazia could not tell, but he recognized the kind of waiting prowl. Dragons with a carnivorous inclination often tested patience by staring and baiting. Some humans did it too, one of the few things Milgazia could read on their body language.
"The other group who is in on this scheme explained me what they plan when they tried to recruit me," Lei Magnus said.
Xelloss's eyes flew open. "You know who they are? Tell us!"
Even Lassandra, otherwise calm to absurd levels, jerked up.
Lei shook his head. "You'd know where to look when I'd rather look there myself without being disturbed. Let's say for now that she had a lot of spite for the Lord of Nightmares."
The blood lust returned to Xelloss, sharp even in its beginning stages. "If you and who ever this person is seek to rebel against Her, you will fail. Only a fool would stand against the Lord of Nightmares. I'd tell you to ask the last one to try, but he's gone by her will."
"You've grown a tongue since I last met you, beast priest. And more. You won't say her name, intending to protect her maybe? Her name is Lina Inverse, and last time I caught a glimpse of her, she had my talismen. Didn't I give those to you?"
Xelloss waved his finger. "Ah ah, I sold them fair and square," Xelloss hummed.
"And never cared to take them back from the most powerful human?"
"Why would I need to resort to petty thievery, even if I happened to be a previous owner?"
"Why would a dragon slayer, prime general of my war, care for such law?" Lei said. "Or maybe I should call it Shabranigdu's war."
"You may be surprised by the ways I have evolved in the past millennium, lord Lei."
"Devils have no business evolving."
"Yet here you are, lord Lei Magnus, neither human nor devil truly." Xelloss made a broad hand wave at him, as if presenting evidence.
"You really did change, Xellos. Not in a useful way," Lei said.
"I beg to disagree." Xelloss eyes opened, blood lust now at its peak. "I rather enjoy being what I am now, and that is all the use I ever needed. The Lord of Nightmares agrees more than you could appreciate."
"I don't care to appreciate Her. Now," he said, leaning towards Lassandra. "Let's get back to our topic. What would you envision with me joining you? Or maybe you should tell me what's up with your voice, and why I shouldn't fear it."
She pulled at Xelloss's cloak. "Pen. Paper."
Xelloss handed it to her.
She wrote something and handed it back. "Transcribe or it will work as with my words."
After having done so, Xelloss handed the new paper to Lei Magnus. He read it, then tossed it into the nearby canal.
"I have no guarantee for that. Look at him," he said, nodding at Xelloss. "I don't believe it's worth attacking him, even if I know he holds a barrier that encases me. Even as I go over hypothetical escape scenarios and put him in a vital spot, I can't take it serious. He is not worth attacking. No, I cannot trust, Siephied. Not with that power. I've already spent too much time dealing with Shabranigdu's need to end the world. I don't want to exchange that for fearing you, even if I'd get better control out of it. I want freedom."
"Don't we all?" Xelloss said.
"Not all," Milina muttered.
"Your Luke is an unfortunate case," Lei said. "Ironically, he owes his superior control exactly to his bond to you. Love for anything tears to the core of a the purest devil of all. It doesn't matter what kind of love. Obsession, crush, devotion. Even extreme love for oneself can bear down ... Lezo can tell you about that."
"For someone unwilling to help us or form an alliance, you talk an awful lot," Milina said.
"A thousand years and I still have some very human needs left. Sometimes we just have to talk with others."
Lassandra stood up and walked away without another word. Xelloss closed his eyes and stopped projecting. Only Milina stayed for a moment.
"Can you at least tell me to what extent Shabranigdu influences his hosts?" she asked.
"It depends on the kind of host he has," he said. "I'm sorry, I can't help you with Luke. Maybe, if I die, I'll see him in hell."
She sighed. "I don't know whether I'd like that."
Keeping her wings wide, she walked backward to her former spot. "Milgazia, don't stay. There's no use talking to him."
"Actually, I can be very useful. That black skinned woman isn't the Sage of Siephied. She is Siephied reincarnated," Lei told him. "It is law in the world none can believe any of her claims because our Mother, the Lord of Nightmares, is funny like that. Do with that knowledge what you want."
Milgazia struggled for words. He found some in an old lecture long ago, when devils still tried tempting young dragons.
"I have no mind for such low brow tactics," he said, as he'd been taught and had taught others.
He left the hall without looking back, trying to tear his mind from all the strange things he'd heard today.
Right, Memphis. He still needed to tell Memphis. It was no easier now than before, but it would give him focus.
He need not have bothered. When he found Memphis in the death ward, Sylphiel was with her. Memphis leaned into her embrace, her shoulders shaking as she restrained her cries.
"I know how it feels," Sylphiel said. "There's no shame in crying, go on."
Between sniffing, Memphis managed to say, "I can't now ... supposed to be a leader. I'm the best Zenaffa wielder. I can't now. Father wouldn't ... be proud ..."
The kind of gestures that came naturally to Sylphiel were strange to him.
He turned around, walked away, didn't know anything to do. For the first time in his life, this bothered him. He was too old to relearn his place in this world, where he was smaller and weaker than he'd realized even during the War of the Devils's Descent.
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