Slayers Fan Fiction ❯ Shadow Magic - Xellos and Filia ❯ Chapter Two ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter Two

 

Filia was in the marketplace in Sayruun. Amelia had insisted that she get a good look at the market. Filia was not particularly interested. Normally she would have been excited about seeing the different products an exotic place like Sayruun produced, but not today. She really just wanted to sleep. She was exhausted. The battle from the night before had left her in serious need of refreshment.

 

What happened?

 

The battle had raged for over an hour. She was obviously very well matched with her opponent. She knew it was a man after she heard him chant his spells. His voice - it was in her head now. It was so familiar. It was so close to something she knew very well, like a place she had once lived but never visited. Who was he?

 

He cast a Dragon Slave at her. No one had cast a Dragon Slave in the tournament. It came rushing at her. Three, two, one - she automatically cast a holy spell to protect herself.

 

He smiled.

 

He actually smiled.

 

She had been about to try a silencing spell when he cast the Dragon Slave. There was no way she was going to cast that now. It was time to bring out bigger spells if he was going to cast the most destructive spell in black magic at her, and actually have the nerve to smile at her when she was obviously at a loss.

 

Suddenly, it was no longer a tournament in the Kingdom of Sayruun. Suddenly, she was fighting for everything.

 

“Beast that sings in the night, come to me and display thy melody for me,” she screamed at the height of her voice. The seraph appeared with its sprawling wings and bright eyes. The young angel was carrying a harp and the blissful melody sparkled out from her.

 

The spectators had never seen anything like that before, and they awed in amazement.

 

Filia smirked.

 

This was no ordinary sleep spell. This kind of holy summoning could drive someone insane.

 

Her opponent shook and seemed to fall to his knees in agony, but he was not responding to the summoning as a human would. Was he a mazoku?

 

Suddenly, he threw his head back, his throat visible; he punctured the angel's song with a scream unlike anything. The angel was instantly dismissed by the sound.

 

Filia saw her ally tremble and disappear, right before a demonic spell was thrown at her. She managed to miss it, but the fight was over in any case.

 

They were both disqualified.

 

He had used demonic magic and she had used holy magic. Apparently both were against the rules, although she did not know that.

 

As Filia went to bow to her opponent, she found that he would not bow to her and had simply walked or rather limped off the field. It seemed that he was hurt. She didn't want to believe that he was simply being rude.

 

She asked the first available person who seemed to be working at the tournament who it was she had been fighting.

 

“He didn't register,” the man answered, “he just appeared there when your name was called.”

 

She nodded and thanked him before stepping away. She took a seat in the stands. She had a seat reserved for her by Amelia, so she went to sit there.

 

After a couple more competitors dueled, Amelia said to Filia, “You know you've ruined this for the rest of them?”

 

“Are you angry with me?”

 

“No,” Amelia said. “I just mean that the rest of the champions know now, both the white mages and the black, that you and your partner were the best that came out tonight, even though you were disqualified. It won't be a victory to who ever wins. It will seem very hollow. Not to mention,” she said with a small sigh, “no one else has lasted longer than five minutes. It will be something we will always remember here in Sayruun. I imagine you'll be something of a celebrity.”

 

“I see,” Filia said, putting her head back.

 

“Have these last years been so hard on you Filia?”

 

Filia ignored Amelia's question and watched the battle instead. She knew what Amelia was talking about. Had she really become so hardened that it was recognizable even to someone who hadn't seen her for years? Maybe it was because Amelia hadn't seen her for so long that she saw the change in her. She didn't want to talk about it with Amelia. How could she tell her about her dreams for a little tea shop, or for a small place of her own that housed dainty little things - her dainty little dreams? Explain that Val was not someone who craved love? Explain her little boy's habits? Explain that he was as wild as an ancient beast and as sharp witted as a switch blade? That he was smarter than she was?

 

And that she was lonely?

 

That she wanted to start her life over again, but could not. She had things she had to pay for. There was no one who she could give some of her burden to. She had to make sure that Val grew up, that he had the opportunity for a happy life, even if he didn't take it, even if he didn't want it. And explaining to anyone that she was bound to someone who didn't need her was too painful, so she drove all these things back into herself. If she pushed hard enough, she would bleed until she couldn't feel anything. Then she could stand up and live her life.

 

She thought about the man she faced on the field. It kept her from thinking of other things. He had to be a mazoku. There was no doubt about it.

 

Filia stayed to the end, and saw who won, but she didn't care. It didn't mean anything to her anymore.

 

In the market, she was walking. Amelia had sent her down here, but had not been able to come with her. There was so much work to do cleaning up after the tournament. Filia walked, but she wasn't watching where she was going. The market place was crowded. People pushed against her, but she didn't look up.

 

“Excuse me,” someone said to her.

 

She looked up, and jumped.

 

“Xellos!”

 

“Oh my,” he said, looking down.

 

She stared. Filia had not seen Xellos since she got Val's egg, but there he was smiling, looking like himself and yet nothing like himself. His hair was tied back in a pony tail, and his clothes were different, but his expression and manner were exactly the same.

 

“Xellos,” she said again. “I can't believe you're here. Was it you last night? Did you come to fight me?”

 

“Gomen, but I think you have me confused with someone else. We bumped into each other and my basket of fish was upset,” he said.

 

She looked down. He was right. He had been carrying a large basket of fish in his arms and half of its contents was now all over the ground.

 

“Gomen,” she said, and began helping him clean up the mess. “But there is no point playing games with me. Did you really come to fight me last night?”

 

He smiled, “I'm sorry, but my name is Lex. I don't think we've met before.”

 

She rolled her eyes. “Lex is Xel backwards. Couldn't you think of a more creative alias Xel?” she said speaking to him with an air of familiarity.

 

He looked confused and then thoughtful. “I am really not the gentleman you seem to think I am. What's your relationship with him anyway?”

 

“Are you trying to pump me for information, really thinking that I don't know that you're just playing a game? Putting your hair in a pony tail doesn't make you a different person.”

 

“I'll have to insist again that I am not your friend Xellos, but it looks as though he has very pretty friends,” Lex said, picking up the last fish and lifting himself up to his full height. “What's your name?”

 

Thinking that she might as well humor him as not, she answered, “I'm Filia Ut Copt.”

 

“Pleased to meet you,” he said with a little mock bow.

 

“Well, if you're not Xellos than who are you?”

 

“I told you. My name is Lex.”

 

“Who are you then, Lex?”

 

He winked at her, showing one violet eye. “It's a secret.”