Slayers Fan Fiction ❯ Xellos and Filia: A Twisted Fate ❯ No Way! A Mazoku in Love?! ( Chapter 5 )

Part V: No Way! A Mazoku in Love?!

Xellos was becoming increasingly irritated as he floated above the town. No matter what he did he couldn't sense their presence…anywhere. He grumbled.

"Just what is going on here?" he murmured, opening his eyes a little.

"What's wrong, little wolf? Can't find your playmate?"

Xellos whirled around and faces a smirking Beastmaster. She was floating in the air, as he was, but she was in a sitting position, almost as if she was reclining in mid air. Her legs were crossed and she wore her white robes and the gold bracelets on her ankles and wrists jingled with her slightest movement and the blow of the wind. Two large black wolves floated beside her, lying down as if there was ground beneath their bodies, not air.

"Lord Beastmaster…"

Beastmaster arched an eyebrow. "I don't know if I like the tone in your voice, Xellos. It seems much less respectful than usual." She straightened, but remained in the sitting position. "You have yet to answer my question, my wolf trickster."

Xellos was silent for a moment as he looked at Beastmaster. The corner of her lip was up. For the first time in his entire existence, Xellos felt control of a situation slip through his fingers. For the first time, someone else had the upper hand.

"You know where Filia and the others are, don't you, Lord Beastmaster?"

Xellos watched as she sighed and looked at her nails carelessly. Her iridescent gaze flickered to him as her lips twisted into a smirk. Her gaze returned to her nails. "Perhaps." Her other hand reached out and stroked the black wolf beside her.

"Lord Beastmaster… Tell me where they are," Xellos said, anxiety rising in him. He really didn't understand it. Why was he getting so worked up because Filia had disappeared? Why was he suddenly so desperate to find her?

Beastmaster returned her gaze to him and gave an impatient sigh. "Why? Why do you want to know where they are? Personally, I believe this is to my great benefit. No longer will you be distracted by her or by the child. You will dedicate your full attention back to me, as you are supposed to, for I am your lord, not the prudish Golden Dragon." She lifted an eyebrow. "Or is there something I don't know, Xellos? Is it possible that my trickster has been tamed by a short-tempered snobbish Golden Dragon with an attitude?"

Xellos quickly quelled the rising anger. He didn't know what game Beastmaster was playing, but if he lost his cool he would definitely be on the losing end. "No reason so great as that, Lord Beastmaster. I have just been quite a few days without…slaking my passions. I was eager to have my way with the Golden Dragon for some relief."

She sneered. "Well, if that is all you desired, Xellos, you need not go through the trouble. You are always welcome in my bedchamber. And if you wish, I can change my appearance to that of the Golden Dragon, if that is your preference."

A vein pulsed in the back of Xellos' head. "Heh, heh." Xellos thought quickly for an excuse not to sleep with her. Ah ha! Brilliant! "I'm honored by your offer, Lord Beastmaster, but I would take much more pleasure from the real Golden Dragon, only because I can plague her with the fact that I am a Mazoku and I'm doing as I please with her. Tormenting a Ryuzoku and at the same time slaking my lusts creates a very interesting experience for me."

"I can imagine so." Beastmaster shook her head and turned her attention to her wolves. "You are perverse, Xellos." She gave him a sly look and then continued to pet her wolf. "No. I will not tell you their location. Your answer was not satisfactory."

"What?" Xellos half growled. He quickly reigned in his anger.

Beastmaster let out a low chuckle. "Silly trickster. Do you think you could deceive me with that? If you truly want to find the Golden Dragon and her companions you will have to tell me the truth… No matter how much it pains you." She gave him a hooded look. "Consider it your punishment, if you need a reason. For paying much more attention to that Golden Dragon than to me."

A few more veins popped up over his head. "Truth? I don't know what you mean, Lord Beastmaster. All I want is to know where she is."

She rolled her eyes and stood. Beastmaster crossed her arms over her chest and gave Xellos a condescending look. "Your play at ignorance does not impress me, Xellos. In fact, it irritates me. Come to my chambers if you ever decide to change your mind and tell me the real reason you want the Golden Dragon."

"I still don't understand what you mean, Lord Beastmaster. I have told you." Xellos opened his eyes slightly and watched his lord's retreating back.

Beastmaster shot him a contemptible look from over her shoulder. Then she gave him a matching smile. "Let's see how long you last, Xellos, before you give into your emotions. You know I have the information. Until you tell me the real reason…" She turned back around and a vortex opened. She walked into it, her wolves beside her. It closed after she had passed through.

Her voice echoed in the air where the vortex had just been.

"Stew."

Xellos grumbled to himself as he floated over the forest just outside the town where Filia used to live. What had Lord Beastmaster been muttering about? What 'truth' could she possibly want? It wasn't as if what he was asking was so great. He just wanted to know where Filia was.

Why?

Oh, yes. That question. It was the same question that Lord Beastmaster posed. Xellos paused his flight for a moment. Why indeed? What was it about that prudish Golden Dragon that made him enjoy her company so? True, not a moment with her was ever dull. True, he enjoyed the best sex with her that he'd ever had in his entire existence. True, he kind of liked her cooking and her tea.

"Hmmm…"

It seemed that he enjoyed her company. Not just in bed, but outside of the sheets as well. Well, he had enjoyed her company before he had gotten her into bed. Sex had just been a recent added bonus. Was it possible that he actually liked and/or enjoyed being with Filia? Perhaps it was that, other than the need for sexual relief, that he was so desperate to find her. After two weeks of working on Lord Beastmaster's errand, he wanted Filia's presence. Is that why he was so tense?

"Hmm. An interesting concept, indeed," Xellos muttered to himself. Perhaps he should say that to Lord Beastmaster and prostrate himself, and hopefully she would tell him where Filia was. But would she really? She seemed to have something very specific in mind for him to say. Xellos pouted, crossing his arms over his chest. He didn't know what Lord Beastmaster wanted him to say, but he could guess whatever game she was playing at know, he won't enjoy it.

Perhaps his best bet would be to look for Filia on his own for the time being. And if all else fails… Then he would have no choice but to play Lord Beastmaster's game.

* * *

A couple of weeks later, elsewhere…

"Miss, are you all right?"

Filia lifted her head slowly and gave Jillas a look that was meant to cut him in half. Sweat was dripping down her face as she tried to get in a decent breath. Her knuckles were white as she clenched rocks at either side of her. She slowly licked her dry lips. "Does it look like I'm all right?" she croaked. A sudden rush of nausea propelled itself upward from her stomach once more and she heaved up the rest of the previous night's dinner.

After she finished her stomach finally began to settle. Filia slowly straightened, and Garbos quickly came to her aid. He put her arm around his shoulder and helped her walk back toward their camp. Filia turned and saw both Jillas' and Val's worried faces. She gave them her best possible smile.

"I'll be all right. It's just a stomach virus. Must've been something I ate."

Jillas and Garbos blinked at her. Filia gave them both a look that said to keep their mouth shut. They didn't have to mention the stomach virus had only been hitting her in the morning for the last week. She knew that. It was a strange stomach virus, but it was a stomach virus nonetheless.

Garbos sat her down on her comforter and then quickly gave her some water. Filia smiled gratefully at them and drank. She just hoped the stupid bug would pass already. It was making traveling a lot more difficult. Filia put down the waterskin and sighed. Maybe they would reach an isolated village sooner rather than later. She was tired of moving around so much.

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

Garbos quickly got into a defensive stance and Jillas ran by Filia with little Val. Filia turned to the sound coming from the woods, curiously. Why did that voice sound familiar…?

"Garbos? Jillas? Filia?" the voice said just as it stepped out of the woods and into the little clearing. Filia sighed in relief and then smiled.

"Oh, it's just you, Mr. Zelgadis. You sure gave us a scare!"

Filia watched Zelgadis look at the troupe with an eyebrow arched. "It's good to see you too, Filia… But weren't you living in a town, and didn't you own an antiques and weapons shop? Why are all of you out in the middle of the forest?" He sat down next to Filia. "And why do you look like you just died?" Zelgadis said to her.

"I look that bad, huh? Stupid stomach virus is sure taking a lot out of me…"

"So it was you."

Filia blinked and turned to Zelgadis. He gave her a small smile. "I heard someone being sick near where I was camped. That's why I came in this direction."

She smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I'm the sick one. Not that it helps us any since we're trying to find some place new to live."

"Why?"

Filia shook her head carefully, so as not to incite another migraine, and smiled up at him. "Too many problems in the last town. Time to start anew in another one."

Zelgadis narrowed his eyes briefly and then shook his head. "None of my business, I suppose." He turned east and pointed. "There's a town down that way. It's small but pretty isolated. I came across it by accident. It's not even on the map. Maybe you should rest there until you're healed. And maybe you should see a healer while you're at it."

Filia's eyes lit up. Small but pretty isolated? Not even on the map? "Perfect!"

Zelgadis, Garbos, Jillas and even little Val looked blinked at her sudden outburst. Filia smiled and put her hand over Zelgadis'. He arched an eyebrow.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Zelgadis! We'll head there right away! You've been such a great help!" She turned to Garbos and Jillas. "All right, you two, start packing up. Jillas, give me little Val. We're going to head to that little town Mr. Zelgadis just mentioned." She turned back to Zelgadis. "Thank you again."

Zelgadis shook his head. "Uh, no problem…" Filia watched him look around a bit before returning his gaze to her. "Uh, Filia?"

"Yes, Mr. Zelgadis?"

"Are you traveling or moving?"

Filia blinked. "Why do you ask?"

Zelgadis pointed. Filia followed his line of sight to Garbos, who was tying the couch along with several large boxes onto his back. Jillas was beside him, piling up tables, chairs and several boxes onto a large cart. On his back were several bags. Filia turned back to Zelgadis and saw his narrowed gaze. She chuckled hoarsely.

"Well, I did say we had problems in the last town and were traveling to a new one, didn't I?" Filia said.

"Didn't you have any idea which town you were going to move to?"

"One near Saillune that was small and pretty isolated and that hopefully wasn't on the map?" Filia said with a shrug.

Zelgadis sighed and then stood up. "I don't know what's going on, Filia, but I know not to ask. I just hope everything goes well for you." He gave her a small smile. "Since it looks like you'll be staying in the town I just mentioned, I figure I might as well tell you some more about it."

Blink, blink. "What more should I know, Mr. Zelgadis?"

"There's really only one place where you would be able to open up an antique and/or weapon shop. Remember it's a really small town. There's a large townhouse near the edge of the village. They say it used to be the home of some wealthy family. They would come there often during the summers. But the family doesn't come any more. I heard some old gossips say that the family built a new larger summer home in Sairaag because the family was getting bigger." Zelgadis shrugged. "I didn't bother to mention to them Sairaag was destroyed, but you should know. I don't know if that family will be coming back, but that's pretty much the only place you'll have in that little town."

Filia smiled. "Thank you, Mr. Zelgadis."

Zelgadis flushed lightly. "N-no problem, Filia."

Filia stood up, already feeling much better. Val giggled in her arms. She smiled at him and then turned to her other two companions. "All right, Jillas, Garbos! Off we go!"

* * *

2 months later…

Xellos cursed as he sat in a redwood. In all his years of life, never had he been so stumped as he was now. No matter where he looked he hadn't been able to find hide nor hair of Filia, Val, Jillas, and/or Garbos. It was like they had disappeared off the face of the earth. Xellos tapped his foot impatiently against the branch. Not to mention his sense of calm had completely left him. Filia could rile him up, but never was he ever so full of uncomfortable tension.

This just told him one thing. It was time to finally give in and face off with Lord Beastmaster. There was just no other way to find them. With his luck, Lord Beastmaster had probably put a ward around them, so he would not have been able to detect them anyway. Xellos cursed again and stood.

"Well, I guess there's no choice now," Xellos muttered to himself.

He teleported himself to Lord Beastmaster's chambers without another thought. If he thought to long on it, he'd never do it.

When he appeared in Beastmaster's chambers, he quickly knelt to one knee, presenting himself. But he heard no word from his lord. Xellos looked up and his eyes opened at the image before him.

Lord Beastmaster's throne had not only her usual black wolves, but hordes of other beasts as well. Tigers, lionesses, and bears. Her eyes were closed and she was wearing a silken red robe that spilled over her throne. It was the same red of Gaav's hair. And curled on her lap was a wolf cub of pure white. Her dark hand was gently caressing the soft fur on the pup. Beastmaster slowly opened her eyes, and her red lips curved into a genuine smile.

"Well, it seems my little trickster wolf has finally returned to the pack. What brings you home, I wonder?" she whispered. The candlelight flickered in her iridescent eyes. Her hair hung over her body and over her thrown, just as her red robe did.

Xellos bowed again. "Lord Beastmaster, tell me where Filia is."

He heard a low hoarse chuckle. He looked up and saw her shake her head even as she laughed. "No, no, little wolf. Tell me first why you want to find her so badly. If your answer is satisfactory, I will tell you."

He paused for a moment and decided to try the conclusion he had drawn around two months beforehand. "Because I enjoy her company."

Beastmaster's laughter rippled through the room. Xellos stiffened. "In over two months, this is the best you can do, Xellos? I assumed you would have accepted the truth by now, trickster. Accepted it enough, that you could at least tell me, if not the Golden Dragon." She shook her head. "But you are stubborn and unable to see deeper than your own shallow skin." Beastmaster gave him a sad smile. "I pity you, Xellos." She sighed and turned her gaze away from him. "And I pity myself, though I know I should not."

Xellos sensed immediately that something was different. Lord Beastmaster was about to reveal something important, was about to do something…unheard of and unique.

She turned back to Xellos. "You and I are very much alike, Xellos. But then, you are practically one of my children, not just a faithful servant. We both deny the truth because we are set in one nature, and in the end we will destroy ourselves because of it." She smiled at him. "Do you know what will happen to you, because you refuse to see the truth? I shall tell you. Because you cannot and will not tell me the truth, I will never tell you where Filia is. And you will search forever and then destroy yourself, because of her loss. For you will not stop searching until you find her, and that will destroy you."

Xellos opened his eyes and met Beastmaster's gaze. "Why are you telling me this, Lord Beastmaster?"

"To prevent you from destroying yourself? Or perhaps, because of some perverse amusement of mine. I am not sure yet." She chuckled. "You'll find out as soon as I." She looked down at the cub in her lap and her smile faded as she stroked the soft fur. "You had great fun teasing the Golden Dragon about the fact that the Ryuzoku committed a terrible atrocity against the Ancient Dragons, did you not, Xellos?"

He was silent for a moment before answering. "Yes…"

"Amazing, isn't it? How a race that professes to be descendants of the gods, to be a race of pure goodness, a race to protect the world, could commit such a terrible crime."

"Ironic is the term I would prefer," Xellos said.

Beastmaster let out a half laugh. "Hmph. Yes. Ironic." She looked up at him. "But wouldn't it also be ironic, if a Mazoku fell in love?"

Xellos' eyes widened slightly. "A Mazoku…in love?"

She turned back to the white wolf cub. "Yes. In love. Unheard of, isn't it? A Mazoku cannot feel love. It is beyond our capabilities. For one must have the softer, more tender emotions to love. To care for, to protect, to feel passion, to cherish. All those form into the emotion of love, an emotion that is said to have toppled kingdoms, and done the impossible." Beastmaster smiled. "Was it not love that saved Lina Inverse from being consumed by the Lord of Nightmares? Wasn't it her love for the swordsman of light that gave her the power to call forth the Mother of Chaos? And wasn't it his love for her that brought her back from Her endless darkness? This love is a very powerful thing-but it is purely an emotion that belongs to the 'good', is it not?"

He nodded slightly, almost half afraid where this is going.

Beastmaster continued. "So if the Golden Dragons could commit such a terrible evil crime, is it not safe to say, that a Mazoku could feel love?"

"Lord Beastmaster…" Xellos stood up, a smirk on his face. "Are you trying to say there was such a Mazoku?"

She shook her head. "No. There were two."

"What?"

She chuckled. "Yes. Two. Two that loved each other. But one's courage deserted her, and in the end was left alone. The worst form of agony is to lose one's love." Her iridescent eye settled hotly on Xellos. "You are only beginning to feel some of the pain, because you have yet to become of aware of your emotions."

Xellos sneered. "Are you saying that I'm in love?"

Beastmaster stood slowly, cradling the cub in her arms. She floated toward Xellos, her beasts following her. She put her hand to his face and smiled. "Yes, Xellos. Irrevocably. You are in love, but like I said before, you are much like me. You will never admit it, until it is too late."

He took a step back. "You were in…love, Lord Beastmaster?"

She smiled sadly and turned her face away. "Yes. With Gaav."

Xellos said nothing. He waited, knowing an explanation was coming. "Gaav was different than other Mazoku. Because he had been trapped in a human body, he was more capable of human emotions. Gaav…was my lover, in every sense of the word. When he first whispered words of love in my ear, an organ I thought I did not own, my heart, came alive. Without even much effort, I grew to love him in return, but at the time I did not realize it, and I denied it." Beastmaster held the cub to her face, her eyes distant. "When he decided to turn against the Mazoku, my heart was torn. He asked me to fight by his side. I did not know what to do. I wanted to fight by him, but I dared not to. I tried to convince him to stop his campaign, but he would not. So…denying what I felt for him, I turned from him. I told him his forced humanity had made him weak and that a true Mazoku does not have the crippling emotion called 'love'. He left me, fought his own battle and lost. Phibrizzo killed him."

Xellos was silent. With surprise, disbelief and skepticism. What game was Lord Beastmaster playing at? No Mazoku can feel love…

"It was not until after his death that I realized that I truly did love him. And then I was alone. I lost myself for a time and then resurfaced. I delved into work and continued to live. And everyday I hoped that he could forgive me…but I knew that I had lost him from my own foolishness. I should have stood by his side, instead I deserted him."

"But if you had joined him, you would've been killed by Phibrizzo as well," Xellos said quietly.

Beastmaster turned to him with a small smile and an eyebrow arched. "Do you really think so?"

He suddenly realized what she meant. It was one thing to destroy a Mazoku trapped in a human body, but it was quite another to destroy him and one of the most powerful Mazoku lords in the realm. Phibrizzo wouldn't have had a chance against them both. Xellos looked into Beastmaster's iridescent eyes and saw that they were far away. Perhaps in her memories. Was it even possible? Perhaps for Gaav it may have been possible because he was in human form for eons, but for Lord Beastmaster to feel the same? "Why do you say we are alike, Lord Beastmaster?"

She laughed lightly. "Because you too are denying those feelings that make up 'love' within you. My dear little wolf, every creature has the capability to love and cherish, just like every creature has the capability to hate and fear." She turned and floated back to her throne, she put the white wolf cub at the base and sat down. "I had to lose something dear to me to see the truth of that. And because I care for you, like one would…hmmm-perhaps a younger brother?-I do not want to see you make the same mistake. Because you will lose."

Beastmaster smiled. "Remember, Xellos. A wolf takes a mate for life. And when a wolf romps freely with its mate, cubs tend to be born." She picked up the small white wolf again. "Unfortunately, I did not have any cubs of my own. If I had, perhaps the loneliness would not be so terrible?"

Xellos narrowed his eyes. "So you are saying, Lord Beastmaster, that until I admit my love for Filia you will not tell me where she is?"

She rubbed her face against the cub's soft fur. "Exactly. And even if you never admit it, at least I can watch her cubs grow. A cub that is Gaav's…and a cub which can change the destiny of both the Mazoku and the Ryuzoku."

Xellos stiffened. She couldn't possibly mean… "Wha-What are you saying, Lord Beastmaster? Is Filia…?"

Beastmaster burst out into laughter. "It's a pity you'll never know, will you, Xellos! Now, I must be off. I have an appointment with the elder Golden Dragon of the Kakatoe Mts. There are things…we must discuss." She waved her arm in the air and her chambers faded quickly away. Xellos found himself in the same forest he was in earlier.

"Search deep into yourself, Xellos. When you truly want to find your Golden Dragon, the path will become open to you." Beastmaster's voice echoed in the hollow of the forest and slowly faded.

When there was silence Xellos shook his head in disbelief, a sneer twisting on his face. A Mazoku in love? How perverse is that!

He smiled evilly as he vanished into the shadows.

And impossible.