Slayers: Alive
Episode 142: Resignation! The Convenience of Burning Bridges
At Wolf Pack Island, little Fili jumped onto Xellos' bed where her master was among purple cushions. She jumped on him and licked his face. He petted her and offered. "How about I rename you Kiri? Filia might be pissed off." Not sure how to react, the puppy let out a little whimpering sound of protest. Xellos sat up and picked up his bag, which he had tossed aside earlier. He removed the dragon Filia doll keychain from it and conjured a small flame in his hand, watching the item burn to ashes.
Fili whimpered some more, she didn't like the sour mood that her master had been in, even if he didn't demonstrate it towards her. Xellos picked up the cub off his lap and placed her on the bed. He got up, putting his bag back on and picked up his staff. He swiftly exited his chambers and went to find Beast Master with an idea in mind.
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"Lord Beast Master?" Zelas knew that tone of voice, she recognized it immediately. That was the tone that Xellos took on when he wanted to do something for fun.
Perhaps she would humor him this time. He approached her while she was in the garden surrounded by her wolves. "What is it, Xellos?"
"Today I really feel like having some dragon cuisine. May I request some of your delicious cooking?" Xellos grinned. "I even offer to help prepare it."
Zelas shook her head lightly, scolding without any real annoyance. "We've been over this, you're not allowed in my personal kitchen. But I suppose you could help find the ingredients. The earth has produced many spices thought to be extinct and though the outburst of fertility seems to be slowly running out again, we can still stock up. Perhaps I should send you in such an errand, since there is nothing for you to do at the moment that requires proper use of your abilities."
"I would gladly overtake any task you assign to me." Xellos offered, with the hint of a coming addition soon to be attached to his remark, not a condition, as he couldn't set those, but a request. "Although, I may not be familiar with all the spices and such, even with my amazing culinary skill," which he was still convinced he had, no matter how many times it was clearly proven otherwise. "Perhaps it would be best if you came with me."
"Perhaps," Zelas agreed and Xellos grinned.
Xellos mused that he could blow off some steam, not that he had any real reason to be upset as far as his consciously accepted thought process went, get a good meal and maybe manage to piss off Milgazia. Then that would contribute to the progress of making him and Zelas break up. Although Lina had sent Jarde over with a message claiming her dragon cuisine reward, Xellos had refused her demands. She didn't help his mission at the beach, so he didn't want to reward her. He would have to watch his back the next time he ran into Lina, who had responded in turn with a rather violent sounding letter expressing her frustrations and claiming more credit than Xellos thought she deserved for that particular occasion.
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A great dark power surrounded Xellos as he allowed Zelas to teleport him away to an unknown location. When they reappeared, he recognized his surroundings as Dragon's Peak. Several dragons ran away in fright while others glared, ready to defend their clan, but they mostly, didn't make too much of a fuss. Though they didn't fully understand, and really who could? The relationship of brass rackets partnership that their valiant leader held with the monster lord, they didn't think that her presence was necessarily for the purpose of destruction. Maybe she was there for more of those odd diplomatic negotiations with Milgazia that the Water Clan assumed must be taking place during some of their time together.
"Why are we here?" Xellos complained, obviously not pleased with his location. He wanted to keep Zelas away from Milgazia at least for the day and there she went teleporting them to his place of residence.
"For spices, of course, it is said there are some rare ones that only grow in these mountains." Zelas explained in a calm, matter of fact, kind of tone.
Milgazia had approached on time to hear Zelas statement. He inquired with suspicion, "is that the only reason why you're here?" He did a fine effort to hide the flu that afflicted him, not wanting to show any signs of weakness to the monsters.
Xellos' frown deepened as he foolishly cut in before Zelas could reply, "yes, we're here for spices, we're not here to see you!"
Milgazia observed his behavior; Xellos was never this snappish in the past. "If that is the case, then I will give you the spices so you can be on your way." The golden dragon elder addressed Xellos, as he had been the one to speak directly to him.
Xellos interpreted Milgazia's reply as an attempt to get rid of him. There was no way he was going to run home with the spices while Zelas remained in Dragon's Peak with that... that... that very infuriating dragon. Xellos firmly planted his feet on the ground in emphasis, "I'm not going anywhere." The purple haired monster pouted.
Finding the behavior to be very peculiar, Milgazia nodded, "very well. As long as you do not cause trouble, you may stand there for as long as you wish."
Xellos crossed his arms stubbornly, "I will."
Zelas let out a breath that combined exasperation and amusement in a single expression, if that was even possible. "Your pet is rubbing off on you. I'm not sure if I like it."
Xellos' firm stance wavered. He did not want to be compared to Filia. "Not at all, Lord Beast Master, I am nothing like her."
"Of course not," Zelas nodded with a somewhat mocking expression. "Well, while you stand there, I shall go find the spices. Milgazia which spices do you think-" would taste better with dragon cuisine? Zelas was about to tease before she was interrupted.
Not wanting to leave them alone, Xellos moved from the spot that he claimed he would not move from and hurried to stand between Zelas and Milgazia. "I'll come with you."
"Xellos," Filia's voice as she approached the other three, made them pause. She froze a few feet away from them. She wasn't expecting to see Xellos, very much less Zelas at Dragon's Peak. She assumed that it was Milgazia who always visited Wolf Pack Island and that Zelas' presence at Dragon's Peak would be rare at most. She didn't expect to coincidentally run into her or Xellos. She didn't like the way she parted with Xellos and wanted to do something about it, but she didn't know what. Filia had to have a word with him though, she didn't like having him mad at her like that, she couldn't stand it. "Can I talk to you?"
"No," Xellos replied.
Sensing the overload of emotional drama coming from Filia, Zelas proceeded to override the answer with a hungry, "yes." Maybe then she would get even more of a meal from the upset Filia.
Xellos frowned. His own master was trying to get rid of him so she could be alone with her lover. Oh how terrible! "You too, Lord Beast Master?"
"Nah, I can still feed on her misery even from a little further away." As a powerful monster lord, Zelas had a pretty good range for such things, better than regular monsters. "I'll get started on picking those spices," Zelas decided. Filia would just hold back on her emotional outbursts if she remained in earshot. "Milgazia-"
"Have a great time looking for spices Lord Beast Master!" Xellos interrupted with an overload of cheer. "We'll be waiting right here so as to not break your concentration. A culinary genius such as yourself needs no interruptions!"
"That is very true," Zelas agreed, again caught between annoyance and amusement. Milgazia and Filia both realized she was referring to Xellos' interruption, though if the purple haired monster noticed, he showed no indication.
"Would you just let them go?" Filia snapped. She knew why Xellos would want to keep Zelas and Milgazia away from each other and honestly, she wanted to do the same. Yet this time, there were things far more important to her than the mission. "Zelas wants spices and Milgazia knows this area so he can tell her where they are, that's all there is to it. Quit stalling, you piece of raw garbage!"
Zelas chuckled, tasting the pain and fear that emanated from Filia. "Well, Milgazia, it seems our presence here is not wanted." She grinned in amusement.
Milgazia didn't know what kind of relationship troubles Filia and Xellos were having, but she certainly seemed eager to talk to him, albeit he did not. Perhaps it would be best to give them some space and talk to Filia later. "Right, let's go."
Xellos glared metaphorical poison covered, not daggers, but swords, at Filia as he watched Zelas and Milgazia walk away. They walked at a diplomatic and impersonal distance from each other, like two people who happened to be coincidentally heading in the same direction but were not walking together. Even so, Xellos shuddered to think about what kind of activities they would engage in behind some rock as soon as they were out of sight. "You're making things difficult, are you satisfied, Filia?"
The way Xellos spat out her name like venom made her quiver with a strong sense of agony. She actually wished he would call her stupid dragon in that mockingly cheerful, playful tone of his. "I need to talk to you." She reiterated, though she still did not know what to say.
"So?" Xellos urged impatiently. "Talk to me, get your useless jabbering done and over with."
Filia lowered her head, terribly frustrated by her own lack of words. "I'm sorry; I don't want you to be angry at me. I don't want things to change. You annoy me, you drive me crazy, but... somehow... I..."
"You what?" Xellos prompted neutrally.
"Miss Filia, Mr. Xellos!" Amelia's cheerful voice greeted them. The princess approached with her beloved chimera following her closely. They had no idea what they had interrupted; in fact they didn't even realize they were interrupting anything at all.
Realizing that she wasn't quite ready for this, Filia took the opportunity to buy more time with real curiosity. "Amelia, Zelgadis, when did you get here?"
"A few minutes ago, Mr. Fang helped with the transportation. He was kind of bored, so he came to hang out with us. He got permission from Zelas first, of course," Amelia explained. Albeit Filia did not clearly remember who Fang was, a vague recollection surfaced in her memories at the mention of the name. Xellos of course, knew who Fang was, as he had known him for a very long time, well before the period hidden from him by amnesia. "I'm so glad you're here," the princess took Filia and Xellos' hands on each of hers. "Let us be comrades for this fine endeavor!" She shook their hands dramatically and elegantly, then let them go.
"What fine endeavor?" Xellos inquired, not sure if he really wanted to know. The last thing he needed was an extra dose of opposition to his quest to restore sanity to his life. Surely, just as it had happened at the beach, Amelia would be adamantly opposed to any plans involving any sort of relationship sabotage strategies.
Zelgadis let out an imperceptibly quiet breath and made a face that communicated 'please humor her.'
"Let me explain," Amelia began. "Recently, Miss Onyx received an invitation to live in an elf village. A reputable family has decided, after learning of her story, that they wished to welcome her into their household and help her to live a peaceful life. Miss Onyx told them she would think about it and has actually decided to go live with them!" Amelia vigorously declared, as if the choice signified a major turning point in the climax of a cheesy overly dramatic novel.
"That's good?" Filia commented unsure. Amelia's tone didn't make it sound like the choice was favorable, but it didn't sound like a bad thing at all. Though still blurry, Filia also felt a recollection of who Onyx was, surfacing in her memories. Xellos remained clueless, assuming this Onyx was one of Amelia's friends or perhaps an acquaintance of most of Lina's traveling companions, who had joined them for their latest adventure, the one he couldn't remember.
"It would be if it were that simple," Amelia elaborated. "But it's not," the energetic Seyruun princess sighed with concern. "Miss Onyx is giving up on Mr. Phythan. She told me herself that she has no intentions of pursuing him. That is the real reason why she's leaving. We need to do something! We have to make sure she considers this carefully before making a choice that she will terribly regret!"
"I have no interest in playing matchmaker." Xellos pointed out with his usual painted grin and squinty eyes. At the same time, Filia tried to remember who Phythan was. A golden dragon, naive, innocent, lacking in modesty, a younger brother figure.
"That's not what I had in mind," Amelia clarified. "I just need someone to help me talk to Miss Onyx. She can be very shy and quiet at times. Actually, I was only going to ask for Miss Filia's assistance, as it would probably be more comfortable for her if it's just us girls. Will you come with me, Miss Filia?"
Filia couldn't wait to fix things with Xellos, if there was any way to restore the chaotic link that they had. Yet she wasn't ready, she was too confused, too mixed up, too lacking in information. "Yes," Filia quickly offered to go with Amelia and the two young women left.
A dull moment of silence passed between Zelgadis and Xellos after Amelia and Filia were gone. The quietude lasted until the chimera inquired half detached and half... concerned? "Everything okay?"
Xellos tilted his head in curiosity. There was that clear air of detachment around Zelgadis as he asked a question that he shouldn't be bothered asking in the first place. Yet there was also something that tasted of concern, but by the laws of logic couldn't possibly be. "Peachy," the purple haired monster answered sarcastically.
"I see," Zelgadis caught the obvious sarcasm and interpreted it as an unwillingness to share information. Aside from the while drama involving Zelas and Milgazia, Xellos seemed to have his own personal problems to deal with concerning Filia, albeit Zelgadis had no clue about what they could be. Addressing the topic about Zelas and Milgazia, Zelgadis honestly stated, "don't you think you're being hypocritical?"
Xellos raised a curious eyebrow. "About what?" He didn't know where Zelgadis could be going with any of this or why the chimera was even talking to him without bitterness, it was confusing. Actually, it seemed that the general attitude of Lina's traveling companions towards him had improved somehow. It had to be due to the events that he couldn't remember, Xellos logically concluded, and it made him even more curious to remember them. Even so, Beast Master had given him a sufficiently functional summary and he didn't want to trouble her for more information if she didn't deem it necessary to share it in the first place. The happenings were no secret though; he could just ask someone else... maybe.
"Zelas and Milgazia," Zelgadis replied. "I mean, you're with Filia aren't you? You're a monster and she's a dragon so-"
"I'm not with Filia," Xellos interrupted. He had been doing a lot of interrupting people in the middle of their sentences lately. "She was a pet and she still is a reliable source of food, but that's all there is to it. Amelia's naivete must be rubbing off on you if you would seriously consider such a thought."
'They're definitely having a spat,' Zelgadis quietly mused.
"Besides, Filia has that dragon," the identity of the non-existent dragon in question was a mystery to Xellos. Addressing the look of confused curiosity on the chimera's distinctively non-hostile face, Xellos elaborated. "She's expecting a child."
"What?" Zelgadis exclaimed, much louder than he meant to. "Filia is... is... she's pregnant? From another dragon?"
"Naturally," Xellos spat sarcastically. "If she's pregnant it has to be from a dragon, as that is what biology dictates."
"Oh..." Zelgadis frowned.
What was that which the chimera was feeling? Pity? Compassion? The taste made no sense to Xellos. He considered being offended, as he did not particularly like being pitied, but he was far too perplexed for that. "Aren't you supposed to hate me?" He asked with true puzzlement.
"Not particularly," Zelgadis stated naturally, the statement showing no signs what so ever of being in any way forced.
"Are you going to tell me that you don't hate anyone?" Xellos recalled Filia saying that in the past.
"No," Zelgadis truthfully replied.
"Who do you hate then?" Xellos tried to upset Zelgadis, to reach some familiar ground. "Rezo?"
"No," Zelgadis replied sincerely. "I hated Rezo and I hated you," he truthfully explained. "But I don't anymore. I've come to terms with Rezo, he was influenced by Shabranigdu and a lot of things happened because of that. As for you, I guess I found any hatred I might have had for you to be useless. I grew out of it, I suppose. I still don't like you very much, but..."
"But you don't hate me, enough to show... concern?" Xellos inquired and Zelgadis nodded. Xellos chuckled, then laughed, loud and clear. "The world really has been turned upside-down; I wish I knew what exactly I've been missing!" Zelgadis wasn't sure how to reply to that, so he remained silent. Still chuckling, Xellos commented in a teasing tone, "the princess' stubborn hope and positive attitude really is rubbing off on you. Who knows what other aspects of her are too."
Catching the hidden meaning of the comment, Zelgadis' face turned crimson. "I will not allow you to say things like that!" With a mocking laugh, Xellos stuck out his tongue and disappeared, fading away into the astral side. Zelgadis crossed his arms and huffed. For someone who just got dumped by his wife, Xellos was handling things relatively well. Still, he had trouble believing the whole thing about Filia being pregnant. Maybe that had been something she had said in anger during one of their arguments and wasn't actually true. Though he feared he would release Amelia's dramatic spirit further if he shared this information with her, Zelgadis still felt like he should.
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In another area of Dragon's Peak, Amelia and Filia approached an elf girl sitting by herself, writing something in a notebook. Onyx looked at the approaching people from the corner of her eyes, assuming they would simply pass by. When they sat down in the shade of the mountain-side in a circle alongside her, the elf finally looked up with a short quiet greeting. "Hello..."
"Hi!" Amelia greeted with energy and determination.
"Hi..." Filia added in thought. After actually seeing Onyx, a few more stray recollections of her emerged in Filia's mind. Onyx no longer dressed like Xellos, as she had no reason to do so, though her clothing still had the same shades of black and blue that she favored before and a generally similar style to her past attire.
Without further ado, Amelia addressed the issue at hand. "We're here to talk about Mr. Phythan. You shouldn't so easily give up on him!"
With a voice of detached monotone, Onyx calmly declared, "he is of little benefit to me."
"He could be your true love!" Amelia insisted.
"You do not understand," Onyx calmly reflected aloud, as if reaching an undeniable conclusion. Before Amelia could protest, she continued. "I will explain this only once." The elf's statement made the princess fall silent as she listened.
To be Continued
Oh the drama! :o