Slayers: Chaos

Chaos 14

Slayers: Chaos

Episode 014: Lethal! You Dare To Challenge Me?

The journey had progressed with eerie silence for Lina, Filia and Xellos. Though Lina's nerves were on edge more so with the tense quietude then they had been with the fighting from before, the sorceress consoled herself in thinking that they were almost to Seyruun. Pretty soon she would be able to take a break from all of this and maybe distract herself playing with Val and Palou. She assumed that precautions had already been taken to make sure no one who knew Xellos and Filia's true pasts spoke too much of them.

The trio of travelers had stopped to make camp and Lina made it clear that she did not want to be bothered. Night had already fallen and she was tired. She went to sleep next to the fire and for some time Xellos and Filia just sat there without a word. Finally, Xellos got up and left. Filia didn't say anything, maybe he was hungry or needed to go to the bathroom or something, it was not her business anyway. The monster general priestess continued to sit at the camp wondering if she should lull herself to a sleep-like state to create the illusion that time was passing by faster. Reminding herself that no dragon could ever hurt her, she laid down and fell asleep.

xoxox xox xoxox

While Lina and Filia were asleep, Xellos took the time to set of a trap for Filia. He drew a circle on the ground, carving symbols around it to boost dragon power and holy magic. In real combat this would be impractical, as it took a long time to prepare. Such methods were used more so for exorcism, purifications and healing rituals for particularly fatal wounds, assuming the patient could live long enough to receive the healing. It was also use for regeneration, though healing studies in that area were still in many ways works in progress, bones were especially difficult to regenerate after all. Becoming a chimera to recover a lost limb was the preferred method of high skill human wizards, but Ceifeed forbid that dragons dared to do the same.

Regardless of its many uses outside of battle, Xellos had made this circle of power for the sake of battle. Luring that temperamental monster out there was something Xellos was confident he could do without even trying. She was rash and volatile; she could be tricked into stepping into a trap. She was, he theorized, strong enough to survive this, but if she wasn't, then good riddance. Most of all, he didn't want to feel weak, he didn't want her to look down on him. If he could just show her he could hold his own in a fight, then maybe she would stop being so condescending.

There was a presence near by that suddenly caught Xellos' attention. It was someone strong, but it was not a dragon and it was not a monster. The presence felt somewhat human, but not quite, it wasn't an elf either. Was it a particularly powerful human? "I know you're there."

The person who had been observing him for he wasn't sure how long, came out of the bushes moving gracefully. She was human in appearance, though her energy was somewhat similar to that of the dragons, but not exactly the same. Her haircut was similar to his, if only a little longer. Her bangs were noticeably longer though, covering her eyes in silky strands of purplish deep crimson. "Hello, Xellos," the woman greeted.

Xellos wasn't sure how she knew his name but he did realize who this woman was. Once her identity was clear to him he remembered or rather knew when he had met her. His memories were terribly blurry, but he knew. "Luna," she was the knight of Ceifeed, he had gone to her during the Darkstar incident and she sent him to find Lina. "What brings you here?" He asked with curiosity, because he didn't think the knight of Ceifeed would just be coincidentally passing by. Not that it was impossible, but it was rare for Luna to leave Zephilia without a reason.

"I have received an invitation to a small house warming party at a black dragon's new house at the Coastal States," Luna truthfully revealed. "I was just passing by on my way there when I sensed something and came to see what it was." She observed Xellos's trap. "You're really out to get someone, eh?"