Slayers: Chaos

Chaos 45

Slayers: Chaos

Episode 045: Disguise! The Art Of Being Unrecognizable

While Zelas, Xellos, Filia, Lina, Gourry, Amelia and Zelgadis were traveling through space in the over-world, their world was at a standstill of sorts where neither the monsters nor the dragons dared to make a move. Milgazia found himself wondering how things were going in the over-world one quiet afternoon as he went for a walk around Dragon's Peak in the Kataart Mountains to see up close how the members of his clan were doing and reassure them. Although he wasn't keen on the idea of fighting alongside a monster lord, he didn't want to entrust the fate of the world to her either. Zelas would be fighting Darkstar with everything she had, he had no doubts of that, but it would be for revenge. That meant that as long as she accomplished her goals and enough of the world survived to provide sustenance for her and her monsters; that would be enough for her.

Yet it wasn't enough for Milgazia, he didn't want any sacrifices that could be avoided. He looked up to the skies again and really wished he was there to oversee the whole mission, even if he wouldn't be able to do too much against the monster lord if she got too stubborn. Maybe his words would make a different if he phrased things cleverly enough or came up with some kind of strategy. He knew that though tedious and annoying, even monster lords were not impossible to deal with, albeit more often than not negotiations of that kind would turn aggressive. Since when did he get so involved in matters so far beyond the immediate business of his clan?

Milgazia found himself remembering his past self, a much more reclusive dragon who was very reluctant to associate with humans. Yet now, he considered Lina and several of her traveling companions to be his friends. It was a change that occurred over time, starting with his travels with the warrior of light, who was also known as the swordsman of light, despite actually being a woman. Yet the warrior's legend was obscured and filled with rumors, so her real identity was lost to tales of grandeur. Even so, at least her mark was remembered in some way, even if it was with the name of a faceless legendary hero. His mind went back to those days traveling with her, the human who made him open up to the world around him.

There were two others who had been present during that fateful series of events that ended with Flagoon being planted at Sairaag after the Zanaffar's defeat well over a hundred and twenty years ago. Those others were not aware of each other's participation in the event and perhaps the only one who was aware of the irony of it all was the Lord of Nightmares herself. This was the tale of an event from long ago that had seemingly no consequences towards anything beyond it, but in reality it did. After all, life is like a row of dominoes and once they're set in motion, falling one after the other, there's no stopping it.

That occasion when Xellos and Filia met for the first time, that is to say, when they truly met each other as each other's true selves, Filia had a very negative reaction to Xellos. She wanted to stay away from him. Naturally, a golden dragon was supposed to hate monsters, but her over the top reaction left Xellos in a state of surprised intrigue that would eventually lead to an irresistible curiosity and to a long series of events culminating in an unlikely union, and continuing on beyond it.

Yet why was her reaction so panicked, so extreme, so memorable? Perhaps because of something hidden away in her past; something that might have been overshadowed by the grander scheme of things and tugged away in memories that were no longer visited. If for her the memory was not something to be disturbed with remembrance, then for him even more so. After all, that human girl whom Xellos never knew was in fact a golden dragon should be long since dead by now. The event in question happened well over a hundred and twenty years ago.

Rumors of a defective Zanaffar armor that would soon become a Zanaffar beast reached Zelas Metallium at that time in the past. Naturally, she welcomed it as good news. There was also another piece of information that stood out to her from Xellos' recent report, which she was discussing with the general priest at Wolf Pack Island at the time. "So a representative for the dragons unfortunate enough to live within the barrier has been trailing that human who goes around displaying acts of heroism with the sword of light?"