Slayers: Chaos

Chaos 47

Slayers: Chaos

Episode 047: Partners! Pick Your Team, The Race Begins

Filia slowly opened her eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling. Her head hurt, her whole body was sore and she was very hungry. "Ugh, where am I?" She sat up slowly, wondering if everything had been a bad dream. The room she was at looked rather plain and simple, the room of a humble seaside inn at the Coastal States at the peninsula. Yet all that Filia knew was that she wasn't at the temple and that was all she would know for now.

"You're at an inn, miss. Are you quite alright?" A voice inquired from next to her.

Filia turned her head to see a man sitting on a chair next to her bed. After her negative experiences with humans, she was weary of them. Her memories flooded back into her mind and she realized the last thing she remembered was swimming endlessly after that monster sunk the ship she was on. The strong sent of the sea and a quick glance out the window confirmed that the inn where she was, was located close to the ocean. Logically, she concluded that she must have washed up on the shore and brought there. Yet one apparent act of kindness would not make her trust a stranger again. She backed away against the bed's headboard, clinging to the blanket as if it were a protective shield. "Get away!" She screeched at the stranger.

Xellos was doing mostly the opposite of what he usually did. Milgazia would probably be attentive to rumors of anyone with purple hair going through towns, or any peculiarly harmless looking strangers. Thus the general priest decided to blend in with the crowd of bounty hunters and mercenaries that were out and about following rumors about the Zanaffar, treating it like a massive treasure hunt. His black and violet clothes denoted him to be a sorcerer specializing in black magic if one was to follow the stereotypes. His hair was now long and black, though just as silky soft as ever. His eyes lacked the hue of purple he was so attached to and were instead a brilliant red. His outward appearance screamed, 'sorcerer not to be messed with,' which was how most of those who were searching for the Zanaffar made themselves look.

"Calm down miss, I've done nothing to hurt you." He smiled, though he tried to keep his eyes open. This girl, a human as far as he knew, most likely had no idea who Xellos the monster was, thus he didn't have to put up much of an act for her, but he did anyway, just to get into the habit of not being his spontaneous, deceiving and tricky self. Well, he would still be deceiving and tricky, but in a different style. This girl's emotions were very intense and tasty, he was glad Beast Master sent him this snack.

Filia reluctantly lowered the blanket, not that it could serve as a shield for any sort of attack anyway. "Did I wash up on shore? Did you bring me here?"

"Yes," Xellos replied with a deceiving truth. She was sort of washed up on the shore of Wolf Pack Island, or at least as close to it as the barrier allowed. Then Fang had delivered her to Xellos along with Zelas' message and Xellos took her to the inn.

"Thank you..." Filia was still uneasy as she shakily got up from the bed. She was feeling distrustful of all humans. "I must be going now," her stomach growled loudly and she stumbled weakly.

"It doesn't look like you're well enough to go anywhere beyond the restaurant downstairs," Xellos observed.

Filia bit her lip, "I don't have any money," and trying to earn some only got her into bigger trouble than she was already in.

"I'll pay," Xellos offered.

Filia gave him a distrusting glare. "No," she firmly voiced. "I've had enough of strangers trying to trick me!"

The girl was rather amusing, there was something very peculiar about her too, but Xellos couldn't quite place his finger on it. One thing caught his attention though; he didn't expect any damsel to address her savior in such a way. Did he look that much like a trickster? "I assure you, I'm not trying to trick you. You may go and order any meal you wish." After all, she had to eat in order to live and produce monster food for him with her stress.