Fillia stared in horror as the mazuku moved towards her.
"Zelgadiss, that can't be you," she cried.
The mazuku stared down at her, pain reflected in his blue slitted eyes. Slowly, a black tendril of power wrapped around him, slowly moving up his body, slowly transforming him. He slowly shrank, his body becoming more human-like, his tail disappearing, his wings melting into his body, his muzzle shrinking to form a human face, his ears shifting from the top of his head to the sides.
The black energy shifted around him, like black ribbons, slowly forming tight black pants, and a sleeveless tunic that opened down the front. The black energy ribbon continued to wrap around his body and then wrapped around his neck and flare out into a long black cape that flapped in the light breeze.
Zelgadiss stood there looking down at Fillia. He cautiously took a step towards her and she quickly struggled to her feet to move away from him.
"Zel, how could you?" Fillia cried, tears fell down her cheeks as she stared at her changed love.
"Fillia, I was dying, I had to..."
"NO!"
"Fillia, please, I had to come back for you..."
"NO!"
"Fillia, please I had no choice I was dying..."
"Then, you should have died!" she screamed.
"Fillia!" Zel recoiled, tears threatening his eyes. "Don't I mean anything to you? I love you! I had to come back for you. I don't understand!"
"Of course you wouldn't understand, you're a filthy mazuku," she cried, tears running down her cheeks.
"Fillia!" tears came unstopped. "I'm still the same person, just my body has changed." He reached out to her again.
She jerked away, "No, Zelgadiss is dead! You're not Zelgadiss. He wasn't a filthy mazuku! Leave me alone! Get away from me!" Fillia screamed, turning her back and running.
Zelgadiss reached out, stepping to pursue her, when he felt a hand grab his other arm, holding him back. He spun around to see Xelloss holding his arm.
"Xelloss," he screamed, "let me go!"
"She won't be going with you, no matter what you do." Xelloss opened his eyes, smiling evilly.
Zelgadiss tried to jerk away, but Xelloss held tightly.
"Bastard...she won't go with you either, if that's what you were thinking!" Zel screamed turning and trying to jerk away from him again.
Xelloss smile widened. He jerked Zel around, wrapping his other arm around Zel's back, so they were face to face and giggled.
"How do you know it's her I'm after?" He then leaned forward and pressed his lips to Zel's lips, relishing the feeling of shock and rage that built in the newborn general. He felt the power build in the mazuku and didn't even bother to dodge it as it erupted from Zel's hands to send him crashing into a tree.
"Don't you ever do that again, and don't you ever touch Fillia, or I'll kill you!" Zel hissed through clenched teeth.
Xelloss picked himself up, dusting his clothes to phase out behind Zel, grabbing his wrist. He looked into Zel's eyes. "I'll do anything I want that doesn't interfere with my master's desire's." He smiled, "Ah, you still have to meet your new master, don't you?"
Zel glared at the priest. He wanted so badly to blow that conniving smile off his face. However, the priest was right. He needed to meet his master. The one he would be in servitude for the rest of his mazukun life.
Xellas calmly lay on her sofa, as her new general fell to one knee to bow. She lifted an eyebrow. He was quite a beautiful find. She got up to walk up to her new minion and walk around him to inspect him fully.
Yes, he was going to be powerful. He would probably be very loyal. He was a creature that didn't give his loyalty easily, but once given, he would follow through fully.
"Welcome to our family," she purred, noting that he had not risen his head yet. She carefully sat on the top step of her platform, ignoring the obvious view her general would get if he looked up. She placed her hand under his chin lifting it to look at his face. She smiled calmly as she noted the rage that filled his eyes. She was pleased to sense that it wasn't towards her. All she could sense directed at her was loyalty.
"What's wrong, pet?" she purred. "You're one of my own. It doesn't please me to see you unhappy!" She slowly lowered her eyes to his level. She couldn't help giggle as he blushed from the view of her low-cut dress.
He slowly looked down to avoid her eyes. "Nothing you can fix, master. Just things going wrong in my love life."
She smiled as she felt his simmering rage. "Oh, I see, a little frustrated are we? Well, my beauty," lifting his chin higher forcing him to look into her eyes, "if you ever feel your frustration is too much for you, come to me, I'll help you relieve it." She smiled knowingly as Zel blushed, but didn't pull away.
"Thank...thank you," he stuttered.
"Of course, I have to take care of my own. Now, go. I have no use for your services at this moment. So, go do whatever you want. Feed, practice you new skills," smiling and lifting an eyebrow, "check on the object of your frustration."
"As you wish," and he phased out of the room.
She turned to her other servant, who had been quietly seething in the corner.
"You are not pleased, Xelloss." She asked, her comment dripping with the question of whether he questioned her authority.
"No, master," Xelloss purred, like his master, "just hurt that you never offered such assistance to me."
"Oh," she cooed, "well, then I'm sorry. But, he seemed to need it more than you ever did."
"Of course, master," and phased out of the room.
Fillia quietly sat in the Water Dragon God's temple, since her own clan was gone she had traveled to find any of the other clans. Lina had told her about Milgasia and the rest of the Gold Dragons of the Water Dragon God.
When she had come to Milgasia, telling him of her story. He had kindly accepted her into the tribe. She became a priestess to the Water Dragon God, his knowledge still resting in the Claire Bible that they were sworn to protect.
She had hoped that she would find some peace here, but had soon found she was not alone with her new tribe. The first day she had walked out of the temple, she had seen him. He sat, cradled in the arms of a tree in the distance. She has stared in shock, pain filling her soul. His face mirrored her own feelings, and she had almost been tempted to go to him, but then Xelloss had appeared to sit next to him. That had been the reminder. The reminder that she could not be with him. That he was not the Zelgadiss she had fallen in love with.
She had quickly hidden her face and ran to her home, not turning around to see the hurt and anger on his face.
Zel sat quietly in the tree, completely ignoring the priest who now snuggled against his arm. Damn that priest, if he thought that he could throw him off from getting Fillia back with this fruity behavior, he had another thing coming. He'd personally kill Xelloss, before he let him have Fillia. He calmly waited for her to come out of the temple like she always did. However, time went by and she didn't appear at her usual time. Zel could not help feeling his anxiety rise as the time went by and she didn't appear.
Suddenly, he stood up, knocking Xelloss out of the tree, who landed with a thump.
"What are you doing?" the priest asked, opening his eyes suspiciously at the general.
"I'm going go find her."
"What! You cannot go find her! Don't you realize she doesn't want you anymore! Just give up on her."
"What? So you can have her?"
"No, I'm not interested in her!"
"Liar!"
"Zel, stop..." but the general had already disappeared. Xelloss fumed. He had hoped that Zel would eventually give up, but instead a year had gone by, and he was still chasing her. He was going to have to do something before Zel got her back.
Zel phased in and out of rooms. He was going to find her, but he had to do it without being discovered. He kept his mind open, trying to sense her presence, but he couldn't find...
Wait. There she was. He felt her presence, just a few rooms away. Alone.
He quietly phased into the room. He stood there a moment, watching her working on a new vase. Her back was to him, but she paused as she noticed his presence. She turned around, whipping her mace around to swing it through the space he had been. She sensed him from behind and turned around to find herself face to face with him, staring into his eyes.
She gasped taking a step back.
"What are you doing here?" she screeched.
"I didn't see you, so I got worried," Zel said moving towards her.
"No, stay away!"
"Fillia, I still love you. I think a year would prove that just because I'm a mazuku, doesn't mean I feel any different for you!"
"No, go away."
Suddenly, Zel couldn't contain himself any longer. He advanced on her pushing her into the wall, where she made a panicked squeak, when he grabbed her wrist and held her there.
"Fillia, you prissy... Why can't you get it through your head? Why do you have to be this way? I still love you. I'm also sure, you still love me."
"No," Fillia squeaked, trying to escape.
"No, don't run. Tell me you don't love me."
"I don't love you," she wailed, trying to turn from him, struggling to get away.
"O.K., I know this sounds cliched, but look me in the eye, when you say that."
Fillia turned her head to him, trying to build up as much hate as she could, "I hate..."
She stopped as he leaned forward and gently kissed her lips. She tried to fight, but could only cry. He pulled away to look at her and smiled as she looked at him, love and pain reflected in her eyes.
"You still love me..."
"But I can't be with you."
"Fillia..."
"MAZUKU!" she screamed, as she used his shock to push past him and to the door. "Zel, leave please, before they catch you."
"Fillia!"
She turned from the pain she saw in his face and heard in his quiet plea.
"Just leave, please!" and ran out the door.
Zel could hear the alarms go off, and hear the dragons stomping outside, so he did all he could at the moment and phased out of the Dragon City.
Fillia lay on the bed, crying. She couldn't be with him. He's a mazuku. He's evil. That's at least what she tried to tell herself. She had loved him so much. No, she still loved him. But, she couldn't be with him. It was wrong.
"I wish he'd leave me alone. I can't stand this pain," she whispered.
"Are you sure you want that?"
She whipped around towards the familiar tenor voice.
"Xelloss, you're definitely not a mazuku I want to see," she responded angrily.
"Maybe, but you still want to see my partner, don't you?"
"No, he only brings me pain."
Xelloss smiled, "I don't believe you. If I remember correctly, you're passed the age that a dragon is suppose to take a mate. You haven't taken one." He smiled as he phased out to reappear behind her and grab her around the shoulders pinning her arms to her side. She went to scream, but he covered her mouth. He continued, "One would wonder, why you hadn't taken a mate? Maybe..." he slowly brought his hands up to brush her cheek, "you're saving yourself for someone else. Someone you believe is not as accessible."
He watched her eyes widen as she tried to protest. He smiled, as he ran a tongue along her cheek, "Of course you still want him. If you didn't, you would have gotten married. It would be a clear sign that you were not interested in him." He smiled, as he turned her face towards him, looking into her eyes. "Maybe, if you're interested in that mazuku, you'd be interested in another," he then proceeded to kiss her, pushing his tongue deep into her mouth.
Fillia felt panic rise in her belly and the only thing she could think of was to bite, hard.
Xelloss whipped his head back, blood running from his mouth. As Fillia used the opportunity to pull her mace out, but again she just swung through air.
Fillia stood there. All she could feel was pain and hopelessness. How could she go on? How could she get the pain to end? She dropped her mace as she fell to her knees and sobbed.
Zelgadiss ran through the Castle of Wolf Pack Island, rage and pain feeling every pore of his being. How could she? How could she do this?
Xelloss chased quietly after him. He wanted to make sure everything went well. He had to make sure Zel didn't do anything stupid.
They both phased outside the Temple of the Water Dragon King, where he could see a long line of guests entering the temple. Proof of what he heard was true.
"No, how could she? She can't be doing this."
"Yes she can, Zel." Xelloss calmly interjected.
"No, I can't believe it. I have to see it to believe it!" He nearly screamed as he disappeared.
Xelloss sighed as he followed the general.
Fillia quietly walked down the isle. She pushed back the tears, smiling and trying to look like she was crying from happiness. But, the pain was still real. This was her only choice. She had to marry one of her own kind. She couldn't marry a mazuku. She couldn't, just couldn't, no matter how much she loved him.
She looked up the isle at her groom, who stood there waiting with a smile. She sighed. He was a good dragon, kind-hearted, intelligent, and understanding. He would take good care of her and Valtiera. However, she didn't love him. Again, she sighed. She was a fool. She still loved that mazuku, the one she could never have.
She walked smoothly up the stairs to stand in front of her groom. She could see her many friends in the audience. She saw Gourry and Lina sitting there, watching sadly, even Amelia. They all knew her too well. They knew this was not a happy day for her. They had even tried to talk her out of it. But, she had been hard headed as always.
She turned to Milgasia as he started the ceremony. She barely listened as he spoke of the ceremony and the vows they were making to each other. She only could think of how this moment hurt.
"Ceilon, do you take Fillia as your mate to love her, protect her, honor her, and cherish her for as long as you live."
Ceilon turned to Fillia and smiled lovingly, "I do."
"Fillia, do you take Ceilon as you mate to love him, protect him, honor him, and cherish him for as long as you live."
Fillia stood there for a moment. This was the time. This was the time that she would make the big decision. She felt the urge to say no, to stop this mockery now. But then she felt him. She turned her head to see Zel standing on one of the large statues at the back of the chapel; his black cape billowed gently in the wind. Xelloss stood behind him, cold eyes staring at Fillia, as if in warning.
She looked at Zelgadiss' eyes. They were filled with disbelief and pain, begging her not to do it, not to leave him permanently. She looked in those eyes and felt her pain turn to anger. How dare he? How dare he come into their sacred temple to make her feel bad for doing what was right? How dare he hurt her more than he already had?
She turned her head away from him, her anger pushing her on, "I do."
The crowd cheered as Milgasia wrapped the ribbon around both Fillia's and Ceilon's wrists, symbolizing the bond between them now.
Fillia smiled for an instant and turned her head to where Zel had been. The space was now empty. She felt her heart crumble. What had she done? She could never be with him now. She looked at Ceilon and smiled, hiding the pain.
She then turned to where Zel had been, and only one thought came to her mind. "I'm sorry, Zel, Ceilon, I made a big mistake."
Zel stormed through the castle. Why?! Why?! Why did she betray him like that? What had made her decide to go and do that. He went through the castle, throwing things, smashing things, and taking every ounce of frustration out on the furnishings.
"Why?! Why did she do that?!" he bellowed.
"She's a gold dragon, what did you expect, " Xelloss whispered coldly.
Zel spun to stare at the priest. "The only good thing about this is, it means you can't have her either."
Xelloss eyes narrowed as he stared at the general coldly. "I can take whatever I want. If I want her, I'd take her even if she's married."
"Then why don't you."
"I don't feel like it."
Zel stared at him, then stormed off, smashing things as he went, till he came to his master's chamber. He knocked on the door loudly.
"Come in, my pet."
Zel stormed into her chamber, "She left me, I can't believe she left me."
Xellas raised herself from her sofa to slink over to the enraged general. "It's very frustrating isn't it." She ran a finger down his cheek. "I told you, if you ever felt frustrated, I would like you to come to me to help you relieve them."
"But, master..."
"Tonight's her wedding night, isn't it," she leaned down, her breath blowing across his lips. "What do you think they are doing tonight?"
She smiled compassionately as tears ran down his cheeks and then she kissed him gently. She purred gently when he returned the kiss, pain rippling off him in waves. She ran her hands down his back and mentally closed the door to her chambers.
Outside, in the darkness, a pair of violet eyes glowed coldly.