Cold.... He felt so cold...empty, lost and frightened. He drifted alone in a void of blackness, voices of his kin crying out in pain as they died before him, and he could do nothing. He tried to pull away from the bright light that flickered at him tauntingly, knowing that it's golden depths were deadly. But it tried to get him, and he screamed thrashing and lashing out, and suddenly he felt something grip onto him and pull him out....
His eyes opened slowly, and he blinked as the bleary ceiling began to come into focus above him. He was lying in a very richly furnished bed, lined with satin sheets and soft down pillows and mattress. He blinked in slight confusion as he sat up, and then looked around the rich room confused. The memories of the past were fading.... They seemed so far away.... Like a bad dream. All he had to was forget..... He shook his head and looked around. The room he was in was richly furnished and filled with luxurious items. It was a theme of deep blood red, and purple. The carpet was blood red velvet, and mahogany wood was the theme in the tables and woodworks, his bed included. Light gauzy curtains of black hung in the window and blew lightly as a light warm breeze wafted through the open balcony and brushed some light bells against each other in the doorway. He glanced about the room, then down at himself putting a hand to his bare chest. Hadn't he been hurt? He seemed to remember vaguely something..... He put a hand up brushing his now short hair back, wondering why it seemed so short to him now.... It was only chin length.... Ah well, details details.
He was about to get up, when the door opened, and a tall slender very beautiful woman walked in waltzing calmly, followed by a very large gray wolf... She smiled upon seeing him awake, and walked to his bedside and sat on the edge. "You look better, how are you feeling now my dear?"
He couldn't take his eyes off of her.... She struck something inside of him that just wanted to worship her.... She was stunningly beautiful, but that wasn't all of it.... Her light lavender hair tumbled down on her young frame, and golden eyes that were slit like a serpents, but just as mesmerizing. She leaned forward till they were practically nose to nose, a secret smile playing on her lips. "How's my little Xelloss?"
He couldn't rip his eyes from hers, and smiled back as he felt her warmth of being so close comfort him. "Much...better Mistress..." for some reason, he didn't know why, but it felt natural for him to say that to her.
"Good!" she piped and kissed him lightly on the nose. "Wouldn't want my new child to start off on a bad note!" She jumped off the bed and stroked the wolf's head then looked up at him with a serene smile. "Come now, can't lay in bed all day."
He instantly shoved the covers aside, not caring what he wore beneath, it seemed not to matter in her presence anyway. He bowed before her, again because it felt natural, and she touched his head. "Yes, you'll be a very good asset." She smiled and turned. "Come, we'll find a new wardrobe for you." And she led him across the room to where there was a large closet and she began rummaging around there humming something. He stood behind her, watching, and stroked the wolf who was sniffing him and wagging it's tail. After some moments, she pulled out a plain black outfit. "this'll have to do for now. We'll find you something more... flattering after we go through some training." He followed her as she laid the outfit down on the bed. "Now get dressed and we'll begin shall we?" She smiled and winked at him. "Come downstairs when you're dressed, Shadow will lead you." And she turned and left him alone with the wolf.
He dressed as ordered, and when he'd finished, he took a comb to his hair and ran it through it, then turned to the mirror to admire his new reflection. His hair was chin length, and he had short bangs that went to his eyebrows, where beneath a pair of mesmerizing slit eyes, the same color as his old ones, glanced back at him. For some reason, he found himself smiling....
He turned and followed the wolf then, taking in the luxurious surroundings that passed him by as he followed it. Mistress sure liked to live the rich life. He smiled as he passed by several huge paintings of individuals who looked high and powerful.... They awed him, but he felt that they were on the same level as Mistress. He smiled and turned the corner, finding himself in a large room with sitting couches, and Mistress reclined on one, speaking with another individual who looked young and beautiful as well, her long blue hair cascading like water over her shoulders.
"Ah, there you are Xelloss." Mistress said with a smile and rising to a sitting position. "Come, join us." She waited until he sat down in a chair, then gestured to the woman. "This is our neighbor dearie, Kai-ou."
He inclined his head in deep respect, and she nodded back at him. "He looks promising Zelas, but are you sure? An ancient dragon? I mean really, that's only SLIGHTLY oxymoronic in nature."
Zelas shrugged. "True, but the amount of power and emotions are enough to fuel an army for years." She grinned. "Trust me, I know what I'm doing."
Kai-ou shrugged. "If you say so." She stood. "Well, it's been a blast, but I do have a sea to run. If you'll excuse me." She vanished then where she stood.
Zelas stood up and clapped her hands together. "Well then! Shall we begin out training? I have caught a wonderful specimen to experiment on!" She smiled cruelly, and his smile slowly extended to match hers in glee.......
"Xelloss!" Came a voice in his mind.
He instantly teleported to his mistress and knelt before her, one hand clenched over his chest in respect as he kept his head low. "My lady." He said calmly.
"My boy, the time has come for you to prove yourself and test your abilities." She said calmly as she stood before him with her arms behind her back. "I have a mission for you."
"Of course Master, anything you wish." He said firmly with validity behind his words.
"Good boy. You know the site of the war, correct?"
"Yes my lady."
"Go there to the outcrop, there is someone waiting for you who will give you instructions."
He stood up and bowed, his cloak flourishing out dramatically behind him as he smirked up at her. "Gladly my lady." Came the thrilled reply before he vanished from sight.
She chuckled. "So impatient to kill the ones who murdered your kind my boy.... Tsk tsk, such youthful and reckless actions." But a smile was lit on her face as she sipped her wine with a smirk.
Xelloss appeared as he'd been ordered, and stood atop the outcrop overlooking the battle area. There indeed stood one who he was apparently to speak with, tall and holding a staff not unlike his own. He approached and the figure put a hand up for him to approach and stand by his side. He did so, and the man nodded out at the chaos, speaking with a deep voice. "Quite a sight, is it not." It wasn't a question, and the tone of voice he spoke in demanded that no answer be returned. "Ah, this is what we live off of, is that right? Chaos, disorder, fear, hatred, anger, violence..... they all feed us."
Xelloss nodded as he watched the dragons battling against the demons. "Yes, it's a beautiful sight m'lord."
The tall man chuckled. "Yes yes.... Are you thrilled my boy? To go out into the fray and destroy those who destroyed you?"
The words brought up a hidden glee from inside of him that began to bubble and seethe out, and the man could sense it, and smiled as Xelloss spoke. "Yes my lord, I long to hear their screams."
He smiled coldly. "Don't be so impatient boy. You're young still, you have much to learn." He pointed. "Here is what you're to do. Go down and let some dragons come at you, then eliminate them." He turned his gaze to Xelloss who was looking eager. "If you succeed, I may reward you."
Xelloss bowed. "Yes my lord, of course." He instantly vanished, and teleported down to the center of the battle where a group of dragons were readying to take off and attack. The moment that he arrived, they sense him, and whirled around and faced him with sharp gazes, then took off in shrieks of anger. He smiled calmly watching how they flew in the air, how their golden scales glittered in the light and sent sparkles of light scattering into the morning sun. He grinned darker. Beautiful... just like back then.... He waited still, and then when they were close enough that he could see the emotions, the hatred, the anger in their eyes, he raised a hand and pointed at them with an obnoxious smile on his face. Then, one by one as he pointed in a straight line from one end of them to the other, they exploded as their astral forms were attacked and disintegrated upon one simple motion from him. All other actions around him seemed to stop as those fighting turned to stare. The mazoku cheered, the ryuzoku stared in horror and trembled, then turned angry. He merely smiled, savoring the look on the dragons' faces the split second before they realized what was about to happen to each of them. What delight.....
He heard something from behind him then, and turned slightly to see a young mazoku with his arms crossed over his chest, looking at him appraisingly, but not with any love... in fact he saw burning hatred there. "You." He said simply, his cyan hair whipping around his face, and the simple horn on his head. "Tell me your name." His voice was plain and no nonsense, sharp and commanding.
Xelloss bowed eloquently and smiled before his fellow mazoku, young and still naive to the dangers even among his own. "Xelloss Metallium, at your service."
"Good." Came the growling voice just as he began to lift his head only to find him gone, and standing behind him. "Now I know the name of the bastard who took my revenge away!" And instantly Xelloss felt filled with pain beyond any measure as the man blasted some strong power of astral focus at him, and it engulfed his form and he let out his scream of agony as he faded away before his entire form could be consumed.
The figure left behind smiled with a tight smirk. "This won't be our first meeting....Xelloss....." He closed his eyes and gripped his fist to his chest with anger and smirked to himself in pleasure at injuring the one who'd taken his lifelong search and smashed it. "I'll make you pay dearly."