Chapter Two

Aria awoke with a sense of displacement. Everything, everywhere ached, her head spun when she tried to sit up along with and her stomach was trying to regurgitate everything in it. She couldn't remember going to a bar or anything else for that matter. Moaning she opened her eyes and her senses came back to her. The putrid smell, and the sound of thousands of insects was enough to make her fall over and throw up everything that was left in her stomach. That was the least of worries the worst was still to come .It was the sight in front of her eyes that would haunt her to her last days. Dragons by the hundreds were laying on the ground dead. Their magnificent bodies lay sprawled in twisted shapes. The wings on which they flew were torn and ripped from their bodies. Tongues hung limply from mouths that were open in their finale cries of death. Empty eyes stared back at her. She did the only thing she could. She screamed and then fainted.

Aria came to a second time, still feeling like she had been on the receiving end of a lost fight. This time she opened her eyes first and looked up to the ceiling above her. 'Ceiling?' She didn't remember coming back to the village. She slowly sat up and her stomach lurched has she tried to be sick again but she had left everything previously in it on the mountain so she just heaved for a while till it passed. She looked around at the room she was in realizing it was the same inn she had been at a few days ago. Laying back she tried to remember what had happened and suddenly she wished she hadn't.

"So you just thought you would come see what was going on? Am I right? Ohh by that look I will assume yes. Well I'm not mad, don't worry about that. I was just rather surprised to see you out here." Xellos chuckled to himself as he fed off the anger that was coming from Aria.

"Do you have another job you want me to do? Or do you just want me to leave? " She had relaxed now and her anger was fading away. She had learned early on her temper only made Xellos happy, so she taught herself to cool down quickly.

"Oh no. I think as a reward for...how many years? Twelve years of loyal service to me, I will reward you by allowing you to stay. Oh dear look at the time. I must go and do my duty. Come along Aria." With that Xellos phased in next to her and wrapped an arm around her waist and phased out. A cry of surprise was left hanging in the air.

"Some reward. No good monster." She sat up slowly, rubbing her head or rather the lump on it from passing out. Aria slowly got out of bed and looked for her pack. Finding it, she undressed and threw the clothes into the fire place. She never wanted to wear them again. She grabbed her spare clothes, wrapped a sheet about her and headed to the bath.

Slipping into the water she was glad for the chance to scrub the dirt, filth and blood from her skin. "Blood..not mine..but still it was from a living creature....." She buried her face in her hands and started to cry. She hadn't cried like that in eleven years.

Aria was again controlling the urge to blast Xellos as she was set on a cliff . She spun to give him a piece of her mind but he had already phased out by the time she turned. "Damn it! What kind of reward is this?!" She looked everywhere for Xellos then found him, above her on the top of the mountain. She started to cast the spell that would take her to him but let her hands drop in front of her as the shock of seeing hundreds of dragons fly toward them broke her spell.

'Oh my god, we’re going to die. How can he fight so many?' Her mind was trying to cope with the thought of her actual death as she kneeled down and pressed herself against the cliff wall. She looked up to Xellos, he just stood there calm and smiling. 'One day I'll wipe that smile of your face Xellos' She thought to herself as she covered her ears with her hands. The sound of the dragon's battle cry was deafening. The air was vibrating from so many beating wings. Everything was buzzing with energy. She looked up at Xellos again and began to wonder where the other monsters were. She looked back over, knowing the dragons would be on them in just a few minuets. She was for once in her life terrified. She saw Xellos move and with a morbid fascination she watched him lift his arm and point a finger. Then her terror was justified. With nothing more than the sweep of his arm a beam of energy lanced the sky. She looked at the dragons. "He missed.." She couldn't believe he missed, then it happened. The explosion rocked everything. It began to rain dead and dying dragons, in a storm of blood. Aria could do nothing but stare in horror.

Aria was clean and dry, her tears had been spent as she redressed. She with no more thought went back to the room and gathered her pack. She slung it over her back and then left the building, heading away from the mountains. She didn't know where she was going or nor did she care. She knew Xellos would find her.

"Yes, I really do wish you had tried to do it another way. I have to punish you for your failure in your duty to me. The Dark Lords are considering having you eliminated. They feel you might have become a threat." Xellos looked into her with his amethyst eyes. Holding her black ones in his. "Why did you do it Aria?" All she could do was look away.

Stumbling in a state of shock she walked about the edge of the dead dragons. Xellos had phased her down to level ground and was now searching among the bodies for survivors. He had a task to complete. She was sick at heart over what she had seen. Even with most of the dragons killed in the first attack the others kept coming. They flew straight into their death willingly. She wanted to scream, to cry out but her mind wouldn't let her just yet. She moved about in a complete daze when movement caught her eye. She stopped looking at the body of a dead dragon, or one she thought was dead. Out of instinct she readied a spell in her hands. Again the body moved and out from under it came a golden dragon. He obviously was hurt but not by the attack. His wing was ripped and he had blood running down his neck from a blow to the head. She let her spell fade.

Her eyes looked up and met his. She could see the rage and anger burning in them and something inside her awoke. "No not anger! You will let Xellos... the monster know where you are and that you are alive! Please if you can understand me, go leave this place. He is killing any that survived!" She pleaded hoping he understood her. She prayed to who would listen to her that the dragon would leave and not be foolish enough to attempt an attack. Her worst fears were answered as he roared, rising going to defend his fallen clan. Aria ran in front of him and threw her arms wide. She had never cared so much in her life about anything that lived, but suddenly the whole world seemed to depend on her saving this dragon.

"Listen to me! Your whole army could not defeat this one monster what makes you think you can alone! Retreat back to your people! Become stronger and then avenge them! Please I know him, you won't survive!" Aria was frantic, pleading to the massive dragon before her, suddenly her blood went cold as she felt the air ripple as Xellos phased in.

"Master Xellos, please listen to me. I.. " She was shaking, she had never seen his anger so open. " No Aria you will listen to me. I am your Master, not the other way around. Now stand aside as I kill off this last pest." Xellos leveled his staff at the golden dragon. He smiled coldly.

Aria moved obediently then stopped, again something inside her screamed at her not to let this happen. Swallowing a life time of servitude to Xellos, she placed herself between him and the dragon. Calling on Ruby Eyes she cast a spell that formed a blade of his energy and held it at ready. "No Master Xellos, I can't."

Xellos stepped back, shaken by her direct disobedience. She had always been disrespectful but never openly disobedient. He lowered his staff at her, looking at the girl with a smile so cold it froze her blood in her veins with fear. "Now Aria what makes you think you mean that much to me?" He chuckled in an unpleasant way.

"I don't think I mean that much to you, you are a monster. How could anything mean something to you. All I know is that this dragon has to live. There has been to much death today. Please Master Xellos I beg you, I have never asked anything of you personally in all this time but I ask now. Let him live. What harm can there be in letting one gold dragon live??" Aria was quickly being drained from holding the spell and from the mental anguish she felt. She was frantic and full of fear.

Xellos stood before her and shook his head. She was right what harm could one dragon cause, but he had orders. He was feeding from the fear she was emitting, a nice meal after using so much energy, but there was something else there he had never felt. A desperate need and regret. He was puzzled by this. Her desire was stronger than anything he had ever felt. He had no idea what it was that Aria had done to make him decide to grant her plea, but he would. She would never know it though.

Aria trembled as she faced off with Xellos, she began to shake her body going into shock. She sank to her knees and the spell faded. She swallowed back her fear and anger soon began to replaced it. She was furious at herself. Now she understood why humans feared the Monster race. 'They..No. We are helpless' She corrected her thoughts feeling for the first time what that village must have felt. She never felt Xellos phase in beside her and strike her from behind.

Xellos let Aria fall to the ground and then turned to the dragon. Smiling as always he did, he shrugged like nothing was wrong. "Now golden dragon, I can either kill you or let you go." His eyes opened and stared up at him. "I am going to let you live, but she will never know it. If Aria ever finds you are alive, I will kill you both. What is your name dragon?" Xellos fed from the rage that was pouring out from the dragon . He knew there would be trouble from this, but with this turn of events Aria had made him wonder. She was always loyal and dutiful to him, what was it she saw in this one dragon that made her throw it all away."Well, Milgazia, you know what is required of you. Leave before I change my mind." Xellos left to finish his work.

Milgazia left looking back at the small human laying on the ground. He would owe her a debt for all eternity and he could never repay it. He knew that when next a human would need his aid, he would help them. He turned and left, never to see Aria again. "Thank you human girl. You who walk between light and dark. I will do my best to aid your species in the times to yet to come.


	Jeniam's spot on the web \| home Slayers:Death's Aria \| Prologue \| Chapter One \| Chapter Two \| Chapter Three \| chapter Four \| Chapter Five \| Chapter Six \| Chapter Seven Chapter Two A Choice between Life or Death Aria awoke with a sense of displacement. Everything, everywhere ached, her head spun when she tried to sit up along with and her stomach was trying to regurgitate everything in it. She couldn't remember going to a bar or anything else for that matter. Moaning she opened her eyes and her senses came back to her. The putrid smell, and the sound of thousands of insects was enough to make her fall over and throw up everything that was left in her stomach. That was the least of worries the worst was still to come .It was the sight in front of her eyes that would haunt her to her last days. Dragons by the hundreds were laying on the ground dead. Their magnificent bodies lay sprawled in twisted shapes. The wings on which they flew were torn and ripped from their bodies. Tongues hung limply from mouths that were open in their finale cries of death. Empty eyes stared back at her. She did the only thing she could. She screamed and then fainted. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aria came to a second time, still feeling like she had been on the receiving end of a lost fight. This time she opened her eyes first and looked up to the ceiling above her. 'Ceiling?' She didn't remember coming back to the village. She slowly sat up and her stomach lurched has she tried to be sick again but she had left everything previously in it on the mountain so she just heaved for a while till it passed. She looked around at the room she was in realizing it was the same inn she had been at a few days ago. Laying back she tried to remember what had happened and suddenly she wished she hadn't. (Flashback) "Now, now Aria is that any way to greet me?" Xellos smiled happily as he looked down on the fuming woman. "So why are you here? I thought you had an assignment?" "I finished it a week ago. I was traveling back and stopped at the inn when I heard the dragons flying over head during my stay there that night." She glared at the purple haired monster. She hated being sneaked up on. "So you just thought you would come see what was going on? Am I right? Ohh by that look I will assume yes. Well I'm not mad, don't worry about that. I was just rather surprised to see you out here." Xellos chuckled to himself as he fed off the anger that was coming from Aria. "Do you have another job you want me to do? Or do you just want me to leave? " She had relaxed now and her anger was fading away. She had learned early on her temper only made Xellos happy, so she taught herself to cool down quickly. "Oh no. I think as a reward for...how many years? Twelve years of loyal service to me, I will reward you by allowing you to stay. Oh dear look at the time. I must go and do my duty. Come along Aria." With that Xellos phased in next to her and wrapped an arm around her waist and phased out. A cry of surprise was left hanging in the air. (End Flashback) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Some reward. No good monster." She sat up slowly, rubbing her head or rather the lump on it from passing out. Aria slowly got out of bed and looked for her pack. Finding it, she undressed and threw the clothes into the fire place. She never wanted to wear them again. She grabbed her spare clothes, wrapped a sheet about her and headed to the bath. Slipping into the water she was glad for the chance to scrub the dirt, filth and blood from her skin. "Blood..not mine..but still it was from a living creature....." She buried her face in her hands and started to cry. She hadn't cried like that in eleven years. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Flashback) Aria was again controlling the urge to blast Xellos as she was set on a cliff . She spun to give him a piece of her mind but he had already phased out by the time she turned. "Damn it! What kind of reward is this?!" She looked everywhere for Xellos then found him, above her on the top of the mountain. She started to cast the spell that would take her to him but let her hands drop in front of her as the shock of seeing hundreds of dragons fly toward them broke her spell. 'Oh my god, we’re going to die. How can he fight so many?' Her mind was trying to cope with the thought of her actual death as she kneeled down and pressed herself against the cliff wall. She looked up to Xellos, he just stood there calm and smiling. 'One day I'll wipe that smile of your face Xellos' She thought to herself as she covered her ears with her hands. The sound of the dragon's battle cry was deafening. The air was vibrating from so many beating wings. Everything was buzzing with energy. She looked up at Xellos again and began to wonder where the other monsters were. She looked back over, knowing the dragons would be on them in just a few minuets. She was for once in her life terrified. She saw Xellos move and with a morbid fascination she watched him lift his arm and point a finger. Then her terror was justified. With nothing more than the sweep of his arm a beam of energy lanced the sky. She looked at the dragons. "He missed.." She couldn't believe he missed, then it happened. The explosion rocked everything. It began to rain dead and dying dragons, in a storm of blood. Aria could do nothing but stare in horror. (End Flashback) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aria was clean and dry, her tears had been spent as she redressed. She with no more thought went back to the room and gathered her pack. She slung it over her back and then left the building, heading away from the mountains. She didn't know where she was going or nor did she care. She knew Xellos would find her. "Leaving already Aria?" Xellos phased in next to her and she stopped in the middle of the abandoned town. He was not smiling. "So I finally wiped that smile off your face. I never thought that it would take doing what I did to do it." Aria looked up to the sky, standing there before the monster. Her voice was low with remorse. "Yes, I really do wish you had tried to do it another way. I have to punish you for your failure in your duty to me. The Dark Lords are considering having you eliminated. They feel you might have become a threat." Xellos looked into her with his amethyst eyes. Holding her black ones in his. "Why did you do it Aria?" All she could do was look away. "I don't know..I really don't" (Flashback) Stumbling in a state of shock she walked about the edge of the dead dragons. Xellos had phased her down to level ground and was now searching among the bodies for survivors. He had a task to complete. She was sick at heart over what she had seen. Even with most of the dragons killed in the first attack the others kept coming. They flew straight into their death willingly. She wanted to scream, to cry out but her mind wouldn't let her just yet. She moved about in a complete daze when movement caught her eye. She stopped looking at the body of a dead dragon, or one she thought was dead. Out of instinct she readied a spell in her hands. Again the body moved and out from under it came a golden dragon. He obviously was hurt but not by the attack. His wing was ripped and he had blood running down his neck from a blow to the head. She let her spell fade. Her eyes looked up and met his. She could see the rage and anger burning in them and something inside her awoke. "No not anger! You will let Xellos... the monster know where you are and that you are alive! Please if you can understand me, go leave this place. He is killing any that survived!" She pleaded hoping he understood her. She prayed to who would listen to her that the dragon would leave and not be foolish enough to attempt an attack. Her worst fears were answered as he roared, rising going to defend his fallen clan. Aria ran in front of him and threw her arms wide. She had never cared so much in her life about anything that lived, but suddenly the whole world seemed to depend on her saving this dragon. "Listen to me! Your whole army could not defeat this one monster what makes you think you can alone! Retreat back to your people! Become stronger and then avenge them! Please I know him, you won't survive!" Aria was frantic, pleading to the massive dragon before her, suddenly her blood went cold as she felt the air ripple as Xellos phased in. "Aria! Stand away now!' Xellos was suddenly there, his eyes open visible with anger. "Master Xellos, please listen to me. I.. " She was shaking, she had never seen his anger so open. " No Aria you will listen to me. I am your Master, not the other way around. Now stand aside as I kill off this last pest." Xellos leveled his staff at the golden dragon. He smiled coldly. Aria moved obediently then stopped, again something inside her screamed at her not to let this happen. Swallowing a life time of servitude to Xellos, she placed herself between him and the dragon. Calling on Ruby Eyes she cast a spell that formed a blade of his energy and held it at ready. "No Master Xellos, I can't." Xellos stepped back, shaken by her direct disobedience. She had always been disrespectful but never openly disobedient. He lowered his staff at her, looking at the girl with a smile so cold it froze her blood in her veins with fear. "Now Aria what makes you think you mean that much to me?" He chuckled in an unpleasant way. "I don't think I mean that much to you, you are a monster. How could anything mean something to you. All I know is that this dragon has to live. There has been to much death today. Please Master Xellos I beg you, I have never asked anything of you personally in all this time but I ask now. Let him live. What harm can there be in letting one gold dragon live??" Aria was quickly being drained from holding the spell and from the mental anguish she felt. She was frantic and full of fear. Xellos stood before her and shook his head. She was right what harm could one dragon cause, but he had orders. He was feeding from the fear she was emitting, a nice meal after using so much energy, but there was something else there he had never felt. A desperate need and regret. He was puzzled by this. Her desire was stronger than anything he had ever felt. He had no idea what it was that Aria had done to make him decide to grant her plea, but he would. She would never know it though. Aria trembled as she faced off with Xellos, she began to shake her body going into shock. She sank to her knees and the spell faded. She swallowed back her fear and anger soon began to replaced it. She was furious at herself. Now she understood why humans feared the Monster race. 'They..No. We are helpless' She corrected her thoughts feeling for the first time what that village must have felt. She never felt Xellos phase in beside her and strike her from behind. Xellos let Aria fall to the ground and then turned to the dragon. Smiling as always he did, he shrugged like nothing was wrong. "Now golden dragon, I can either kill you or let you go." His eyes opened and stared up at him. "I am going to let you live, but she will never know it. If Aria ever finds you are alive, I will kill you both. What is your name dragon?" Xellos fed from the rage that was pouring out from the dragon . He knew there would be trouble from this, but with this turn of events Aria had made him wonder. She was always loyal and dutiful to him, what was it she saw in this one dragon that made her throw it all away."Well, Milgazia, you know what is required of you. Leave before I change my mind." Xellos left to finish his work. Milgazia left looking back at the small human laying on the ground. He would owe her a debt for all eternity and he could never repay it. He knew that when next a human would need his aid, he would help them. He turned and left, never to see Aria again. "Thank you human girl. You who walk between light and dark. I will do my best to aid your species in the times to yet to come. (End Flashback)