By Steph
Chapter 3 – The Vision
Filia had just finished washing the dishes when she heard a noise from the other room. She felt a dark presence, and she felt afraid at first, but then smirked. It was probably Xelloss trying to scare her. Feeling somewhat irritated, she stormed into the living room to give him what-for.
“Wha-?”
She didn’t get to finish her surprised question, as she was flung across the room, hitting the wall with a cry of pain. She slid to the floor, holding her stomach and sobbing. “No…” she whimpered. “No, please, no!”
Towering over her was a dark, shadowy figure that was hard to discern because he blended in with the dark room. All she could see of him were his eyes. Glowing red eyes. Evil eyes. Not Xelloss. She moved her lips, trying to cast a spell of protection, but his hand slapped her across the face, stopping her spell instantly.
“Stupid dragon bitch,” a sinister voice hissed. “You dare to destroy the balance by defiling our race? You deserve to die.”
There was no pity in the voice or in the hands as they lifted Filia off of the floor and flung her across the room again. She screamed in agony as the bones in her arm cracked. Her arm was useless now. She tried to use her magic again, but to her horror, it was sealed somehow. Frantically, she tried to kick at the monster, to defend herself, but she couldn’t move. She was paralyzed with pain and fear. She whimpered as she saw the dark figure approaching her again.
Through the haze of pain in her mind, she heard a snarl of rage, and the dark figure was attacked from behind, knocking him to the floor. She saw a flash of purple hair, and realized who it was.
“Xelloss!” she cried, though her voice only came out as a whisper.
Xelloss glanced at her briefly, his eyes clouded over with anger and rage. Intense sadness filled those eyes when he saw her lying there. Why where they attacking her? What had she done? She cried out again, trying to warn him of something, and suddenly he couldn’t move. He’d been bound by a very powerful spell. He twisted and turned trying to get out, screaming in rage. The demon Koru who had attacked Filia had not come alone. Two others were there with him. How had he missed their presences? Dammit, how had they managed to capture him? He shouldn’t have let his guard down when Filia had called out to him.
The demon Koru stood in front of Xelloss, the glowing red eyes staring at him with something akin to glee. Xelloss was captured and helpless now.
“Is this the best you can do?” Koru mocked the trickster. “You can’t save the dragon girl. How useless you are. Are you willing to let her die for your sins?”
Xelloss’ eyes narrowed in intense hatred. “Don’t lay another finger on her. She’s done nothing wrong.”
“On the contrary. Both of you are guilty of destroying the balance.”
“Damn you, you fool!” Xelloss screamed. “The balance hasn’t been broken! We’ve done nothing wrong!”
Koru glared at Xelloss. “It has been altered because of your foolish and stupid infatuation with one of the enemy. Did you honestly believe that you would get away with it? No one in our race can defile himself with one of the dragon race. It has never been done, and it will never be done again. You have sworn allegiance with them by allying yourself with this dragon girl. It is the same as treason. You have betrayed your master.”
Xelloss bowed his head. He began to laugh low in his throat, until he was laughing so hard he was crying. “I can’t believe this,” he scoffed. “Just because I had ‘fun’ with Filia once doesn’t mean I’ve ‘allied myself’ with her. This dragon girl doesn’t mean anything to me.”
Koru grinned at Xelloss words. “She doesn’t mean anything to you at all? Well, then, you won’t mind if we have a little fun with her, too.”
Xelloss’ head snapped up in horror. No, please no. She’s hurt; she can’t take much more. She couldn’t handle it if they…if they…
Before he could stop himself, he screamed, “NO!” It was his mistake, and it only made them even more eager to continue their actions. Filia’s screams echoed in his ears. He desperately tried to think of the spell to loosen the enchanted bonds around him, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t concentrate, not with Filia’s agonized screams drowning out all coherent thought. Almost without realizing it, he began pleading for them to stop. His voice rose to a high-pitched wail, matching her screams, and both of them were sobbing uncontrollably. He refused to feel any kind of gratification from what they were doing to her…gods it was worse than any words could describe. He squeezed his eyes shut, not wanting to see, but unable to drown out the sound of her terrified and painful cries.
After what seemed like an eternity, they stopped. She lay on the floor in a bloodied heap, though miraculously still breathing. Koru turned to Xelloss, who had bit his lip so hard that he was bleeding dark blood down his chin. His eyes were still shut, tears streaming down his face. He was afraid to see what they had done to Filia. Koru looked down at Filia, then back at Xelloss, and grinned.
“I’m not sure which one I’d like to watch the other die.” He then pointed to Xelloss, after not much considering. “I think I’ll kill you first.”
“Why…why are you doing this?” Xelloss whispered.
“I have told you. You have broken the law. Both of you must die.”
“Please let her live,” Xelloss pleaded. “Please. Please let her live. If you kill me, promise that you won’t kill her.”
Koru shrugged. “I’ll think about it.”
For several minutes, Koru and his previously invisible minions beat him with every sort of physical attack and spell that they could. He took it all without making a sound, having become completely numb. He could hear Filia pleading with them to stop. Her voice was slowly fading into the background.
Filia, I’m so sorry. I never told you…. I’m so sorry that I’ve failed you.
When the final blow came, he let the oblivion overtake him. Still the echo of Filia’s screams rang in his ears, and he knew it would haunt him for eternity.
He had wanted to save her. And he couldn’t. That realization would also haunt him, almost as much as her screams.