CHAPTER TWO: MISUNDERSTANDINGS

Finally, getting bored, Xelloss smiled at her. "Hey," he began. She looked at him. "Yeah?" she asked. "Tell me about yourself. We’ve been travelling for 33 days but we seemed to have forgotten to tell each other more about ourselves." He told her.

She smiled at him. "I’m 18 years old and a priestess of the Water Dragon Queen. I live in Sailarg… well, I used to… and once fell in-love but lost…" she said shyly. "In love with whom?" he asked, a bit curious. "His name is Gourry Gabriev. But I think he likes Lina-chan so, I just thought it’s best if I leave them alone… so… here I am…" she said. "Uh-huh… I know them. I once traveled with them." he said. Shilfiell’s face lightened up. "Really?! Oh, how is Gourry-kun doing!? Is he alright? Is he feeling okay with Lina-san?" she asked happily. Xelloss frowned. "Yeah…" he answered.

Shilfiell smiled happily. "I’m glad to hear so! Oh my… I miss him and…" she kept babbling more and Xelloss found it so annoying. He opened his eyes and rolled them. "Yare yare… I’m traveling with a girl who’s deeply in-love… what do I know about those feelings anyway?" he asked himself, feeling ridiculous, as if whenever the word "love" was mentioned, he’d melt.. He tried not to listen to her babbling but he couldn’t help hearing the sweet words describing Gourry. It annoyed him. Yet, he kept his patience.

* * *

Finally, they reached a town by night and they decided to spend the night at a hotel. They entered a restaurant first to eat.

When they sat down, Xelloss got the menu. "Order anything you want, I’ll pay." He told her. "That’d be unfair for you, Xelloss-san." She said. "No, it’s okay, Shilfiell. I mean it and I don’t take no for an answer." He said while wiggling a finger at her face. "You must be a rich guy." She said. "I’m just a minion of Xe…" he stopped and remembered that he shouldn’t reveal himself completely to her, otherwise, she might freak like Filia does, knowing that he is a mazoku.

"Nani?" she asked. "Oh nothing! I said that my favorite element in the periodic table is Xenon! The symbol is Xe and that’s it! The atomic number is…" he stopped talking when he saw the confused look on her face.

She blinked. Xelloss opened his eyes and a goofy smile was on his face. "I’m just a hard-working person…" he said, minding the word "Person".

"Oh, so that’s why Amelia trusted you coz you’re a hard-working man?" she asked. "Uh… yeah…" he answered.

As they were eating, Shilfiell began a conversation. "Since we’re gonna be together for some time, maybe you could tell me where you’re from?" she asked. "I was supposed to tell you this afternoon while we were talking but you kept babbling about Gourry. Shilfiell, please forget him. Trying hard will do you no good." He advised. Shilfiell looked away, looking sad all of a sudden. Xelloss suddenly felt nervous. "Did I offend her? What’d I say?!" he thought. "Um… are you okay, Shilfiell-san? Was it something I said?" he asked directly, feeling a bit guilty. She smiled weakly. "Um… it’s just that… .I am a bit disappointed. Love is such a crazy game. I wish that I were a mazoku so that I wouldn’t know anything about it…" she admitted.

Xelloss almost choked. "Don’t ever wish to be a mazoku. It’s hard, believe me." he told her. "Why do you know?" she asked. "Oh nothing… they don’t know about love and…" Xelloss stopped. "What am I saying…" he thought. Shilfiell looked at his eyes and stared at them for a long time, studying them. "Tell me, Xelloss… your eyes… they are purple… are you…" she stopped talking when he looked away and closed his eyes again.

"My real name is Xelloss Metallium. Now, from my surname, I’m sure you know who I am really?" he asked. Shilfiell blinked. "You’re a minion of Xelas Metallium, the beast master… therefore you are a mazoku?" she asked, hardly believing it..

"Yeah." He answered. Shilfiell was quiet for awhile and didn’t talk. Xelloss was the same.

After their dinner, they left and looked for a place to sleep. They found a hotel. Xelloss only rented one room so that there would be money for the next day.

"Okay, miss priestess, you sleep on the floor and I sleep on the bed." He told her as he sat down on the bed and kicked off his shoes. "Hey! You are so unfair! I am a girl so I should get the bed and you sleep on the floor!" she reasoned.

"Get a life, Shilfeill. You want a bed? Make me get off here first." He told her as he lay down.

"I always knew that demons were a bunch of raw garbage!" she cried and sat down on the floor. Xelloss twitched when he heard the adjective. "Is that word supposed to be in the vocabulary of the priestesses?" he asked. "Xelas Metallium must’ve spoiled you. You’re a disrespectful man! Why did I ever accept this job?!" she yelled angrily at him.

"Shut up!" he told her. "Your face!" she shot back. Xelloss ignored her, but then it struck him when she covered her face and began to cry. He sat up. "Stop crying, crybaby!" he scolded angrily.

She ignored him and continued to sob. Xelloss opened his eyes and stood up. "Okay, okay! You get to sleep on the bed!" he said, trying to put up an act. Then, she removed her hands from her face and stormed out of the room.

Xelloss was annoyed. "Go ahead! Go back to your Gourry! You good for nothing!" he yelled.

Then, a woman appeared before him, smacking his face so hard that he fell to the floor.

He held his red cheek and looked at the one who did that.

"Foolish of you to do that!"

"Xelas-sama!" he said. He stood up and faced her. "But she’s so annoying!" he said. "I’ve been watching you, young man! If you don’t wanna be grounded, then treat her like a lady!" she scolded angrily as she pulled his ear towards her, dragging him. "Ow, ow, ow! Okay, okay, okay! I get it, Xelas! I’m sorry!" he said, feeling guilty all of a sudden. Xelas let go of him and she frowned. "If I learn that you’re maltreating her, I’m gonna cut your hair and shave it bald and kill you! You hear that? Then I’ll feed you to Dolphin’s dolphins!" she warned angrily.

"Kill me?" he asked, hardly believing it. "I mean it!" she said seriously. "I can’t stand Shilfiell." He admitted. "Then kill her! You used to kill people like they were just your toys when they disagree with you or when you find them annoying! Then do it!… and meet your doom." She told him.

For several days of being with her, I still don’t think I can do it. I don’t know why but… I don’t know why I feel this way but I am quite sure that I couldn’t bear seeing her cry and seeing her hurt… I just can’t kill that girl…" he said.

"just try to understand, Xelloss…" Xelas said gently. Xelloss turned away and teleported.

"Spoiled brat…" she muttered.

* * *

Shilfiell kept on running till she reached the forest. She was still crying and trembling. Then, the rain began to pour down and she became instantly drenched. She fell on her knees and hugged herself, "Damn you, Xelloss… I hate you…I hate you…" she muttered angrily.

"Then damn you too, Shilfiell, if you don’t stop crying…" Xelloss told her when he appeared behind her.

She was surprised and soon stopped crying and stood up. "Stay away from me you demon!" she yelled. Xelloss approached her and grabbed her arms and pulled her closer to him. "Will you shut up? I’m sorry if I…" he stopped, surprised at himself. "What am I saying?! Why am I apologizing?!" he thought. Shilfiell stared up at him with frightened eyes and her lips were trembling, same with her body. He opened his eyes and gazed at her. His hands traveled to her back and he pushed her toward him more. He gave her a gentle smile. "Please don’t be afraid of me… I’m really sorry if I scared you… did I?" He asked.

Shilfiell’s eyes began to be filled with tears again and she began to cry again. Then, she embraced Xelloss, and he did the same, patting her back gently. "Shh… calm down, Shilfiell-san, I said I was sorry…" he told her.

Shilfiell’s grip became tighter around him. "Don’t you ever do it again…Xelloss-san…" she told him, her voice trembling.

For the first time, he made a promise. "I won’t… I swear…"