Child of Darkness
Prelude 
Amanda Barton 
http://www.crosswinds.net/~queenotaku/

I always thought I knew what sorrow was, 
though I had never felt it. I had never 
cried and I was sure that I never would 
cry. I was strong; not weak. . .  that's 
what I thought until that day. . . 

Xelloss, that half-wit General and Priest 
of Xellass Metallium, entered the room 
with a sly, secretive look in his 
sadistic, violet eyes. A flaming pleasure 
toyed on his smiling lips; a look that 
sent a shiver down my spine as he closed 
the door behind him and silently continued 
to grin at me, lurking in the shadows of 
the corner. He
didn't say a single word. 

I felt uneasy. . .  He was the last one I 
expected to see. I was told that this 
person was coming to inform me about what 
happened to Garv-sama in his mission to 
kill Lina Inverse, and Xelloss worked 
under one of Garv-sama's most sworn 
enemies. . .  I was confused, and sure 
that it showed in my expression by the way 
Xelloss
was staring at me through those cruel, 
Mazoku eyes. I actually felt. . .  fear. 
An emotion that I rarely experienced. I 
was terrified.

"Why are you here? Where is my Master?" 
Those were the only words I could think of 
to say. Xelloss smiled even wider at me, 
as though he was trying to taunt me.  It 
was most certainly working. After sitting 
there and staring at him, waiting for an 
answer, I realized that there was a long 
scar running from his shoulder to his 
chest,
covered in fresh blood. It looked like a 
slash from a sword that was probably 
received not long ago. It didn't surprise 
me that he didn't use healing magic on it. 
Masochism. I had no doubt in my mind that 
it was Garv-sama's doing, seeing to how 
there are not many Mazoku who would be 
able to injure one who had powers from 
both General and Priest. After all, they 
were sure to run into each other. Xelloss 
had been protecting Lina Inverse. But then 
why had Garv-sama not killed him?

"He's dead." Xelloss' voice rang in my 
ears as he said those words, taking me 
aback. He was lying! He had to be; he was 
trying to mock me! That was it. . .  
Xelloss could never defeat my Master even 
with the energies from both Mazoku 
positions. He thought that I could be 
tricked too easily. I laughed at his 
pathetic attempt to fool me, but for some 
reason I felt self-conscious about it. 
Like some kind of uncertainty was welling 
up inside of me. It made me feel sick. 

"Alright, Kisama, enough playing. Now 
where is Garv-sama?" A dangerously dark 
smile was my first reply. A smile that 
showed he wasn't joking. But he had to be 
or... No. . . 

"Dead. You don't have to believe me but 
you will soon have to come to the cruel 
realization that your Master will never 
return. He underestimated Lina Inverse. 
Play with fire and you get burned." 
Xelloss purred pleasurably, mocking me 
with his sadism. . .  

But it couldn't be that he was telling the 
truth. . .  It wasn't. . .  It wasn't 
true! Someone, please. . .  My Master 
cannot be dead!