Disclaimer: Characters from "Slayers" are Copyright Hajime Kanzaka, Tommy Ohtsuka, and Rui Araizumi. Lyrics from "You Are Woman I Am Man" are included under the Fair Use provision. This work is a parody and not to be used for any commercial purposes.
Foreword: this story takes place about half a year after my story "The Green-Eyed Dragon". Filia and Xellos are a couple, raising Val as their son, and also have hatched a Mazoku-Dragon hybrid baby, named Alcia.
How Evil Came To Saillune
The flames leaped higher in the bronze brazier, twisting into fantastical shapes, and throwing ominous-looking shadows onto the walls of the chamber. "Yes," said Filia. "The vision is becoming clearer. Great danger threatens this city, and this world."
"Are you certain?" asked the chief of the white-robed acolytes.
"I am," said Filia gravely. "I have seen nothing like this since the Darkstar prophecy. The Mazoku are planning to revert this world into chaos."
"Oh, no," said the tall and well-endowed young woman. "Isn't there any way to combat it? Even Darkstar had a vulnerability."
Filia had to keep reminding herself that this woman was none other than her one-time traveling companion Princess Amelia. Her growth spurt had made an extraordinary difference, and even the acolytes seemed a little distracted. Putting that out of her thoughts for the moment, Filia closed her eyes, and furrows appeared in her forehead as she concentrated. "The forces of Chaos approach . . . They seek that which is bright . . . and pure. . . We must confront them . . . With that which is dark and mingled." Slowly she relaxed. "I'm sorry. That is all I can see."
"It is very little to go on," said the chief of the acolytes. "We are very likely facing a Mazoku invasion, and we have little idea what our counter-measure even looks like."
"That's not just to Miss Filia!" Amelia exclaimed. "She's tried very hard. And it's more than we had before she came here."
The chief of the acolytes nodded. "That is true, your highness. I apologize, priestess Filia."
Filia was about to say that she was technically no longer a priestess, but it would have been a distraction from the main subject. And it made her feel better to know that her consorting with a certain high-level Mazoku hadn't entirely destroyed her former abilities.
"Now, what if we send extra guards to the city gates?" Amelia asked. "We might be able to spot the Mazoku before they enter Saillune."
"Not today, your highness," replied a second acolyte with a grim look. "The revels have already begun, and folk wearing costumes are already on the city streets."
"Costumes?" Filia asked.
"Tonight is Monster's Eve," Amelia explained. "A festival my mother started to remind of the existence of evil even in the city of white magic."
"It's the evil outside the city we should be worried about!" retorted the chief acolyte. "It will provide the Mazoku the perfect cover to infiltrate. I'm sure they're delighted!"
"This is a mockery! An outrage!" fumed Dynast Grausherra. "They dare to laugh at the power of Evil!"
"But, Lord Dynast," one of the four costumed figures with him spoke up, "it got us inside the city without a disturbance." He carefully avoided reminding one of the three Mazoku Lords that he was dressed as a snowman.
"And what if there were a 'disturbance'?" Dynast returned. "Do you realize this accursed city has only been damaged by Zanaffar and Lina Inverse? Never by one of we Mazoku? I say it is time."
"Perhaps," a second of his minions demurred, "but we are not as strong you, Lord Dynast, against the positive emotions here. And what if one of the other Mazoku Lords finds the Vessel while we are - ahem - dealing the merited punishment?"
Dynast halted for a moment. "Valid points, Vorkuta. We cannot afford the distraction. Lady Zelas and Lady Dolphin are very likely here with their minions even as we are."
"No, I'm confident sister-Dolphin won't be here." Zelas Metallium said, adjusting the headpiece of her wolf-costume. "She seems to be confused about which month the Monster's Eve festival is in."
"And would you have anything to do with that confusion, my Queen?" Xellos' outfit as the general of a dark army fit him faultlessly. Which was only natural, since he'd had it for centuries.
"Misdirection can be quite effective," Zelas smiled, "and it saves considerable power for other uses. I was able to make the shield against positive emotions on us last until sunrise tomorrow, if need be."
"I doubt it will be necessary. We can carry on the search for Valwin's Vessel almost openly today and tonight." Xellos pointed out. "Going from house to house will seem quite normal."
"True. But I also want to interfere with my brother's search." Zelas' face took on a grimmer expression. "Brother-Dynast must not be the one to find and use Valwin's Vessel, so you will want to neutralize whichever servants of his you can locate. Naturally, they will try to do the same to us. I trust you are prepared to return to my side at a moment's notice?"
"Of course, my Queen." The two split up, walking quietly but purposefully.
"Halt, Deep Sea Dolphin!" barked the guard.
"Me?" Lina Inverse yelled.
"Yes, you!" returned the guard. "You are wearing a mermaid costume, your minion is dressed as a jellyfish, and you have the aura of strong black magic!"
Lina turned towards Gourry. "I told you not to wear that wear that blasted Jellyfish costume!"
"But it's so comfortable. Besides," Gourry pointed out, "you are wearing a mermaid outfit."
"Well, I was not going to dress as a witch." Lina tried keep a shred of calm. "Shouldn't I have an outfit that shows me as the beautiful, magical creature I am?"
"So you are Deep Sea Dolphin!" the guard seized on Lina's remark.
"No, you pea-brain!" Lina's effort to keep calm pretty much came to an end. "I'm Lina Inverse!"
"That's just as bad!" The guard stepped back a pace. "Lina Inverse the Dragon Spooker? The Enemy of All Who Live?"
"Did you by any chance summon Lina to Saillune as well?" said Filia as they walked out onto the balcony.
"Why, yes," Amelia replied. "How did you know?"
"That was one of her Fire Balls." Filia pointed towards the East Gate. "We'd better go there. Just give me a moment to collect the children."
The summons to Saillune had been so unexpected and urgent that Filia had been forced to bring not only Val but baby Alcia along. Xellos was off on an assignment, Jillas had been on vacation and Gravos didn't quite have the brainpower to handle a half-dragon half-demon baby. Mind you, it wasn't that Alcia was badly behaved. In fact, to Xellos' vocal disappointment, she was almost angelic. But she kept reverting to her Mazoku form, which most people found highly disturbing.
And Alcia was very peculiar about feeding. Filia had tried every kind of milk she could think of, and each one was promptly rejected. If Alcia had spat the stuff out on the floor and wailed it would have been bad enough, but instead she would turn to Filia with a heartrending 'why are you being so mean' expression. But when Xellos offered her raw eggs, beef broth, or tomato soup salted to the same level as blood, Alcia eagerly slurped them down, to Filia's consternation. Worse still, she often didn't need any food at all, but seemed to thrive when the villagers around her were in bad moods. What this meant was something Filia preferred not to think about, so she ignored the disgruntled face of the nanny Amelia had brought in, and retrieved her smiling baby.
Zelgadis had been detailed to watch over Val, and his face had been almost as sour as the nanny's at first. But he and Val were now practicing a basic sword routine with a pair of sticks, and Val's enthusiasm had spread to the chimera. He seemed a little disappointed at having to end the lesson and proceed post-haste to the East Gate.
Once there, it took a little time and some direct orders from princess Amelia to straighten out the situation. And to prevent Lina from being thrown into the deepest dungeon in Saillune, which would have had nasty consequences for the dungeon. Finally Amelia and Filia were able to explain what they knew.
"So we have to stop the Mazoku from finding some very powerful artifact," Lina summed up when they were done, "but we have barely a clue what it is?"
"And we don't know what the Mazoku will look like, either." Amelia nodded.
"I bet I know what one of them looks like," Gourry spoke up. "Xellos is bound to be in on this!" Filia caught her breath. Gourry was right; this must be what Xellos' latest assignment was.
"Daddy's going to be here?" Val exclaimed, delighted. "Can he come and collect candy with us?"
Filia was anything but delighted. "Now Val, we're not here for Monster's Eve. We grown-ups have something very important to do."
"Aw, no!" Val pouted. "All the other children in the city are getting candy!"
"He does have a point," said Gourry. Lina nodded as well. Some sacrifices were too great to be ignored.
"You're not helping-!" Filia practically hissed. She turned to Val. "There's something else. Daddy's not going to be on our side."
"But he always has been before," Val objected, wide-eyed.
"You know, he has something there too," Lina said. "Xellos has played any number of tricks on us, but he's always made sure we stayed alive. Filia, is it possible you could convince him not to find whatever it is the Mazoku are looking for?"
"It might just have a chance." Filia said slowly. "Tell me, Val, where do you think daddy would look for something very valuable?"
"I think he would look in the expensive stores first," replied Val. "That way, if he didn't find it, he could still get presents to bring us."
Filia reflected that it was true Xellos would often bring presents after completing his assignments. (Where on Red Orb he had found an 'I Can Cast It Myself Illustrated Introduction to Black Magic' book for Val, she had no idea.) Now, if he would just bring a nice pair of earrings for her, that would be a present worth- she snapped her fingers. "Bright and pure!" She exclaimed. "That could mean a powerfully enchanted gem!"
"It sure could!" Lina's treasure-hunting instincts had clearly not faded.
"All right, I'll start looking for Xellos in the jewelry district. Stay close to me, Val." Thinking that it was not her preferred way to try to save the world, Filia trotted off with Alcia in her arms and Val scampering along beside her, leaving Amelia to give the others their areas of Saillune to search.
It turned out not to be difficult to find Xellos. Filia walked quickly down the streets, glancing in the shop windows, and from the shopkeepers with irritated faces was able to follow the Mazoku's trail. She also kept her ears open, and in a few minutes was rewarded.
"What do you mean, what you're looking for is a secret?" Came a cry from the shop at the end of the block.
"Found him!" said Filia. Val needed no instruction to stay close this time. The dragon-child dashed off towards the shop, with Filia running behind him as fast as she dared while holding Alcia.
Xellos sauntered out of the shop, and for one of the very few times in her life Filia was able to see him taken completely by surprise. "Daddy!" Val shouted, ran up, and hugged Xellos' legs. Filia greatly approved; it made it impossible for him to run.
"Val?" Xellos' jaw dropped in a fair imitation of the lid of a jack-in-the-box. He remembered at the last instant not to jump in the air, since he had someone hanging on to him. Then he looked up, to see his approaching mate. "Filia? Alcia? What are you all doing here?"
"We're here to stop what you are doing here." Filia answered.
"How could you bring the children?!" Xellos had not recovered yet, which was probably a new record. "Don't you know my assignments are often dangerous?"
"If the prophecy is anywhere near accurate, it won't really matter where the children are, will it?" Filia returned.
Xellos sweat-dropped. "There's a prophecy?" And now he recovered. "I don't suppose it came from a certain Golden dragon ex-priestess?"
"Please, Xellos." Filia put everything she had into her appeal. "For Val's sake—for Alcia's sake—for everyone. Please help to stop this. For once, put something higher than your mission."
Xellos opened his eyes, and for once they were not menacing. But neither were they kind, and Filia's heart went into her mouth. After a few moments—or was it a few centuries?-he spoke. "Filia, sometime soon we must have a talk about pushing on doors marked 'pull'. But for now, I need you to do something very difficult for you. I need you to trust me, and do what I ask."
The phrase 'I'd rather die' popped immediately into Filia's mind. But-a large number of others could die as well, including her children. " . . . all right," she managed.
Xellos closed his eyes and resumed his usual smiling expression. "I need you to take Val around Saillune for candy."
"YAY!" Val did indeed jump for joy.
"What?" Filia's reaction was slower, mostly because her jaw had dropped and she needed a moment to regain control of it.
"Let me see if we can give you a proper outfit, Val." Xellos stepped over, and touched Val's clothes with his staff. There was a puff a smoke, and in a moment Val was wearing a black dragon costume.
"This is great!" Val exclaimed, looking over his new outfit. "Thank you, daddy!"
Filia had been about to protest further, but something occurred to her. The powers of a Mazoku were hampered considerably within Saillune, the city of white magic. Xellos had needed to use his staff for something that would have been a mere hand-wave for him elsewhere. To have exerted himself that much meant he did indeed have a definite plan.
"And now I need to tell you your part, Val." Xellos said. "Ready?"
"Uh-huh!" Val nodded energetically. Xellos bent down and whispered into his ear. The boy smiled even more widely, and shouted "Okay!"
"What did you just tell him, Xellos?" Filia demanded.
Mazoku and dragon-child turned towards her, each putting a finger to their lips, and said together, "That is a secret!"
And Filia threw back her head and wailed to whatever gods might be listening, "WHY ME?"
(To Be Continued . . .)