Usual disclaimer here. I only own my original characters. Hajime Kanzaka owns Slayers. Don't sue.
It was a warm summer morning in the town of Carleeu. Filia was just rolling over in bed as the sun began pouring in from her bedroom window. The fresh air of the breeze that followed whipped through her curtains and then her long, golden hair as she tried to go back to sleep on her side. She couldn't see the clock on the wall, but she knew it was time to get up. She could hear Gravos and Jillas downstairs preparing breakfast, the sound of their feet shuffling through the kitchen making it's way up the stairs. It had been six months since the Darkstar campaign and since then she had traveled to the small town and purchased a comfortable sized home with an attached space to use as a shop to sell the wares she'd began making with the help of her two assistants. The house itself had three bedrooms, one for Filia, one that Gravos and Jillas insisted on sharing to make their "boss" happy and the last room was reserved as a nursery for when the egg containing the last of the ancient dragons finally hatched. For now, the egg rested in a wicker basket on a side table next to her bed with a large pink bow attached to the basket's handle. Filia was positive that the egg would hatch into a male baby dragon, but this didn't stop her at all. As she glanced over at the basket she let her tail reach out to it so she could admire how how the two bows matched.
"Soon, little one. You'll hatch into this world soon." She whispered to the egg as she snuggled into her pillow. "I promise I will do my best to be a good mother to you."
She stretched her tired limbs before sitting up in bed. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she kicked her legs of the side of the bed and headed towards the attached bathroom to change.
Gravos was wearing Filia's pink apron as he tended to the eggs and bacon he was frying on the stove. Jillas was setting the table, but stopped as soon as he saw Filia descend the stairs. He rushed over to hand her a piping hot cup of tea in her favorite pink cup.
"Thank you, Jillas." She smiled as she took the cup from the fox man.
"Anything for the boss!" He replied eagerly returning to the table to finish placing the silverware next to the plates.
Gravos turned to plate their meal, giving Filia a toothy grin as he greeted her, "Good morning, boss."
Filia smiled, but looked equally disturbed at how her favorite apron was being stretched across the beast man's torso. The cute little embroidered dragon in the center now looked disfigured and she could see from where she was standing a few rose colored threads straining to keep from breaking apart.
This was a typical morning for the three of them. They would eat and then open the shop to the rush of customers coming through town needing weapons and the locals who purchased her handmade pottery. "Vases and Maces" was actually Jillas' idea, she remembered as she took a bite of her meal. Gravos had built her a sign to put out front and she had been pondering over a name for her shop for days. He'd just blurted it out, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world as she was holding a paint brush next to her face, deep in thought.
The three of them had made a modest living so far off of their business endeavor. It was tiresome work but they enjoyed each others company. Filia was thankful for the extra hands not only at the shop but also around the house. She'd read in one of her many books on parenting and expecting children, most of which she'd skipped over because she wasn't actually carrying a child of her own, that new mother's were at some point supposed to start a process called "nesting", a term human's began borrowing from the dragon race centuries ago, where a mother apparently begins rearranging furniture over and over again until she is satisfied. Or at least that's how Gravos saw it. Being the muscle of the trio, he was asked to carry the oak dresser up the stairs and into the nursery, as well as a matching changing table and rocking chair Filia often sat in as she read her written guides to motherhood. She paid little attention to her assistants as they brought in the furniture, her nose buried deep into the pages of her book. She would simply call out to them from time to time to move something slightly to the left or right or across the room completely. She began taking to this nesting thing as if it was completely natural. It was fitting for someone of her obsessive-compulsive nature.
She finished her plate and stood to place it in the sink but was stopped by the ever-smiling fox man. He happily took the dish from her and sat it in the sink to be washed later. She thanked them for the delicious meal and sauntered over to the door that lead to the storeroom of her shop. There she kept her kiln and pottery wheel, where all of her vases and tea sets were spawned from. Her delicate pottery the only thing she'd birthed so far in her nearly five hundred years. Many shelves lined the walls with various weapons and ceramics ready to be restocked when needed. She'd spent many late nights in this storeroom over the last few months, seeking it's quiet refuge when she was starting to feel overwhelmed with panic and doubt. A small table sat next to her wheel, a bowl of water and a few jars of paint sat on top of it along with a single candle and an empty bottle of wine. She'd also recently started taking out her frustrations of loneliness there in the comforting darkness. It would be no easy task to raise a child on her own without a husband, but she was determined to drink her sorrows away and use her disheartened energy to create more and more beautiful pottery.
She opened the next door that lead to the shop itself, and walked past the counter to the front door and unlocked it before turning the sign hanging in the window to read "Open".
Business on a morning like this one was a blur, as ship captains would come in for large orders to add to their cargo to carry to other parts of the world. An older gentleman came in and inquired that she stop by his woodworking shop later in the day to make final arrangements for a crib she was having him make. He laid out the plans on the counter and they discussed any last changes she would want made before she handed the man a handful of gold coins.
"Jillas, I'm going to head into town to pick up some things for the nursery, do you think you can handle things here?"
"Of course, boss!"
"What would you have me do, boss?" asked Gravos as he carried a large crate of mauls over to smaller man, dropping it at his feet. The man looked frightened at first and then struggled to lift the heavy crate out the door to a wagon he would then take to port. Gravos paid the man no mind, giving his full attention to Filia instead as the small man continued to attempt at getting the crate out of the shop.
"I'm going to need you to pick up the crib later today, it's been paid for and will be finished by this afternoon. It will be in separate pieces that we can put together this evening."
"Yes, ma'am." Gravos said with an almost comically awkward bow as Filia walked past the crewman who was collapsed on the floor of exhaustion.
Filia walked through the market picking up various items, some linens to use as diapers, a dozen glass bottles, and a few fresh vegetables to make a salad to go along with their dinner. She was so wrapped up in her own thoughts of preparation that she didn't notice someone slip a few apples in the basket she was carrying.
"There isn't much time left before the egg will hatch, I hope I have everything we'll need." She thought to herself as she looked over a list she'd made. Some items scratched off, others added to the sides last minute. She thought for a minute she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end, but brushed it off as the cool, passing breeze.
She turned around as an angry voice called out to her. "Thief! Come back here! You think I'd let you walk away without paying for all of those items?!"
A short, plump woman came storming up to her with her hand held out expectantly.
"W-what?" Filia looked down at the woman, confused.
"These. You didn't pay for these apples! I'm running a business here, not a charity." She said as she picked the apples out of Filia's basket.
"Oh, I...don't remember putting those there. I'm very sorry, I will pay for them." Filia said as she fumbled through her purse for more coins.
She paid the woman who then retreated back to her stand in a huff. Filia looked down at her basket and wondered how she could possibly have forgotten that she'd picked up the two bright red apples. She shook her head as she brushed it off, and continued walking.
After she'd put a good distance from the produce stand, a tall man dressed in a black cloak and dirty brown leather boots appeared where she once stood. A mischievous grin forming in the corner of his face as he leaned against a long, wooden sorcerer's staff. Violet hair cut like a page boy's framed his face with bangs that almost hid his dangerous eyes.
"Hmm...curious that she hasn't noticed my presence at all yet. This will not do." He said to no one in particular before teleporting away.
Filia stood among a crowd of people as she tried to make her way back to the shop. Her basket was full and heavy as she shifted it to her other arm. Everyone seemed to be in a hurry to check out a new stand that appeared to be traveling merchants from out of town. As she waited for the slow lines of people to move she looked over to see a what was captivating such a wide audience. A younger human woman, along with three other men were attempting to peddle a cure-all tonic, claiming to alleviate a long list of ailments with just one bottle. Filia frowned at how so many people were believing such nonsense. Someone bumped into her as she heard one of the townsfolk shout, "Shut up and take my coins!"
She clutched her basket and purse next to her as the crowd began to get wild with excitement around her. Bodies pushing in shoving in every direction, she still failed to notice a familiar presence standing directly behind her. The mysterious man pulled one of the glass bottles out of her basket and quickly replaced it before Filia was pushed back into him. Startled at the feeling of warmth on her back, she tried to turn around to see who she was being forcibly pressed up against. In an instant, the presence was gone and she was able to turn and make a hasty retreat away from the rabid horde of townspeople.
She let out an aggravated sigh as she stomped towards her house, went inside and slammed the door behind her. She was sure the two beast men had everything under control on the shop side of their home so she decided to carry her supplies upstairs to the nursery before retreating to her bedroom to unwind. The egg had remained unchanged, as she expected. It continued to radiate a soft glow around it which told her it would be hatching soon but still not for some time. The stronger the glow got the sooner the hatching would begin. She often found herself laying back on her bed spending hours just watching the egg in anticipation. Some days she would sing to it, although slightly off-key. Other days she would just talk to it, like it was an old friend she was having tea with. She told it stories of her long journeys across the world, of her time as a priestess of the Fire Dragon King. She shared with it secrets she had never told anyone else... It was liberating to get things off her chest as she bonded with the egg, completely unaware that she often wasn't alone for these talks.
Outside her window, perched high on a thick tree branch was none other than the infamous beast priest, Xellos, relaxed with one leg dangling over the side as he stared into her bedroom window through the thick foliage. He listened to her stories and made little mental notes of the secrets she told the egg. Caterpillars, he'd remembered from a few weeks past, were one of her biggest fears. He grinned as he recalled that day. He'd stopped to check in on the Ul Copt household, keeping a safe distance away in the near by trees when he overheard Filia talking to the egg while laying on her stomach across her bed, lazily kicking her legs in the air, back and forth. He stood for a few moments but after some time found himself laying back against the thick tree trunk, listening to her tell the tales of their previous adventure together. He was interested for the sake of his own ego of how she'd choose to describe him in her story.
Growing bored he let his eyes linger towards a nearby bird's nest as a mother cardinal fed her young. He imagined the dragon race feeding their offspring in such a manner, and decided to save the comparison to tease Filia with someday after her adoptive egg had hatched. His quiet chuckling was cut short as he turned back to see Filia undressing. He shifted slightly on the branch as he tried to maintain his balance. She'd stripped down to next to nothing but satin undergarments, most likely to cool herself off from the hot summer day. She began braiding her waist length, sunflower tresses to the side, revealing the youthful skin on her back. He leaned closer, while holding onto the side of the tree for support as he noticed a jagged scar across the shoulder blade of her otherwise flawless skin. He contemplated how she could possibly have such a mark in her human form but then felt a twinge in the back of his head. His master was calling to him. Taking one last inquisitive look towards the window, he silently bid farewell to his new favorite hiding spot and teleported away.
After that day he'd made it a point to stop by majestic tree he'd begun to grow so fond of as often as he could to observe the dragon maiden. It was part of his mission after all, but he wasn't going to leave just because his report could say 'there were no new developments with the egg'. No, he chose to indulge his curiosity a little longer each visit, adding this new fascination to his long list of well-kept secrets. Today he felt mildly disappointed that she would not be undressing for him, but this was overshadowed by the logical conclusion he'd come to earlier. She was no longer sensing him. It had been close to a month since he'd make his presence known to her, but since then he assumed she should easily be able to sense him nearby. He'd been right up against her in town and she didn't even scream his name with her added pet names of 'raw garbage' or the more colorful, 'jackass son of a bitch'. He found it humorous that a former priestess could be so profane. Maybe she'd become too comfortable around him since Darkstar's defeat. This certainly would not do, and a dangerous road for her to follow. Letting her guard down to a monster of his status could only mean she was letting it down for any monster, regardless of rank. He would need to change this and remind her to not be so foolish. His eyebrows furrowed together as he teleported away from the tree to the front of her shop. He noticed the sign was turned over to "Closed" and he turned to look around for Filia's two bumbling servants. Before long, he'd seen them coming up the road with intricately carved planks of wood and a tiny, rectangular mattress. Xellos raised an eyebrow at the pair after teleporting to the roof. He watched them head inside the house, making sounds that rivaled a herd of elephants as they carried everything up the stairs. Intrigued, he walked across the rooftop to the other side of the house where the sounds were coming from. He listened as he heard Filia leave her bedroom to the nursery across the hall to speak with them.
"Okay boss, here's the crib. Jillas and I closed the shop early so we could go pick it up but there's still work to be done. We have a large order of broad swords to fill and then we have to clean up." Gravos said as he rubbed his tired shoulder.
"I understand. Don't worry, I'm sure I can figure out to how to put this thing together." Filia said as she looked over the beautiful woodwork of each piece that lay on the floor.
"Alright boss, just yell for us if you need anything else." Jillas chimed in before following Gravos out the door.
Filia walked over to the changing table and began folding a stack of cloth diapers and placing them on the shelf below. Her long, pointed ears perked up at the sound of near silent footsteps followed by an unexpected creek in the floor boards which caused the intruder to stop in his tracks. Filia turned and let out a startled gasp as she locked eyes with Xellos. She glared at him before turning back to her work.
"You know, we have doors for a reason. Instead of just popping in you could always knock." She said, placing the last of the diapers on the shelf before kneeling down to the floor to start assembling the crib.
"Says the dragon with the worst manners in the four worlds..." Xellos said, leaning against his staff. "...but please, enlighten me, what are the reasons for having doors?"
"Privacy for one. Safety..."
"I don't see how organizing diapers requires privacy." He said, looking around the room. "And as for safety, I hope you don't honestly believe that a wooden door would keep myself or any other dangerous creature out."
Filia sighed, as she looked at each piece of wood, trying to figure out how the pieces fit together. She heard the door close and the click that followed after and brought her gaze up to see Xellos walking towards her.
"Happy now? You're totally safe locked inside a room with a monster." He grinned.
"What are you getting at you piece of garbage? Can't you see I'm busy here?"
"Busy doing what...exactly?"
"Are you blind? This is a crib."
"Umm. It looks like firewood to me."
"Not for the price I paid for it! I just have to figure out how to put it together..."
"It didn't come with instructions?"
"No...I think they must have gotten left behind when Gravos and Jillas picked it up."
"Well, I'm sure we can figure this out."
"We?"
"Well, I meant I could figure this out, because this clearly doesn't seem to be your forte. I just thought I'd be polite and include you when I said it."
"You didn't answer my other question."
"Hmm, what's that?"
"What were you getting at?"
"Ah. Just that you seem to be spouting an awful lot about safety when you yourself are neglecting your own."
"Excuse me?"
"Did you know I have been right by you three times today?"
"You what?"
"Could you possibly be quiet for a moment instead of responding with more pointless questions? I have actually been stopping by quite often over the last few weeks and not once did you sense my presence. You're slipping. This isn't the kind of behavior expected of a mother who's sole purpose is to protect her young. You took on this job, and you need to take it more seriously."
Filia sputtered as the rage became apparent on her cheeks. She couldn't find the words to defend herself so she settled for a simple, "Hmph." as she watched him take over her project next to her on the floor. He picked up a piece and tossed it over his shoulder when it wasn't the correct piece causing her rage to build further.
"Be careful with that! The town woodworker wont have time to replace anything before the egg hatches, I was already on a waiting list for months to get this built."
Xellos ignored her as he began putting the frame together.
"Once the egg hatches it's signature is going to be more prominent, making others who are more likely to harm it aware of it's existence."
"Are you one of those others?"
"Not at the moment. Lord Beastmaster hasn't yet decided what she wants to do about the situation. My point is, you should have at least cast a protective barrier over the house or something."
"Would it keep you out too?"
"Of course not. You're too weak to produce anything that could keep me away. Though saying that, I believe you really wouldn't be able to keep the hatchling safe on your own. Perhaps you need me here to help ensure it is well protected." He laughed, tossing another wrong piece to the side.
"I have Gravos and Jillas to help me, I don't need you."
"Yes, we've seen how well those two react in the face of danger."
"Are you seriously offering to help me?"
He looked over at her, catching her cerulean eyes briefly before continuing with the headboard.
"I'm not offering to change diapers or raise the whelp, I'm only saying I can offer my protection for the time being. I'm sure my master would see it as a potential investment."
"Okay then." She said quietly. She reached out for one of the railing pieces to give her hands something to do while she thought of his offer and accidentally brushed fingers with his as he reached for the same piece. She let an involuntary gasp slip past her lips as she drew her hand away quickly. He stared at her for a second, his hard amethyst eyes softened as he felt his composure falter briefly. He quickly regained his serious expression as he pondered over her reaction and the spark he was sure he'd just felt through his lavender gloved hand.
Xellos stood and secured the last piece of the crib together before pushing it over between the changing table and the dresser. Filia stood and placed the cotton covered mattress inside of it and then took a step back to admire the finished product.
"Well, I have other missions to tend to, I'll be going now."
Filia let out of breath of relief as he phased away. She didn't care how abrupt his good-byes were, as long as he left. He did a surprisingly good job putting the crib together, though she wondered if she should put something heavy in it to test it out first. Maybe he'd put it together wrong on purpose to infuriate her more. Pushing away the uncertainty, she decided it was unlikely he's knowingly do such a thing after offering his protection to the egg. She walked towards the door, taking one last look at the completed room before exiting to the kitchen downstairs.
She prepared dinner for her assistants and took her own plate upstairs, knowing they would still be working for a while longer. She ate her meal on her bed, and then placed the empty plate on her nightstand before blowing out the candle next to it and burying herself underneath her blankets as night filled the room. Before long she was fast asleep to the sound of crickets and an owl somewhere in one of the nearby trees.
Xellos phased into her room and stayed hidden in the shadows until he was sure she was sleeping deeply. He emerged from the darkness and made his way over to her other nightstand which held the basket and the ancient dragon egg. The soft glow that emanated off the egg began to pulse slightly as he drew nearer. He cautiously reached down to touch the egg, feeling drawn to it against his will. The second his finger came in contact with the egg he felt a shock run through him, the exact same feeling he had when his power fused with Filia's to create the chaos magic that destroyed Darkstar. He backed away as he heard Filia's blanket rustle along the bed. The fact that he felt no fear radiating off even now as she lay completely vulnerable, still left him perplexed. He wondered again about the scar he saw on her shoulder blade but knew if he mentioned it it would result in the loss of his favorite tree privileges or possibly the entire tree itself. He couldn't see it currently as she was wrapped tightly underneath her blanket like a cocoon.
As he turned to teleport away he sensed her move again, rolling over on her back, the blanket moving down to just below her chest. He glanced back at her as she resumed her deep breathing, his eyes opened to the cascading dandelion colored hair that covered her in a blanket of it's own. It shined even in the moonlight pouring in from the open window. She tossed and turned again, rolling over to her other side and he wondered what it was she was dreaming about. As her hair rolled away from her back he could finally make out the scar again, partially hidden beneath the strap of her silk camisole. He took a closer look at the imperfection and how it must have been from a very long time ago. He continued to watch her sleep for a few more minutes, lost in his own thoughts as he was bombarded with the many different emotions rolling off her in waves. Loneliness, anxiety, hate, and self-loathing...all delicious tasting but not a single shred of fear. Shaking his head, he finally found the strength to teleport away.
He phased in across town in front of the only tavern for miles. A run down little place next to the shore with no name he could make out, the sign was half broken the letters long faded away. The only way he could tell it was a tavern at all was the part of the sign that resembled a mug of ale. He entered and took a seat in a dark corner away from the other tables of drunken men.
A short while later a young, skinny blonde waitress sauntered up to his table.
"What can I get you to drink?"
"A hot cup of tea please."
"Umm...we don't have tea. I can get you an ale if you'd like."
"No, that's quite alright, I'll just take a water."
"Oh come on, you look like you've had a rough day, a pint of ale will fix you right up." She said with a wink.
"Alright, sure. Why not?"
"That's the spirit! I'll be right back."
Xellos watched her walk away, following the sway of her slender hips. She was an average human, nothing more than ordinary, but he did find the bounce of her loose, low cut top appealing to the eyes. She came back quickly with a frosty mug of ale and planted it right in front of him before taking a seat next to him.
"So, what's your story?"
"Excuse me?"
"Handsome fellow like yourself waltzes in here, I'm guessing you're not from around here are you? I'd have remembered that face." She said leaning onto the table with her chin resting on her palm.
"You would be correct in that assumption. I'm just passing through visiting an old friend."
"A lady friend?"
"As a matter of fact, yes."
"Did she shoot you down? Is that why you're here?"
"Umm...that's not the type of lady friend I mean. More like a frigid, bitter shrew."
"Aww, that's no good. She doesn't know what she's missing."
Xellos took a swig of his ale and let out a hearty laugh. "Not my style anyways. I'm not too fond of the pious types of women who are hellbent on maintaining their virtue indefinitely."
"Well honey, you're not going to find any virtuous women here!" She giggled as she walked away to check on her other tables. He took another drink and watched her gather a tray full of empty mugs from another table across the room, while catching his eye and winking at him with an alluring grin.
He smiled back as he emptied his mug, and pushed it forward while he leaned back and waited for her to come collect it. She shook her head letting a faint blush creep across her cheeks as she walked into the back room to empty her tray before returning to his table.
"Let me get you another. I'm off work in ten minutes. Think you can wait around that long?" She asked as she tossed her long wavy hair over her shoulder.
"Does this tavern offer rooms for the night?"
She shook her head as she took his glass from the table, her low-cut shirt leaving little to the imagination as she bent over in front of him.
"That's fine. It looked awfully dark out back behind this place."
She matched his smirk with a seductive one of her own as she went to finish her work. Xellos grabbed his staff and left a few gold coins on the table before heading out the door.
Fifteen minutes later the waitress appeared out the back door of the tavern, looking around in the shadows for the mysterious man. She found him leaning against the wall behind the door with a dangerous smile on his face. He grabbed her and pulled her to him, immediately finding her lips with his own in the darkness. He parted her lips with his tongue and kissed her hungrily. She leaned against him willingly letting her mouth be invaded. They parted for a moment, as he ran his hands through her blonde hair she could see in his captivating eyes that he was only using her to fill a void in his life. He was looking through her, to someone else.
"Do you care to know my name?"
"No, the only things I want to hear out of you are your cries to whatever deity you pray to."
She laughed as he began ravishing her neck while tugging at her blouse.
"You're awfully frisky for a priest..."
"You have no idea." He said as he took her lips with his again, biting her lower lip gently.
"I suppose this is your idea of a tip?"
"Oh, I promise you'll be receiving a lot more than a tip." He said turning her around and pressing her against the wall of the building. The deep, throaty moans were muffled by the sounds of drunken bar fights and broken glasses coming from inside the building as the two took out their frustrations on each other until their lusts were satiated.
Some time later, the waitress ran her hands through her disheveled hair as she finished getting dressed.
"Damn, your girl...she's missing out." She said, fanning herself.
Xellos winced a bit but brushed it off. He felt better, and had little worry of this woman giving away anything more than just her body. He smiled as he watched her go, surprised he wouldn't be the first one to walk away. Before she rounded the corner he heard her say, "Lillith. In case you were wondering. Thanks for the ride, I was having kind of a terrible night at work." And then she was gone leaving him free to teleport away without being seen.