Author's note: Yes, this is my first attempt at a songfic. Please, don't be so harsh on me, pretty please? Well, anyway aside from that, this is prologue to a very long story that will take me forever to finish so please bear with me. Oh, I don't own Slayers, just my own ideas and original characters. Now, please enjoy!


'The Mystic's Dream'

Trees rustled softly, as a chime was sounded once. Light was shed across of clearing, in that instant, showing a single maiden standing quietly, as others started to enter into the sacred clearing solemnly.
Her soft voice sounded, singing a wordless song, as more voices gathered. The forest was aiding in the soft voice's melody and young priests raised their voices in song, as well. The tune was enticing, conjuring greenish glowing spheres that lazily hovered from within the depths of the night, slowly making their way towards the edge of the glade then circling slowly around in a circle. Seeing this, she bowed her head slightly, silencing her heavenly voice. Then in the clearing the sound of drums, fiddles and tambourines started to fill the clearing with a sweet tune that started softly at first, but continued to grow stronger. She waited many heartbeats before tilting her face skyward and began.

"A clouded dream on an earthly night
Hangs upon the crescent moon
A voiceless song in an ageless light
Sings at the coming dawn.."

In the heart of this desolate forest, there was a gathering. A great gathering of the misfortunate survivors, from a time nearly forgotten. But, this summer's eve they were celebrating their survival and completing a ritual older then time itself.
Bodies swayed and feet shuffled soundlessly across the ground. Voices rose in chanting unison of harmony, in an ancient song, words familiar to their hearts from the olden days. Young and old, alike rose to their feet to move about the giant fire ceremoniously.

"Birds in flight are calling there
Where the heart moves the stones
There that my heart is longing for
All for the love of you.."


The leader of the gathering, sang the heartfelt words beautifully, as well as, dutifully. For this song was not just a simple traditional song. It was a centennial ritual, for the peoples in the gathering to pay respect to their God, Lord Cepheid. But, onwards the people danced the intricate dance of old yore, as the lead singer lead onwards. It was her job as a miko to cast this song into the summer's eve winds and sky.
Besides that, she needed to concentrate intensely, as not to miscast the spell. If she did, it could mean disaster for all her people or could attract enemy attentions. The latter of the two being the worse.
'This is no time to hesitate. I must carry on the rite tonight, or all of us might not live to see the next season.' With that thought, the miko strengthened her resolve; keeping thoughts of her loved ones to help her carry on with the high-level spell.

"A painting hangs on an ivy wall
Nestled in the emerald moss
The eyes declare a truce of trust
And then it draws me far away.."

As in the beginning of the clan, many centuries before, to a time many had forgotten is where this haphazard clan has it's roots. Once, there used to many different tribes of these people, large groups of them that each had their own God that they worshipped. However, that all changed when, the Great Awakening of the mortal "Messiah", as scholars have recorded it, occurred in history. Their great numbers, were depleted because they simply believed in a different Gods than most people. Nonetheless, they were hunted down, discriminated and killed by the hundreds. It was amazing that hadn't died out then, but being highly intelligent people, they had eluded further prosecution by living in areas that no other cultured creature would inhabit. The once mighty tribes of the Ryuzoku had been reduced to a troupe of homeless scavengers.

"Where deep in the desert twilight
Sand melts in pools of the sky
When darkness lays her crimson cloak
Your lamps will call me home.."

The moon rose over the treetops, shedding her radiance across the glade of the ritual, setting off the final stages of the spell. Magical winds started to spin around the dancers, whipping the bonfire higher and higher, as if calling to their God above, begging him to notice their plea from so far below him.
The Miko raised her hands upwards, as she had always done for a thousand years before, positioning them as if she was casting a healing spell towards the center of huge fire before her. Closing her eyes in concentration, she willed forth her power as a priestess of Cepheid calling all her reserves to complete task of casting summoning spell. She had a few more lines of the spell to complete and her people's existence would be guaranteed for yet another year.

"And so it's there my homage's due
Clutched by the still of the night
And now I feel you move
Every breath is full…"

By the end of that passage of the spell, the dancers that had been circling about the glade had moved into a semi-circle behind their High priestess. They swayed rhythmically in time the beat, humming deep within their throats aiding to the spell as much as they could within the bounds of performing the age-old ritual.
Felt the energy of her people aiding her in the spell, as well as the power of the Gods, her creators lending her aid to cast properly and be successful. 'I am the last of my order. No, my people..I mustn't fail them ever,' she thought determination then raised her hands far above her head, preparing for the final words. Incredible power surged forward, then circling about her body wildly whipping her skirts against her legs. She waited a few heartbeats till she felt ready enough to finish casting the ancient protection spell. 'Now..,' she thought tilting her head upwards slightly and continuing onwards.

" So it's there my homage's due
Clutched by the still of the night
Even the feels so near
All for the love of you."

With the last punctuated sound of spell, she finally released all the brewing energy into the fire causing the flames to grow in size, shifting colors from oranges to a holy blue flames. The glade instantly washed with an almost blindingly bright light, the spell was working as planned.
The Miko smiled mentally to herself as felt the powers begin to construct themselves about her people's bodies as it was suppose to. As she was congratulated herself silently, a hollow feeling started to slowly creep over her body. 'Something has gone terribly wrong here,' she thought in a panic, opening her eyes open wide just in time to see the world shift the world turn black before eyes, leaving her alone in the inky void. She dropped down her arms and tried to turn around to call out to the others but found she couldn't turn. A stab of fear stabbed at her heart as she realized that the Mazoku had captured her, finally. 'No! After all this time, they finally decide to finish me off. How cruel,' she thought bitterly, clenching her fists at her side awaiting for the worse.
"I am not going to kill you, child of the Light," a whispery voice called out to the Miko sweetly, making the Miko to look up sharply. What she found standing before almost made her faint with relief and sheer fright. A stunningly beautiful woman stood before her that had pale glowing skin, flowing golden hair and eyes that shone like the purest gold. She was standing in the presence of The Lord of Nightmares.
With that the Miko bowed her head sharply down in respect best she could and hoped that the Great Creator would not strike her down dead for her insolence. However, unbeknownst to the cowering priestess, L-sama took the moment to crack a small-bemused smirk before continuing onto her real objective of her visit.
"Now, Miko of the Light, of come to charge thee with an important task that even I cannot interfere with," the Mother of creation stated in an authoritative voice to woman before her. She raised a slender hand up, motioning to the frightened woman before as to point to her politely. Then, suddenly ethereal winds started to whip about the inky void, as The Golden Lord start to make her departure back into the void of her existence.
The Miko, finally looked up again as she felt the awesome Lord's power slowly start to recede but, she caught was a glimmer of gold in the distance. "I give thee, this prophecy child of the Light: When the time of when darkness befalls upon the world and missiles of wrath shall rain upon of the millions. Then Darkness will reign, but within the blackness four stars between light and darkness from past in the present shall gather around a golden star in the darkest hour of need…" And that's that last thing the Miko remembered hearing before the world became blindingly bright, once again.

~~~

The next thing the Miko registered hearing was someone calling out her name and pressing something wet to her forehead lightly. She tried to look about to see who was doing this, but realized her eyes her tightly shut so; she slowly eased her eyes opened to gaze upon the dim starlight above. "Nani..?," she whispered hoarsely as she slowly blinked and opened her eyes to look over to where the voice from earlier had came from.
"Filia-san, you're awake finally!" a younger girl said softly, taking the cloth off her elder's head and dampening it again. "You gave us quite a scare there, you know?" she calmly said placing the cloth back onto the priestess's forehead.
Filia's eyebrows knitted together in confusion as she look at the young girl oddly, before she slowly started to pull herself up into a sitting position, making the young girl upset.
"Filia-san! Please layback down, before Milgesia-san and Val-san see you up so suddenly. They'll get furious at me and you, too!" she said hurriedly as she tried to gently push Filia back into a resting position. However, Filia did not have any time to worry about resting.
"Don't worry, Ishca-chan. If they have anyone to be angry with it should be with me. So don't worry yourself about," Filia said consoling to the younger Ryuzoku, as she slowly rose to feet. 'Besides,' she thought,' I have more pressing matters to think about, now.'