Between Two Fires

Original Plot from a comic by Rinoaebastel/Rinoax

Fanfiction version by: MoonStarDutchess

Chapter 10: Discovered

Disclaimer: I wrote this fanfiction adaptation with permission from Rinoaebastel/Rinoax. I am not in any way plagiarizing. We claim no ownership of Slayers and are just fans but we do own the ideas in this.

Formatting mistakes belong to the site. It keeps running my dialogue together in paragraphs. I've fixed the problems I've seen as best as I could.

Filia was proud it only took a single arrow to cut through the air and embed into her prey. Shortly after the death of the animal, one of the wolves beside her bounced out, retrieved the carcass, and trotted toward her like a proud dog playing fetch.

When she removed it from his mouth, she heard the other two wolves groan. She knelt and petted the retriever. "Oh hush you two. I know you like to hunt but I can't rely on you to do my hunting all the time. You do enough when you go long distances and find me food in the winter. Let me have a bit of self-sufficiency in the other seasons."

All three snorted and she grinned. In the time she'd been with her companions, she'd learned what their actions meant and how to placate or halt them. At first, they'd been annoying, but as seasons passed, they became the closest thing to a family she had left.

"You two need to hunt. I know you haven't eaten in a few days. Now go and hurry so your brother can go have a meal."

The two lumbered to their feet and trudged away. She looked down at her companion. "Let's get back to the cave so I can cook this."

-/-/-

When she stopped outside the cave where she was staying, she picked up the coal she found and drew a line through six other lines. She dropped the rock and stared at the wall. She had a tally going, one line each day, and she crossed out every seven days rather than every five. According to her calculations, she'd been there almost one and a half years. For several months after leaving Wolfpack Island, she'd wondered around. When they'd found this place, it seemed right that she'd stay here for an extended period.

She felt the rabbit in her hand move and looked down to see the wolf pushing at it. She took a step further inside but paused when he grabbed her wrist gently. She looked down at him.

"What's wrong with…Oh." It wouldn't do for her to skin the rabbit inside her living area.

She took it outside and sat down after she removed the knife tucked inside her boot. After skinning and gutting the animal and giving the innards to the smaller wolves that found a home with her as well, she went into the cave and built a fire. When the fire warmed the area and she had her rabbit cooking, she pulled back her hood but didn't remove the cloak Xellos had been kind enough to pack for her when they parted.

When she sighed, the wolf rested his head on her lap and looked up at her with his wide eyes. She grinned and scratched behind his ears, eliciting a pleasant growl from him. His eyes shut, forming small arches, and reminding her further of the demon she missed.

She longed for the times when he'd come to visit. She even missed times like when he put snakes in her drain pipes as she was cleaning them, or when he turned the apples on her trees into oranges. That one took a lot of explaining to the neighbors. She'd even made a list of possible explanations she could use after he enchanted a customer's sugar bowl to never run out of sugar. She'd gotten so many people coming after sugar bowls and several angry letters when their bowls ran out of sugar. It took a while to get a confession out of him for that one.

She'd known she wouldn't see him again but hadn't wanted to believe it. After a while, she thought she'd accept it. She hadn't. She still expected him to pop up at any time to scare her or break something.

"I'm useless," she said aloud. The wolf with her cuddled closer and nudged her with his head so she'd continue petting him (She hadn't realized she'd stopped). She smiled down at him. At least she wasn't alone.

-/-/-

Zelas' heels clicked on the marble floor and echoed into the room as she stalked around him. She was like a cat studying its prey from all directions. Though, she wouldn't be pleased at being compared to a cat, but a dog was too lumbering. She had more grace. Yes, she was acting like a cat. Xellos decided. And was as temperamental as the disgusting felines as well. Fortunately, Zelas couldn't read his.

"You've been injured four times ever since that dragon left. Has she been on your mind Xellos?"

There it was. The mention of Filia again. Zelas mentioned her every time he showed up after a mission whether he was injured or not. "I've only been injured three times Beastmaster," he said.

"I'll make it four then if you don't remain silent." She snorted. "Now answer. Is it because of the dragon, and don't lie to me."

"It is, but the only reason she's in my mind is because I want to fight to forget her. To get rid of this weakness." Despite telling the truth, he wondered if Zelas would believe him. The entire time, on every mission he undertook, the goal had been to rid himself of his love for her. He was distracted in his missions enough to forget her temporarily, but still distracted enough by his desire to forget that it caused him to drop his guard and get injured. Then, every time he'd come home, he remembered Val was still hidden in his room.

He'd almost destroyed the egg a few times but every time his hands grasped it, or he focused energy toward it, he'd picture her tasty tears and both desired to see them and feel a pain because he caused them.

Damn contradictions.

He snapped out of his thoughts when Zelas hit him on the side of his head and he slammed onto the floor. "You're acting like a fucking Shakespearean actor. Get out of my sight and heal yourself," Zelas said. Xellos immediately did as ordered, choosing to teleport instead of walking out.

The right side of Zelas' lip quirked. Poor poor pet. So confused. Perhaps I'll get rid of that confusion for you soon.

-/-/-

Liam stared out at the darkened sky from the mountain cliff where his group made camp. He flopped down on a rock and released an exhausted sigh. He wanted to go back home instead of wondering around looking for someone that he wasn't sure deserved to be chased in the first place. He didn't want to returned empty handed, but the more he pondered the situation, the more he heard the night whispers of the dragons in his troop, the more he doubted the direction their clan was going in.

The other dragons had also whispered doubts about whether their search should be happening. A part wanted to create a clan they could be proud of and that lived up to what dragons were supposed to be. Another part didn't want to lose his home or cause his fellow dragons any hardship.

"Sir?" Liam turned and saw a fellow solider approaching. He stopped beside a rock and rested his hand on it, leaning toward it as if depending on the bolder to take some of his tiredness away. His eyes were half shut and Liam figured he could fall asleep standing up if he needed to. "I've found her," he said, sounding defeated at the prospect. "We can capture her and go home."

Doubt was evident in the man's tone, but Liam wasn't sure where his loyalties were. "Is that really what we want?" Liam ventured to ask.

"I . . . I didn't tell the others that I found her."

That was good enough for Liam. "I shall go see for myself. I will tell you the path we'll take when I return."

"Sir, if it's her, we have to take her though. We'll never be able to go home if we don't.

"Do you have faith in me?"

"Yes, sir," he said.

"Trust me then. I want to find something out first. Something I can't ask once she's been taken back."

The young dragon bowed. "I'll keep everything silent."

-/-/-

Filia was about to doze off when she heard an angry growl coming from the wolf resting on her lap. She leaped to her feet and faced the cave, knowing the growl wasn't directed at her actions but at someone approaching. The other wolves in the cave surrounded her and crouched down, ready to lunge at the intruder. She grabbed the nearest weapon, a spear she fashioned out of a sharp rock and a wooden pole.

She should've moved more or they wouldn't have found her. A dragon came into view. He stopped and held up his hands, keeping them away from the sword at his side. His posture was relaxed and showed no sign he was about to dart toward her in an attack. However, she knew how cunning soldiers were and wouldn't let her guard down for a second.

"Are you Filia Ul Copt?" She remained quiet. She'd answer when she found out why he was taking such a passive way of capturing her. He was lucky she didn't give the word for the wolves to attack. "My name is General Liam Nawor of the Wind Dragon Clan. I'm not going to hurt you."

She scoffed. "Forgive me if I don't believe you."

"I just want to talk. I don't want to fight." He removed his swords, earning harsh growls from the wolves, but then he threw the weapons toward her, the two swords landing at her feet.

"But you want to capture me," she said.

"Not really."

The two words caught her off guard for a second. "You types aren't ones for just talking. You don't know how to listen either. That seems to be a common handicap amongst our kind. Dragons are deaf to anyone that goes against their delusions and inflated egos."

"I won't disagree with you Miss Copt. If you let me speak my case, I will listen to you."

"You're a rare one. Okay, you have five minutes."

He gave a firm nod. "Through this past year I have grown much. I've learned to never form an opinion based on what race a person is, nor believe my own is superior just because they're the same as me."

"And just what or who pulled your head from your ass?" she said.

"A demon that attacked us. The one that saved you. He spared me. That was the turning point for me."

Filia tried not to let her shock show. If Xellos showed mercy to a dragon, he must've been in an odd state of mind.

"I'd been questioning it from the moment I saw them capture you. When I asked why, they told me things that didn't make sense. Then I was told never to question the elder again or I would be brutally punished."

"Sounds familiar," she muttered. Liam was a male version of her younger self, except she didn't have the guts to question until she discovered what happened to the ancient dragons. "Sit down, but keep in mind if you try anything toward me these wolves will tear you into pieces."

He walked around the wolves and sat down on a rock across from Filia. He smiled kindly at her and she begrudgingly returned it. "Talk fast."

"You don't have to worry. The army won't come until I tell them to."

"Army?" Her eyes widened.

"Well, it's more of a platoon. No. A squad."

"You know, squad is quite less scary. Don't throw terms around like army unless you actually have an army." She slouched in relief. She relaxed the grip on the spear in her hand and found herself wishing it were a mace instead.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly. "The elder probably would've sent an army if he wasn't so intent on protecting himself." His brows furrowed. "So, you listened to me. Now what's your story? The elder says one thing but a demon saving you and sparing me, speaks something else entirely. That demon seemed so desperate to get to you but wouldn't answer why."

Filia laughed. Xellos probably didn't even know why he put so much effort into saving her. She was certainly confused about it. "I don't know why he rescued me. I don't even know why the elder wanted me captured other than the fact I have-her stomach lurched and she pushed back tears-had an ancient dragon's egg."

Liam's eyes widened. "But how? They were extinct weren't they?"

"But do you know how?"

"No."

"The golden dragons exterminated them out of fear of their power. We were the cowards. The true demons."

"How do you know all of this?"

"I was there during the fight against Darkstar. The golden dragons were killed during that time. I'm the last one left."

"And the ones at Dragon's Peak?"

Filia had forgotten about them but held no desire to go there even if they were still alive. In fact, she hadn't met any of the ones that lived there. "I don't know," she answered.

"So, we're just as corrupt as demons are."

"That's my conclusion. None of us are perfect. You're elder is a perfect living example. As am I."

"You?"

"Another reason I'm considered a traitor is because of my . . . friendship . . . with Xellos. He's the one who spared you."

"The demon priest? That's impossible he's—"

"As you said before, your thoughts were challenged because he spared you. No one is what they seem."

"So you admit to being a traitor. Good! Take her." Liam shot to his feet as the elder walked in with a dozen dragons behind him.

Filia glared at Liam. "You betrayed me?"

"No! I thought he was back home. He was supposed to leave this to me." He turned to face the elder. "How did you find out I was here?"

"You should pay attention to the people around you, Liam."

"None of my men left camp." He spoke as if the mere thought offended him.

The elder shrugged. "You should always watch the shadows." He took a step forward. "I had such faith in you at first. I should've expected that you'd fail your people and be swayed by her lies."

"The only liar here is you," Filia snapped. She placed her hand on the back of one of the wolves that were ready to attack.

"Soldiers, attack them. Kill them both."

"No, listen to me," Liam beseeched the other dragons. "Listen to her."

"It's no use trying to reason with them. I told you that our kind was just as bad as any demons. This proves it."

Liam leaped toward her, grabbed the swords he'd thrown on the ground and threw one to her. "I hope you know how to use it. It'll be handier than the spear."

She drew the sword from the hilt. "I know a bit." When she was younger, she made sure to take a few lessons in swordplay as well as using her mace. It'd been looked down upon but tolerated, and to the relief of her parents and the elders, she wasn't extremely skilled at fighting.

"She's the one with real dragon pride and honor. She has a will to make things better. I stand with her to regain my honor even if it results in my death."
Filia looked at him, bewildered. Perhaps there really was hope in the dragon race.

Before she could respond, the enemy charged. Her wolf protectors launched into battle, tearing into the dragons.