12
Lina stood up. "Come on, Gourry," she said.
"Ah? Already ready to go, Lina?" Gourry asked.
Lina nodded, shivering. She had wanted to take a rest, but it was only making her colder to do so. If she just kept moving, she could stay warmer. "Let's just hurry up so we can get out of here," Lina muttered as she walked.
They were in the Kataart Mountains. In the winter, no less. Lina thought it would be easier to just wait a few months for it to get warmer, but time was of the essence. Valgaav had been wounded again, battling the mazoku now, but Lina knew once he came back he'd just be stronger. So she had to take the time to go and discuss things with the golden dragons now, before Valgaav came back and asked her to do something else ridiculous in lieu of them being enemies.
"This is impossible..." Lina muttered now that snow had begun to fall. "Gourry, you with me?" she said to Gourry next to her.
"Uh... Yeah," Gourry said. He blinked and tried focus. The cold was getting to him as well.
"Just stay awake... Maybe there's a spot to camp nearby," Lina said. They kept walking on, each step becoming an effort. As Lina took another step, she felt herself tumbling, and slipped down. She couldn't see where she was and was ready to cast a levitation spell to get her bearings. But it wasn't necessary as she was stopped soon enough, sinking into a snowdrift. It was cold and miserable. As Lina looked up, she was startled to see something about her that wasn't more snow. She closed her eyes briefly, and felt whatever it was land next to her.
Standing up now, Lina could easily see the form of her visitor. "Lina!" she heard Gourry shouting from behind her. When he reached her, he was the one who name it. "A dragon?" he said.
"Lina Inverse. I can't say I'm surprised to see you again so soon," the dragon spoke.
"It's not you, is it, Milgazia?" Lina said as she stood up and looked at him.
"It is indeed."
"Well, it has been a couple years, but I guess it's not that long for you, huh?" Lina said. "Anyway, I was just coming to visit you all."
"That won't be necessary," Milgazia said. He transformed to his human form. "Please come with me," he said. Lina and Gourry followed Milgazia as he walked ahead on the stormy path. "This way," Milgazia said. After kicking aside some snow, they entered a cave where Lina was happy to note there was already a fire.
She and Gourry ran up to it to warm up. They noticed some food was being cooked. Gourry reached for it, but Lina slapped his hand. "May we?" she said.
"Go ahead."
They both ate greedily, and Lina sighed when she was done. "Thanks for all this," she said to Milgazia as they finished. "But you have to realize that I'm gonna be pretty pissed at what you said before."
"Did he say something mean?" Gourry asked.
"He said that it wasn't necessary for us to go any further. And though I'd hope for something else, I'd assume it means that the golden dragons have rejected an audience with us before we've even gotten there." Lina looked at Milgazia knowingly, waiting for a response.
"That would be correct."
"I see. That's kind of annoying, though. Can't you just talk to us, though?" Lina asked. "I'm not going to demand your help, but please understand I'm being put in a pretty awkward position, here with this whole Valgaav thing."
"My clan is removed from that situation. It's for that reason I said that you needn't go any further."
"But your pals came from across the ocean to go after him, right?" Lina said.
"I hadn't associated with those serving in the temple for over a millennia. Even before then, though we fought side by side in the war, my particular clan didn't agree with all of their aspirations. When they came to see us after most of their company was killed by the hybrid, we healed them, fed them, and then sent them on their way."
"Oh, I see now," Lina said. "All humans don't stand together, so I guess it makes sense that not all golden dragons do, either. But you do know his goal right now is to get rid of ALL dragons, right?" Lina said. "So eventually he'll be after you all, too."
"If that happens, we'll have to approach the conflict as it comes our way. Until then, we remain removed. We prefer to support the peace of the world, you understand."
"Yeah, I guess," Lina said.
"I would suggest that you stay out of this as well, Lina Inverse."
"Too late. Didn't I say things were awkward for me?" Lina sat back and frowned. "Valgaav's had it out for me forever, and now he's saying that I can either kill for him or be killed by him. Before that, I felt like I might be being pushed around by the mazoku and even the other golden dragons to kill him. I can't say I like feeling like everyone's pawn."
"I sympathize," Milgazia said. "Perhaps you can tell me what you hoped to accomplish by visiting us here."
"Maybe to get someone besides me to take some responsibility for this problem?" Lina said.
"I'm afraid that's been difficult even for myself," Milgazia said. "And I don't believe you'll find any assistance with any of my race. Even those who are involved in the conflict wish to remain as distanced from humans as possible."
"Darn it. Xellos seemed to think you all were my best chance of being able to seal Valgaav and be done with him," Lina said.
"So, that's what you intend to do?" Milgazia said. "It seems the most peaceful solution at this point."
"Yeah, and the most doable. Why does he have to be this difficult to deal with, anyway?"
"Haven't you notice that mazoku hybrids tend to be more powerful than their counterparts?" Milgazia said.
"Yeah, but do they all keep getting stronger like him?" Lina said.
"I can't say for sure. But Valgaav has a deep grudge, which in his case seems to be an endless source of his own power."
"I guess mazoku, dragons, and gods have all done something to piss him off. What did your race do anyway, Milgazia?" Lina asked. "I get that he hates you but I never caught the reason." Milgazia turned away as Lina spoke. "Well, whatever it is, doesn't change the present," she said, turning away as she noticed his discomfort.
"I will inform you of where my brethren from overseas currently reside, if you'd like," Milgazia said.
"Sure, that'll be helpful," Lina said. "At least I hope so."
"I would also hope for that for you, Lina Inverse," Milgazia said. "But as you know, my kind tends to not wish to involve itself with outsiders."
"Well, maybe I'll be the exception," Lina said, shrugging her shoulders as she did. She wasn't getting her hopes up.
In order to continue to live, Filia had began taking up menial work in addition to her volunteering to provide for her necessities. She had started accepting the offers for food and lodging from others in order to make ends meet, but still needed money of her own just in case. Keeping up with all of this kept her quite busy. Still, Xellos seemed to work around her schedule.
"Good evening, Filia-san."
Filia looked behind her as she entered the room. Yes, Xellos mostly showed up right when it was convenient. He smiled as she faced him. She sighed, and faced him. "Have you been well then, Xellos?" she said.
"Well enough. I suppose I'd be much better off staying here with you," he said. As Xellos spoke, Filia felt her heart rate increase, though she knew he hadn't meant anything in the context she wanted. "And how have you been, Filia-san?"
"Oh... Fairly well," Filia said. She moved closer to Xellos, taking his hand and kissing him.
But instead of following along, Xellos moved his head away. "Your clan is looking for you," he said.
Filia pulled away. "So that's why you came to see me?"
"Oh no, I just thought you'd want to know."
Filia clenched her jaw. Xellos knew very well how torn she was about the situation. She wished he hadn't say anything at all. Her time with him was what she'd set aside not to think about anything else in the world. But she supposed that was selfish. "Why?" she asked.
"Oh, who knows?" Xellos said.
"You know! Why won't you just say so?"
"You might assume they're concerned about you, Filia-san. The same as I would be if I couldn't find you." Xellos smiled as Filia quieted. He'd known that would please her to hear.
"But you didn't hear this directly from them, did you?" Filia said.
"Not exactly. Your people wouldn't respond well to me at all, even if I did speak with them, would they?" Xellos said. He took to manipulating their actions through third parties, such as Lina.
"Then why are you bothering with mentioning this to me, Xellos? You aren't on the best terms at all with my clan, why would you convey their message?" Filia asked. As she finished her question, there was a silence, and he didn't speak. "Tell me NOW, Xellos!" she shouted in irritation.
"Well, since you asked," Xellos began. "I thought I might warn you that they may eventually be led to you."
Filia had more questions after that. She still could ask who would do that, she was assuming Xellos himself, but he wasn't specific. There was also the matter of why he would do that, and what the point of it would be. However, she didn't ask. Filia knew even the answer she received from Xellos just now was fairly specific for him, when it came to his mazoku scheming.
"That's all, really. You can forget about it for now, Filia-san. They aren't nearby, they aren't going to knock down your door right now," Xellos said. He had grown tired of the conversation, though he knew he'd needed to have it, for several reasons. His business was over now, but he still wanted to stay. He continued where Filia had left off, embracing her.
Filia felt similarly, but couldn't take the worries from her mind despite herself. She fretted over her clan's state, as well as Xellos's intentions. "Xellos," she said.
"Yes?" Xellos responded calmly.
"Your mazoku intentions are paramount, aren't they? You'd eliminate me in a second for them, wouldn't you?!"
"You don't need to consider all that, Filia-san," Xellos said calmly. "You're a small player, my master would never order me to kill you."
Filia fumed. How could he say that with a straight face? "So you're saying you would, but you won't have to, then?!" she demanded.
Xellos stopped for a moment, unsure what to say to her now. "Filia-san, I'd still try to avoid it," he said. "I do have some sway with my master when it comes to trivialities. But it's not something you have to worry about, really."
Filia sighed. She could see he was trying. Also, she'd promised herself not to think about these kind of things while she was with him. So she tried not to now. But she still thought of him. "Xellos, do you have any dreams for the future?" she asked.
"Of course," Xellos said.
"Any that aren't typical of your race, then?" Filia said. Their dream was to bring the world back to a lifeless blackness, she recalled despite herself.
"Hm," Xellos thought. "I try not to dwell on my own intentions, but I suppose I have had hopes for myself in the past."
"Such as?" Filia asked.
Xellos felt somewhat uncomfortable at the question. He'd had many of his own aspirations both major and minor that he'd had to give up. What he had with Filia was also expendable. He pushed that thought from his mind and just smiled at her again. "It doesn't matter much, Filia-san. What about you? What are your aspirations?"
Filia was similarly hesitant to name her own. "Mine may not matter much at this point, either," she said. "They don't apply now."
"You might share them anyway," Xellos suggested.
"I won't," Filia said irritably. She wasn't especially shy about it, but she'd die before sharing with this man in particular her dreams of marriage.
"Alright then," Xellos said, and that was the end of that conversation.
Filia didn't feel much like talking, but she had decided to enjoy his visit. Xellos was right that she really shouldn't concern herself with these kinds of questions, Filia thought. She already knew the answers, anyway.
