Chapter 19
Xellos appeared back on Wolf Pack Island. As they rematerialized Xellos dropped Filia's hand and quickly made his way down the hall. Filia blinked to get her bearings and noticed that he was heading to her (his) room where they had left Jilas. Filia felt panic start to rise in her as she ran after him. Xellos had stopped when he reached the door, Filia managed to push her way past him and into the room. The first thing she noticed was the turned over table and the scratched chairs, the next thing she noticed was that there was no sign of Jilas (blood or otherwise), but the next thing she noticed made her hear stop and her blood turn cold, there was no song of Val's egg. All that was left was his basket on its side on the floor, the green blankets and padding strewn on the ground. Filia rushed into the room and fell to her knees in front of the basket, picking up the blanket that lined the basket and holding it to her heart. Filia felt the beginnings of desperate tears forming in her eyes, "Xellos, where is he? Where is my BABY!" she shrieked as she snapped her head towards him, her eyes burning a bright red as her hair started to whip around her from the sheer power she was emitting.
"Filia, be quiet and calm down, I'm trying to concentrate," Xellos's voice was strained as he resisted the urge to yell as well, he needed to conserve his energy for locating the fox and egg. Honestly he couldn't figure out why he didn't sense something sooner, the part of him in the flower only managed to sense the fear from the fox not too long ago. He started to feel the familiar aura close by. "We're not too late, they're still in the castle," Xellos assured the enraged dragoness as he focused on pin-pointing the pair's location. His closed eyes then snapped open, "Found them, east wing ball room," Before Xellos could even think of blinking Filia was out the door past him and bolting down the hall towards the east wing as if her very life depended on it, unknowingly still clutching the blanket. "Filia! Stupid dragon," Xellos muttered as he took flight after her, within seconds he was flying beside her, "Filia you stupid girl, it would be a lot quicker if we just teleported," Xellos snapped as he snatched her up from her sprint and phased out.
He reappeared with Filia just inside the huge double doors leading into the massive ball room, as Filia managed to get her footing back she turned her head up, her eyes widened, her pupils constricted and her mouth widened in a blood curdling scream. In the hall there where what appeared to be two children, looking no older than twelve, both of them flying around the hall as Jilas ran after them as they threw Val's fragile egg between them. The little monsters laughed as poor Jilas ran between them as they played keep away with the egg, tears pouring down the fox's face as he screamed and begged for them to give him back the egg.
"Ooooh please, I'm beggin ya's, please give th' master bac', spare 'im please!" Jilas was in tears when he noticed Xellos and Filia arrive.
"Boss! They got th' master, we 'ave ta do sumfin!"
"Oi fox! Watch it!" the younger of the children yelled as Jilas made a jump for the egg, barely tapping its surface, but the tap was all that was needed to divert the egg from its path to the other monster and now heading straight into the very much solid wall.
"Aaaaah!" Both Jilas and Filia screamed in unison, both knowing that they would never intercept the egg in time, however before the egg could make contact Xellos appeared and caught the egg using the green blanket he managed to swipe from Filia before he teleported, effectively slowing the eggs fall gently. Filia and Jilas both let out sighs of utter relief as Xellos got a secured grip on the egg and descended to the ground. As he touched down Filia ran up to him and held her hands out, accepting her precious treasure back, holding the wrapped up egg to her heart in relief.
Xellos turned away from her, facing the two monster children still floating in mid-air, his mouth in a thin, straight line and his eyes hidden behind his bangs. "Ray. Deno. Would you two please come here for a moment?" Xellos said, his voice flat and even, not giving anything away. The two children gave and audible gulp and floated down. The older looking of the two, a girl, was the first to touch down. She had long, pitch black hair braided from the top of her head and going all the way down to her ankles where it was fastened with a black leather band with small spikes adorning it. She had a black mid-drift with long arms that flared out after her elbows and a similar pair of pants that flared after her knees, along with a black cape and hood fastened around her neck with a bright green gemstone in the centre to match her eyes.
The second child, a boy, landed beside her. He had very short but curly orange hair and matching orange eyes. He dressed with a simple orange shirt and pants, along with shoulder guards, chest plate, shin and arm guards, all orange and with black tiger stripes.
The two little monsters timidly approached Xellos, keeping their heads down. Filia watched as they both raised their heads towards him and-
THWACK! THWACK!
Both the monsters were on the floor clutching their heads where they each had a large bump from where Xellos had struck each with his staff.
"Hey you lunatic! What in Hellmaster was that for!" the girl exclaimed, shooting daggers at the priest.
"That Ray, was for entering my room without permission," Xellos replied calmly, his smile slowly coming back.
"WHAT! They nearly destroy my egg and that's all you're going to do to them!" Filia fumed, not believing that a simple smack on the head was nearly enough punishment for almost turning the last of a whole race into an omelette.
Xellos just shrugged his shoulders. "What else can I do, they are just doing what monsters do, no point punishing them for that, it's the going into my quarters that's got me…irritated," Xellos finished, thinking 'irritated' was putting it lightly.
"But I didn't go in your room, I just waited until the fox guy came out," Ray replied, a mischievous smile of her own making itself known on her features.
"Same here, I never even set foot inside that place," Deno added in as he righted himself.
Xellos opened one of his eyes and studied the two before him intently. "You're both lying. You," Xellos pointed to Ray, "went into my room first using your ability to become a shadow, and noticed Jilas in the room looking after an egg. Thinking you could have some fun, you went and got Deno here," He now gestured to the boy, "and set a trap for Jilas. Now knowing your tactics you probably somehow managed to get Jilas to step outside the barrier around the door, hence nullifying it and allowing Deno to get in and steal the egg. So," Xellos looked between the two, "how did you convince Jilas to step outside the door?" Xellos asked with genuine curiosity.
"They played a 'orrible tric' on me!" Jilas put in, tears still running down his face. "I thought I 'erd th' boss callin me, so I's stepped ou'side ta see if she was bac', an' then these monstars' came at me an' took th' youn' master, I tried to save 'im boss, I really did, bu' I jus' couldn' ge' 'im bac'".
"Hmm, I see. I'm guessing that was you again Miss Ray," Xellos said as he opened an eye at the young monster before him as she gave him a sheepish grin, putting a hand at the back of her head, imitating one of Xellos's own signature poses.
"Well what do you know, I guess it was me," She replied with a mocking wink.
"Xellos, something's happening!" Filia exclaimed as she studied the egg in her hands. She had removed the blanket to check for damage to the egg, the moment it came in contact with her skin the egg began to glow a bright green. It wasn't too long before it began to pulse in her grasp, sounding almost like a heartbeat.
Xellos narrowed his eyes at the egg and approached her. "Let me have a look," he said as he raised his hand to it. Not sure what was going on Filia obliged and lifted the egg up to him for his inspection. Very carefully Xellos raised his hand and brushed the surface of the egg with his fingertips, at the slight contact the egg was enveloped in a blinding light, the occupants of the room all shielded their eyes from the intensity, and even Xellos threw his arm over his eyes to protect them.
Filia felt the egg begin to grow hotter in her hands, and then, it started to shake. She could hear the very distinctive noise of cracking coming from the egg and could feel pieces of shell falling out of her hands and onto the floor. Finally the light began to dim, and all that was herd was a final loud crack before the tell tale whine of a new born dragon that was now being hastily caught and held by a stunned mother as she tried to process what just happened.
'He hatched. He's finally hatched' Filia was stunned speechless as she adjusted her hold on the little ancient dragon. His eyes where still closed as he fidgeted in her arms, his wings flapping every now and again as his tail lashed wildly before wrapping around one of the soft bare arms that where holding him.
Xellos studied the young dragon as Filia gently bounced and rocked it side to side, a glazed look on her face as she slowly came to terms with entering motherhood. 'Strange, I've never seen anything like this before. I do believe this is the first time I have seen a dragon egg hatch. But why did it hatch now, and not any other time? This could spell trouble in the near future. Surely Filia would not wish for him to be here in the castle as such a vulnerable time. Would he even be safe here?' These and many more questions where flying through Xellos's head as he slowly approached Filia and the infant, wanting to get a closer look at his old target.
Filia saw movement from the corner of her eye and took a hasty step back from the beast priest as he got closer, holding young Val to her in a protective embrace. "Xellos, what are you doing?" Filia asked, suspicion clearly evident in her voice and in her eyes as she interrogated him.
Xellos looked away from the baby dragon and glanced at Filia's eyes with his own opened ones. "I wasn't going to hurt him. I just wanted to get a proper look at him," Xellos said, his voice and stance hiding no falsehood.
Filia briefly hesitated as she looked between the hatchling and the monster. "Well, ok. But don't you dare try anything, or so help me I will find a way to kill you," Filia threatened as she positioned the still squirming dragon into a more comfortable hold that allowed Xellos easier access.
As Xellos took a step forwards Jilas thought it appropriate to put in his own opinion. "Bu' boss, wha' if he tries ta kill th' master? He's a monstar, he's prob'bly lyin'" Jilas pleaded as he stared with fear as Xellos neared her and young Val.
"While I may have my secrets, I make it a habit not to lie, Mr Jilas," Xellos said as he stared down at the baby that used to be the abomination named Valgaav, created by and loyal servant to the Demon-Dragon King Lord Gaav. The same being that very nearly took his own life and attempted to bring the whole world into darkness, was now this same small creature that was nuzzling into Filias arms as it chirped and whined for his first feed.
"Amazingly beautiful isn't he?" Filia said as she looked at the young dragon, gently stroking its neck to help sooth its fidgeting.
"More like amazingly sickening if you ask me," Deno butted in, everyone turning their attention towards the disgusted face of the monster child. "Xellos I have no idea how you are able to stand so close to that thing, it reeks of new life, and don't even get me started on all those things the gold is letting off. Now I'm going to be feeling the affects of this for days, maybe even weeks".
"Nobody asked you, you filthy mongrel." Filia snapped at the monster, securing her hold on the young Val.
"Hey watch it blondie!"
"Who are you calling blondie carrot head!"
"Why I outghta…!"
"Ah excuse me, but I think it would be a wise choice if you two quiet down, I don't think young Val here likes all the yelling," Xellos said breaking the two out of their verbal war when he noticed the baby ancient start to tear up at his mother's distress.
"Oh dear, it's alright honey, mommy's here, shhhh, it's ok it's ok, calm down Val," Filia cooed as she gently bounced and rocked the crying dragon, positioning the blanket around its body and making her way out of the room and into the hallway, intending to go back to her room to care for him, Jilas jogging after her when she walked out of the doors. The remaining monsters stared after the retreating pair as they slowly disappeared down the corridor. Ray was the first to break the silence.
"So, what are you planning to do now mister Xellos, now that you have a hatchling to deal with?" Ray questioned as she crossed her arms and regarded the unusually quiet trickster priest.
Xellos was pondering this particular development himself, he hadn't really spent as much thought as he should have on how to deal with the hatchling, not expecting him to hatch until much later down the track. Now that he thought about it, this could prove to be a major drawback in his plan if left unmanaged. Filia would understandably not wish to be separated from the infant, the question was could he ensure the safety of the child while it was in monster territory? Heck what does a healthy dragon need in order to stay healthy? In all his years of slaying dragons Xellos had very little knowledge of the development stages a dragon would go through. Dragons would usually hide themselves away with their eggs when their hatching time came close, usually a week before the expected date, giving the soon-to-be parents time to gather whatever they needed to care for their young, and would not be seen again until the younglings where able to hunt and feed themselves, usually up to at least 6 months later. But what happens with them in those 6 months no one outside the dragon race themselves knows. Was Filia even aware of how to take care of a baby? Val isn't her biological child, so the needs of a baby gold might be completely different from a baby ancients needs. Although Filia did say something about a book she was reading regarding the topic, he was still going to need to find out a few other basic things about childcare. Xellos smiled to himself, 'it's just another challenge that I will eventually come to master,' with this thought in mind he turned to the two monster standing behind him, still awaiting his reply.
"I want you two to inform the mistress of what has happened here. Get Somari to do some digging on ancient dragons, anything she can find out I want reported to me. I want at least one of you to watch Filia and the infant at all times when I am not around. Absolutely no harm is to come to them. Otherwise thing could get, unpleasant," Xellos said cheerfully as he gave his signature wink and finger wag at the two, both of them suppressing shivers at what was meant by 'unpleasant'.
"And what are you heading off to do while we're playing messenger?" Deno enquired as Xellos turned to leave.
"Oh me? I have my own information gathering to do. Just that mine involves a more…practical demonstration," Xellos replied as he grinned and phased out.
The two monsters looked at each other in brief confusion before shrugging their shoulders and phasing out to do their assigned tasks.
/
"I'll have this, this and this, and make it double," said a familiar voice
"Double!"
"And I'll have three serving of this and this, plus two of everything from here to here," said another voice.
"Everything!"
"Oh and she'll have a serving of these three and, what desert would you like honey?"
"Oh um, I want that one and that one mommy," Replied a small, enthusiastic voice.
"Hmm, good choice honey, make that three servings for us as well," said the first voice.
"Uh, y-yes ma'am," said the astounded waiter as he scurried back to the kitchen of the little restaurant. "Hey Stanley, we have a major issue here, the table with the redhead and two blondes just ordered 27 servings!"
"27! Are you kidding me boy? Who would order 27 servings of anything?"
"Table 8 apparently".
/
"Hey Lina, are we going to have enough money for all of this? We haven't looted any bandits in a while," asked Gourry as he looked at the prices of the food they had just ordered.
"That's because Amaya is still too young to take bandit hunting with us, and would you leave your five year old daughter with a complete stranger?" Lina countered as she pointed an accusing fork at the blonde swordsman.
"I guess not," He replied soberly as he brushed his fingers through his daughters golden locks as she giggled up at him with ruby red eyes.
"Of course you wouldn't. Besides don't worry about the tab, I have enough money stored away in the sorcerers guild to last us for a long while yet," Lina said triumphantly as she laid back in her chair with her arms behind her head in a relaxed pose.
"As organised as ever I see, then again it should be common knowledge that the infamous Lina Inverse would never leave something up to chance if she could help it, isn't that right Miss Inverse, or is it Mrs Gabriev now?" said the all too familiar disembodied voice as Lina jumped from her seat and into a fighters stance as Gourry stood in front of his daughter, ready to draw his sword.
"XELLOS! You creep come out where I can see you!" Lina demanded as she glared at the surrounding restaurant full of startled faces.
"Now now Miss Lina, no need to get all testy on me," Xellos said as he appeared before the group, taking a seat in the only unoccupied chair between Lina and her child. "I just wanted to pop in and see how you and your new family where doing," Xellos said calmly as the sorceress glared at him with eyes of liquid fire as he sat between her and her child, a rather dangerous place for any being, human or otherwise, to be in.
"Don't pull that crap with me Xellos. you never pop in just to say 'hi', what is up your sleeve this time? And I what a straight answer right now!" Lina demanded as she loomed over the smiling priest, her fists clenched at her sides as Gourry took this opportunity to pick Amaya up from her seat and sit her down on his lap away from the guy with the purple hair, what was his name again? Cherros? Zebros?
Xellos regarded the sorceress from his seat, his face turned serious. "Well if you must know, I've also come here to do a bit of research," Xellos replied.
"Research? On what exactly?" Lina said as she took her own seat, her eyes never leaving his face.
Xellos looked towards the swordsman and where he held his daughter, a thoughtful look crossing his face as he turned back to the curious bandit killer. "I guess you could say I'm doing a study on parenting," Xellos replied with a small shrug of his shoulders.
"Parenting? Why would you need to do a study on parenting?" Lina asked in suspicious curiosity.
"Now that is, a secret," Xellos said with a wink as he wagged his finger at the now fuming redhead.
"Why does that not surprise me? Well, if it will get you out of my hair sooner, what did you need to know?" Lina asked as she rested her elbows on the table with her head held up by her hands.
"Hmm, how about we start with what an infant needs to survive and we'll work from there," Xellos replied as he sat back in his seat with his arms crossed.
"Oh, well um food is a major issue. Newborns tend to live on their mothers milk for the first few months of their life, but as they get older you can start to ween them off with formula bottled milk, and eventually onto soft foods and baby mush and eventually solids. Children require a lot of attention, pretty much 24 hour surveillance, or as close to as you can get. Then there is the diaper changing and eventually the potty training," Lina explained.
"Potty training?" Xellos asked.
"Teaching them how to relieve themselves without doing it in their pants," Lina replied. "Besides the obvious major role of caring and providing for a child, it is also the parent's job to educate their kids to an extent. You know teach them how to go to the potty, teach them to walk, talk, sometimes to read and write, and eventually to teach them right from wrong and you know, basic stuff about the world so when they do go out on their own, you'll know you have taught them everything they need to know to survive in this world," she said as her gaze drifted to where Gourry was playing peek-a-boo with Amaya, a gentle smile crossing her lips. "Even then, you can teach them everything you know, but when they go to walk out that door you can't help but wonder, 'was it enough? Will they be ok? How will they cope?'" she turned her attention back to the monster, "it's every parents worst fear that they believe that they haven't taught them enough and their child gets hurt as a result, or that they where too young in the first place to go out on their own. No matter how old they get, a parent will always remember them as the defenceless little infant that they held protectively in their arms. But eventually, they would have to trust that they did all they could, and to trust that the child will make the right choices in life," Lina said in a far away voice, a sad smile now making its way on her face. "I just hope that I am making the right choices in what is best for Amaya," Lina said as she regarded her daughter, and how precious the time she had with her was before she grew up and wanted her own adventures without her or her dad there to watch out for her.
"Hmm, I see," Xellos said as he too regarded the little girl. 'I'm not sure how much of that information could relate to raising a baby dragon, but I would assume that most of the principles would be the same. Food, shelter, attention and education seem to be the main focus for child rearing. But judging by Miss Lina's emotions I'm guessing there is more to it than that, something a bit deeper than ensuring one's bloodline was continued,' Xellos filed away the thought for later inspection.
"Mommy, mommy! Food's here!" little Amaya cried in delight as a group of waiters placed armfuls of plates onto the table. The three human occupants of the table eyed the food hungrily before diving into the banquette. Gourry sat Amaya back down on her seat and Lina separated her food from the rest before diving into her own food with Gourry close behind.
Xellos chuckled to himself. "It seems that the more things change, the more they stay the same," he said as the pair sank back into an age old battle of who the chicken belonged to.
"Hey mister?" Xellos felt a tug at his sleeve and looked down at the child beside him.
"Yes little one?" Xellos replied as he leaned down to her level.
"You want some food? You can share some of mine," Amaya said with a smile as she held out a small plate with a couple of child bite-sized pieces of food on it.
Xellos smiled at the little girl. "My aren't you the sweet little thing, thank you," Xellos said as he took a small piece and put it in his mouth. Amaya giggled and tugged on his sleeve again.
"Hey mister, why you asking about babies? Do you have a baby?" the child asked in curiosity.
Xellos smiled as a thought entered his head. "Well I guess you could say that. I was also curious and I wanted to know. Don't you ever get curious little one?" Xellos asked.
"U-huh. I just ask mommy and daddy and they tell me," Amaya replied as she pointed at her parents and then to herself.
"Is that so? Did they tell you about babies too?" Xellos asked as he leaned back down to her height.
Amaya looked down at her plate as if in deep thought. She looked back up at Xellos with a confused look "No, how come they told you but not me?" the child asked in almost hurt confusion.
"Because I asked them, did you ask them?"
"No".
"How come? Don't you want a baby too?"
Amaya smiled. "Can I have a baby! I want a baby too just mommy and daddy and you mister!" she squealed, bouncing in her chair for effect. "How do get a baby too!"
Xellos looked at the girls parents and was pleased to see that they where too engrossed in their food war to notice their conversation.
Xellos looked back towards the child. "Well I'm sure that if you explain your wishes that to your parents they will be more than happy to answer your question," Xellos said as he silently rose from his seat. "I have to go now ok? Don't forget to ask your parents," Xellos said as he winked at the child, phasing out with a smile.
"Ok mister," Amaya replied to thin air as she turned her attention back to her parents. They where both still going at their food, they didn't even realize that the man with the purple hair had left already. 'hmm, how do I get mommy and daddy to stop eating so I can ask them?' Amaya thought to herself, she looked around and a thought struck her. She climbed onto the table and pointed at the entrance to the restaurant. "Mommy look! It's Aunty Luna!" Amaya exclaimed. Lina's eyes bulged and she fell from her seat coughing and chocking when she tried to scream with a mouthful of food. Gourry got up and went around to her, helping her up and hitting her back to dislodge the food. She finally managed to cough up the piece of chicken and take in a huge gulp of air, quickly darting her head from side to side in fear.
"Where is she, where is she? Oh Ceifeed hide me!" Lina exclaimed as she ducked under the table. Amaya giggled as she hung her head over the edge of the table to look at her mother.
"Oops sorry mommy, it was someone else," Amaya said with a smile on her face.
"Huh? Amaya did you do that on purpose?" Lina said as she righted herself from under the table.
"What are you talking about mommy? I thought I saw Aunty Luna, but I didn't, I'm sorry mommy," Amaya said, lowering her head and giving her mother the best innocent look she could muster without breaking into giggles.
Lina's eyes softened as she waved her hand. "Oh never mind Amaya, it's alright," she said as her daughters eyes lit up again, Gourry ruffling her hair playfully.
"Hey mommy, daddy, can I ask you something?" Amaya asked as her parents sat back down.
"Sure, what did you want to know?" Lina replied
"I wanted to know how do I get a baby?" Amaya asked.
Both Lina and Gourry face-faulted out of their seats in pure shock.
"Whaaa? Where did that come from!" Gourry asked as he was the first to recover.
Amaya looked toward her father. "Well mommy was telling the mister about babies. I told him I wanted a baby and he said to ask you if I can have one. Please daddy, I want a baby, can I please have a baby?" Amaya pleaded with her father. Gourry's face lost all colour as he fell back to the ground, out cold.
Lina stood up from her spot on the ground, her whole body shaking in barely contained fury, "XELLOS! I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS!"
/
A few days later…
Filia was beginning to think that she was in over her head on this one, and she didn't just mean that in the metaphorical sense. "Val will you come down from there before you hurt yourself!" Filia said in frustration as she made another attempt to catch him off the small chandelier in the room she had inhabited since her stay on Wolf Pack Island. She was currently balancing on a small cushioned chair and trying to jump up to the baby dragon as he swung upside down, just out of her reach. "Val come here this instant! I don't know why you're getting so worked up about this, it's just a bath".
Val made a sort of whining sound as he readjusted his hold on the chandelier, his wings flaying around, still not developed enough for flight. He finally managed to curl his tail around one of the chains holding the chandelier up as he began to gnaw on another, his tiny teeth too small and underdeveloped to cause any real damage as he teethed.
Filia sighed, "maybe I should have gone back home with Jilas, at least then Gravos would be around to get Val down from all the high places," Filia looked up at Val with her hands on her hips, "I still haven't figured out how you managed to get up there in the first place".
"Hehe shows how much attention you pay Fi-chan". A voice floated around near where Val was hanging.
Filia glared at the empty air. "Oh? And I suppose you saw how he managed to get up there?" she snapped at the materializing form of Xellos as he hovered cross-legged beside Val as he swung back and forth.
"Naturally, it was really quite the endeavour," Xellos smiled as he held a finger up.
Filia waited a few seconds. "So what? Aren't you going to tell me?" she asked in annoyance.
"Hmm, no, I don't think so," Xellos mused
"XELLOS!"
"Hmhm, I believe that it would be more amusing if you found out on your own," he said as he floated closer to the hatchling, clicking his tongue and wriggling his fingers at the dragon, gently coaxing him from his new favourite swing and into his lap. "There we go now, come on before your mother blows her top off," Xellos said softly as the young dragon made himself comfortable in his lap. Xellos looked down at a very red Filia and chuckled, "In more ways than one I see".
Filia's face grew darker if that was even possible, "H-hush you! Just bring him down here".
He smiled down at her, but did as she wanted and landed softly on the ground and handed the fidgeting hatchling to her.
"Honestly I don't see why you didn't just levitate up to him. It would have saved you a lot of trouble," Xellos commented as he leaned against the vanity as he crossed his arms in front of him.
"I-I don…mumblemumble," Filia muttered as she turned her head away from him and headed towards the bathroom.
"What was that Fi-chan? I didn't quite catch that," Xellos asked as he tilted his ear towards her.
"I SAID I don't…I can't…I never learnt, properly…how to…levitate…so to speak," Filia trailed of as she held Val standing by the bathroom door, gently stroking his neck to quiet him down.
Xellos raised one eyebrow at her. "Is that so? Well how is it that you can cast a Chaotic Disintegrate, but you can't even cast a simple levitation spell? Even some of the most mediocre sorcerers could accomplish that little spell," Xellos enquired as he regarded the dragoness. Surely even she must know how ridiculous this all sounded.
"Would you stop rubbing it in! I never learnt how to do it properly because I never saw a need to. I'm a dragon Xellos. I usually don't need to use levitation to be airborne, at least not until recently". He could feel the sadness from her as memories of her lost flight trickled through her mind. She gently shook her head in an attempt to banish the thoughts from her mind, with little success. She gave Xellos a hard look, "Well? Are you just going to stand there or are you going to help me. Val gets real fidgety in the bath," Filia said as she walked into the tiled bathroom and to the half filled wooden in-ground tub she had been preparing when Val decided that the ceiling looked like a much better play area than the one she had made on the floor.
Xellos shrugged his shoulders and gradually made his way into the bathroom behind her. Filia gave the squirming Val to Xellos as she knelt down and felt the temperature of the water. Satisfied that it wasn't going to burn her baby she took off the bath robe she had been wearing, revealing the dark blue one-piece swim suite she had on and climbed into the tub and sat down on a little ledge that was just below the surface of the water, tying her long hair up as she did. She held her arms out to Xellos, "Pass him here please," she said to him. He nodded and passed Val down to her. Val began to whine as he neared the water, so Filia sat him on her lap and cooed at him until he settled back down and eventually got used to the water. When Filia was sure that he was ok she held him to her and slid off the seat, the water now only coming up to her mid-section as she gently set Val in the water and slowly let go of him, keeping her hands underneath him incase he started to fret over the loss of support. Val however seemed perfectly at home in the water as he started to paddle in the water, swimming around the small confines of the tub. Filia smiled at him as she reached for the side of the tub to grab the soap.
"Would you two mind if I joined you?" Xellos piped up as he smiled down at them with one eye open.
Filia looked up at him, studying his face to gage if he was hiding any ulterior motives. She had no doubt that he was planning something in that head of his, but she was sure that he wouldn't really try anything with Val here. He may be a monster, but she was pretty sure even he had standards. Still, you can never be too careful when dealing with the trickster priest. "Fine, but no funny business, and you're going to need to change your clothes. You are way overdressed for swimming," Filia replied as she grabbed the soap and made her way towards Val.
"Oh? Would you rather I have no clothes at all?" Xellos smirked at the now blushing Filia.
"NO! You pervert, Val is right here! I mean get into some swim wear you perverted monster," Filia fumed as she managed to gently catch said hatchling and started rubbing her now soapy hands over Val's back and on his wings.
"Whatever you say Fi-chan," Xellos said as his clothes disappeared and instead he was standing there shirtless and in a pair of dark blue swimming trunks that just happened to match Filia's own swim suite perfectly. Filia narrowed her eyes at him as he too climbed into the tub with them. The tub itself was rather large and fit the three of them comfortably while still having room to move around, it was more of a very small swimming pool than just a simple tub with a ledge running around the whole thing acting as a seat. Xellos reached behind him and grabbed a scrubbing brush and lathered it with a small amount of soap and began lightly scrubbing the baby dragons head and neck, being careful to avoid his face as he did so.
Val closed his eyes and started making a little purring noise at the back of his throat, especially when Filia rubbed the spot between his wings and Xellos scrubbed just so behind his ears. Suddenly Val vigorously shook his head and neck, sending soap suds flying and managing to hit Filia square in the face. Filia opened her eyes as she heard a giggle, her blue eyes standing out against her bubble covered face as she glared at Xellos, who was by now laughing out right as he pointed at her. What Xellos did not expect was the soaked washing rag that connected with his face, effectively shutting him up as he stared in astonishment as the rag slid down his face, revealing Filia nearly doubled over with laughter and Val having his own little laugh in between them.
Neither of them saw the look of pure mischief on Xellos's face as he quietly disappeared under the water, the water now too soapy to see through. Filia was laughing so hard she didn't notice Xellos's disappearance through the tears in her eyes. As she was wiping them away she felt something brush past her ankle. The sensation made her jump and she frantically looked around trying to figure out what it was. She then felt the same sensation on the back of her knee, this made her whole body flinch and back away, she was rather sensitive there. But as she was backing away something wrapped around her ankle, holding her in place as she felt hands begin to tickle her from the souls of her feet to the middle of her thighs.
"Hehehahaha nononono hahaha Xellos! Hahaha no Hehaha Stop, hahahahaha please don't Hahahaha stop! Hehahahaheha," Filia said as she tried to wriggle away from his hold.
Suddenly Xellos's head surfaced, "Please don't stop? Alright then, I wont," Xellos smiled as he pulled her feet from under her and started tickling her sides.
"Ahahahaha Xellos you jerk! Hahahe I said stop! Please hehehahaha." Filia finally managed to wriggle out of his hold and grabbed the scrubbing brush. "I think someone needs to clean their ears out," Filia smirked as she shoved Xellos's head under the water and began to scrub vigorously at his head.
"Nice and clean, nice and clean, oh we mustn't forget behind the ears now should we Val?" Val's reply was to make a noise between a growl and a chuckle, assuming a baby dragon could chuckle. "I thought so too. Glad to see we are of like minds honey," Filia smiled at her son as his wings flapped about happily. Xellos's hand then shot up and latched onto the wrist that held the scrubbing brush. Then with deadly slowness Xellos's head rose up from the water, his hair a tangled wet mess half covered in soap bubbles and only one of his piercing eyes opened as the other squinted to prevent the soap from getting in. "You, my dear Fi-chan, are in so much trouble," Xellos said eerily as he raised himself to his full height. He snatched the scrubbing brush with his free hand, still keeping a firm hold on Filia's wrist as he looked between the stunned Filia and the trying to look innocent baby Val, an evil smirk plain as day on his face. "Both of you. Prepare to be scrubbed like you've never been scrubbed before!"