Chapter 4
Mirth
*Digi-Riven: I know that she isn't the last golden dragon, and she knows that too - she's just the last dragon in her clan. But, she didn't ever tell Val that there were more in that valley that she's heading to. She never even told him it existed. He'll find out eventually.
*Hey everyone! This chapter should be a little more pleasant mood-wise than the others have been. I don't want the characters to be all angsty forever, ne? ^_^ Anyway, Otakon is this weekend, and I can't go. T_T But I made a Gourry Jellyfish doll and I'm giving it to a friend to auction off for me. It's my first doll but I am assured that it's really good as compared to most of the dolls seen at anime conventions. Keep an eye out for it. You never know, you might think it's adorable and pay lots and lots of money for it. If you want a preview of it, copy paste this link into your browser: www.animejb.com/gourryfish.jpg Buy it! Get that price up! Mama needs a new laser printer! ^_~ (And a sewing machine, and a gamecube, and the slayers boxset, etc. etc)
*Oh yeah, and I don't own Slayers, but I do own the only Gourry Jellyfish doll known to exist. For now, anyway.

Filia took a deep breath as she walked though a path in a grandiose meadow. The air was sweet and clear, the sky cloudless, and in the distance she could hear birds singing merrily. She was feeling much better now that she was out on the road. This was just what she needed; she didn't realize how much she missed traveling. She looked up at Val and caught his attention with a cheerful smile, and he flushed a little and smiled back. This was nice. This was better than nice, actually - it was more like perfect. And once they got to the hidden valley, they would be amongst dragon-kind once more. She had not wanted to bring Val to a place where he might be slain due to his nature, but now he was more than able to care for himself. She still felt badly for lying, and the sorrow of the past was in her heart...but she was enjoying herself for now.

A sudden sickening sensation told her that she had thought that too soon. As calmly as she could she excused herself from Val's presense to attend to, er, certain necessities, and teleported into a small wooded area a few hundred feet from the edge of the meadow. "Xelloss! I know you're here!"

Sure enough, the trickster priest materialized before her. "Well well, if it isn't the world's most violent golden dragon. What brings you here, Filia-chan?" he said, smiling at her. He chuckled as a pang shot through his lips. "Don't like that nickname, do you?"

"I don't like it from you, garbage-face. How dare you act so familiar to me! Did you come here just to bother me again?"

"Why Filia, how rude of you! I noticed that you were considerably less angry at me, so I thought I'd pay you a visit. Catch up on old times while you were in a good mood." He floated up and took a perch on a tree branch while she glowered at him. "My my, were you golden dragons always this inconsiderate? Or is it just you?"

"Humph." Filia turned his back on him. "You just want to feed off me again. Well, I'm not going to let you."

"Hm?"

"You heard me. You aren't getting anything from me today, trash pile, so why don't you just leave me alone?"

Indeed, he wasn't getting anything from her. She had managed to supress her negative emotions quite well, even her words came without a feeling of contempt. He hadn't even felt the slightest burning in his lips. In fact, there was a different sensation there. It reminded him of...laughter. He hopped down in front of her and smiled right in her face. "Ah, so I don't annoy you anymore, Filia-chan?" She smirked. Indeed, not a negative reaction from her at all.

"Nope, you don't annoy me in the least little bit. So why are you hanging around when you're not getting your feast?"

"Now that," he said as he lifted up his admonshing finger, "is a...yeouch!"

"Oof!" Filia groaned as she landed on her rump. Xelloss had thrown her on the ground, but it was only to be expected after she bit his finger so hard. She looked up and saw him looking astonished at his sore finger as it quickly healed. When he finally caught her looking at him, she stood up while licking the last of the black droplets on her lips. It surprised her that it didn't taste disgusting. In fact, it was just a bit tart, like green apples if you cooked them just right. She pushed that thought back so Xelloss wouldn't catch it and addressed him. "You should have known that I would never allow myself to be outdone by a filthy mazoku," she said haughtily. "I don't know what your intentions are, but I assure you that you will not get the better of me." And now I will know when this dirty beast will come to see me way ahead of time, she thought. His thoughts will betray his actions.

Xelloss raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so you knew what the effects would be after I bit you that hard," he said, trying to act like his plot had been foiled. "How unlucky."

"Stuff it, Xelloss. I already know that you had no clue what was going to happen, so don't try and play it off like you did it on purpose."

Eh!? How did she know that?

Filia giggled. "Stop feeling so confused, Xelloss! I can hardly take it!" The dragon girl furiously rubbed her lips as if they were tickling her. "Come on, don't tell me you didn't know that it works the same for dragons as it does for mazoku."

"Of course I knew," he said, trying to keep his cool.

She straightened. "You're lying," she announced.

This girl is good, he thought, almost proud of her. She would have made an excellent mazoku!

Filia felt a pleasurable sensation on her lips. Mis-translating the feeling slightly, she gasped in surprised and then her rage flared. "STOP THINKING THOSE KINDS OF THOUGHTS ABOUT ME!" she yelled, grabbing her mace and making a mad dash towards the befuddled priest. He managed to dodge her weapon and it bashed into a tree instead, causing it to fall over. He barely had time to react as she swing around for another go, only to miss as he teleported away from her, letting her whiff the air.

"Sorry, Filia-chan!" he chirped. "Company's coming, and three's a crowd!" With that he sent himself into the astral plane.

"Get back here you pervert!" she screamed. "You won't get away with this!"

"Filia?" a voice asked. Filia whipped around to see Val standing at the edge of the wood near the meadow she had left him waiting in. "You were taking so long, so I thought I'd see if you were okay..." his voice trailed off as he sniffed the air, and his eyes narrowed as he looked accusingly at Filia. "That wasn't a rat yesterday, was it Filia? You lied to me. I smell it all over this place. She remained silent as he strode up to her and grabbed her shoulders. "YOU smell like it. It was here, wasn't it?"

"No...it wasn't a rat," Filia said, looking away from Val, "and I smell like him because I bit him back." She loosened his grip on her and slid one of her arms through his, causing him to flush slightly. "No worries, Val-kun," she said, and he blushed harder. "I'll definately know in plenty of time next time he shows up Let's just get to where we're going, okay?"

"And where is that, Filia...chan?" he asked, hesitant to use such a friendly name when he had never before used it. He felt her stiffen for a moment, and then relax.

"That," she grinned as they began walking, "is a secret!"

(To be continued...)