AN:

Important note! This is the Second Chapter that I've missed. I sincerely apologise especially to those, who found, kind of, a loophole in the timeline…

Disclaimer: I do not own Slayers, all credits belong to Hajime Kanzaka and Rui Araizumi.

Chapter 2

Further South

'Roaring Dragon' didn't look friendly, though all tables were occupied. Something in the atmosphere of this place resembled more the low rated pub than a proper restaurant. Delicious smell of the dishes mixed with the bitter scent of the alcohol.

Just from the one look Zelgadis knew that it wasn't a place for families.

His entrance didn't catch anyone's attention. Zelgadis slowly neared to the counter. The bartender threw him a look, and without a word he set a glass in front of him, and filled it with vodka.

"You look like you need some company for the evening." the bartender said with a wink, nodding towards the stairs.

There were few women sitting on the handrail and steps. All of them were dressed very skimpy, and no one needed the second look to know what their profession were.

This was too ridiculous to even be embarrassed about it.

Zelgadis threw the bartender a sharp look.

"I'm only looking for some information." he said firmly.

The silence that came after his last word surprised even his hearing skills. And then, he heard that someone pulled out the chair, and there were quiet footsteps, and then a weird looking person came to his view.

The man was huge, he was even taller than Rezo, and he looked pretty strong. Definitely his look had to play intimidating role. But if there was one thing that Zelgadis was confident with, it was his own battling skills. He just looked up, waiting for the man to start the conversation.

The man hit the counter with his fists, and seeing Zelgadis' smirk, he looked at him with annoyance.

"You don't get any information for free here." he said loudly. "You'll have to pay, and we don't accept money."

"Then what do you accept for the payment?" Zelgadis asked coldly, putting his hand on his sword's handle. Just in case.

"A show." the man said with a cruel laugh. "A fight show. If you win against one of us, we'll tell you whatever you want to."

"Hmph..." Zelgadis snarled, pulling the sword out.

"A swordsman." the man smirked, his eyes narrowed. "Sarashi you'll fight this one."

To Zelgadis' surprise it was one of the women from the stairs that came closer to him. Someone pushed the tables aside, making a ring in the centre of the tavern. The woman called Sarashi smiled to him coquettishly, and pulled out two metal fans. Zelgadis noticed that their edges were sharpened, and if that Sarashi woman was good with using them, she would be able to kill.

It was one of these rare occasions, when Zelgadis could become the heartless swordsman again. There was no one, and certainly not his princess friend, who would pull her regular justice/friendship speech in order to prevent him from crossing the limit. His eyes narrowed, and his senses sharpened.

First he needed to check this woman's skills.

Her attack showed him clear that she was fast. But not as fast as him. Secondly, she tried to distract him by her graces and physical advantages. Whatever she was wearing, it didn't covered too much, and she tried to move the way, to show even more of her breasts and long legs. But whatever could be said about Zelgadis, he didn't like vulgarity.

Somehow the lack of reaction from him, made her angry. She charged with an attack, that he defended easily, thinking how to finish this fight quickly. Usually it was never matter to him if he was fighting with a man or a woman. Chivalry didn't exist in fights. He wasn't going to go easy just because she was a woman. But... he didn't see the necessity of killing her. However...

Before Sarashi was able to understand what was happening, she was cornered with a blade of Zelgadis' sword close to her throat.

"I assume it's not a fight of life and death." Zelgadis said, looking at the man from before coldly.

He took his sword back, hiding it in the scabbard.

It happened very quickly. The woman, who just lost the fight, grabbed back one of her fans, and she attacked him with anger, cutting his midriff.

"Sarashi!" the bartender shouted with a terrified voice.

But the seconds were passing and there were no blood, also the stranger didn't look like he was dying.

"That was pretty stupid." Zelgadis answered perfectly well, walking slowly towards the counter. "You just damaged your fan."

All guests looked at the fan Sarashi was still holding. The sharpened edge of it became blunt, and it even crushed in some places.

"Now, do I get the information I've come here for?" he asked, not paying attention at what was happening behind him.

"What monster are you?"

The question, asked by the man who ordered Sarashi to fight, hung in the air for a longer while, before Zelgadis decided to answer.

"Monster?" his calm, but really cold voice made the people around to shiver. "I came here just for the information. I asked politely, and I wasn't picking any fight. It was you who wanted it. I was only defending myself, but when it become ineffective, I managed to win. And even then, after setting a score and hiding a weapon, I was attacked. I haven't killed anyone, but I would have been killed if not some advantages of my skin. And you dare to call me a monster?"

He could keep the cold attitude outside, but inside he felt amused. Now it was all Amelia's fault. Normally he would probably or cut that imbecile in half, or got depressed and also cut that imbecile in half. It looked that her constant speeches about justice and how the person inside mattered, finally got some effects. Surely listening it so often probably defeated his immune system.

But he had to admit, that thanks to her, and her annoying, embarrassing, silly speeches, he felt more confident as a person. Sure he wanted to be human again, but not any more the words like 'freakish' or 'a monster' made that depressing effects on him.

"I'm looking for a person called Riander, I wish to speak with him." he started, when it became clear that no one would make a comment about his statement.

Tables were moved back and the normal rumble filled the space.

The bartender stopped in middle of cleaning the beer mug and pointed towards the bay window.

"He's at that table."

Zelgadis turned just to see this huge man from before. His head was rested at the tabletop and he seemed to be napping.

"You may need it. It's on the house." the bartender added, moving the sale glass of vodka he had filled before.

Zelgadis sighed.

It would be long talk.

"Someone, who holds the grudge against the ancient dragon race..." Amelia quietly repeated Lina's words.

In the dim light of almost empty tavern, the princess quiet question sounded so sinister, that Lina and Gourry felt the cold, unpleasant shivers running through them. Lina shook herself free of that impression, and looked at Amelia.

"Oh, I don't know, Lina-san." Amelia's added doubtfully. "How many people do know that Valgaav-san was the last living ancient dragon, and that he died, was resurrected, and that now he's still an egg?"

Lina, who wasn't feeling so sure of her deductions right now, tried to defend her own thoughts.

"If not that, then who could kidnap him?" she muttered sneeringly.

"I don't know." Amelia shook her head, but she was really much into the subject, and she must think over it more than she looked. She lifted her gaze at Lina. "Valgaav-san wasn't especially social type." she suggested seriously.

"Yeah, even less than Zel." Lina nodded.

Amelia ignored her comment, focusing rather on Filia and for poor Val.

"He rather wasn't especially carrying." she continued. "I'm sure that he might hurt someone who wants to get his revenge on him now."

Lina sighed with disappointment. Since when Amelia was so serious?

"As much as I like to agree with you, I doubt anyone survived Valgaav's wrath for long enough to even think about the revenge." the red head sorceress pointed.

"We did survive." Gourry noticed, happy that he could bring something into the conversation too.

"Idiot, none of us would do something like that!" Lina shouted. "I told you to stay shut if you weren't going to say something useful!"

"But what about Xellos?" Gourry wasn't giving up.

"Huh?" Lina and Amelia both looked at Gourry with surprise. Neither of them was even considering this possibility, but Gourry wasn't completely wrong.

First, all of them had witnessed the battles between Valgaav and Xellos. They had been pretty even, and Xellos hadn't been too happy because of that. Second, he was the one knowing that Valgaav had been resurrected as an ancient dragon Val again. Third, he wasn't especially fond of dragons... But if there was Filia in this equation, was it a factor was it making Xellos more suspicious or completely opposite?

"He wouldn't..." Amelia began uncertainly. "He quite liked Filia-san."

"Dream on." Lina muttered sarcastically. "Xellos is a Mazoku. They don't like anyone unless they're ordered to."

"Well I'm not so sure." Amelia insisted, she personally wasn't very fond of the self called 'mysterious priest', but it was hard to ignore the number of times when he had been saving their necks. "I think that he does like us at least a little bit."

"Yeah." Lina groaned bitterly. "He likes using us to achieve his goals."

"But Xellos-san was fighting on our side few times." Amelia said stubbornly.

"He was, because those were his orders. Don't overestimate him Amelia! Xellos would sell his own mother, assuming that he had one, just to get what he wanted!"

"But he and Filia-san..." Amelia tried one more time. "They..."

"Amelia, quit that!" Lina rolled her eyes. "Whatever you may think about them being 'meant to each other over all adversities of fate', Dragon and Mazoku will never work! Stop bringing up that stupid 'true love' subject into the conversation. Not everything is about 'love'." she huffed.

Amelia seemed to be a bit shocked and hurt with this outburst, but if there was one thing she couldn't tolerate, it was insulting the power of 'true love'. She knew that Lina wasn't especially romantic type, but that wasn't any excuse.

"How could you, Lina-san?!" she reacted fiercely. "It's love that makes people better, that breaks the walls of prejudice and difference. Because of love people can find the strength to overcome their flaws, to never give up, and to draw the happiness from every day of their life. Love is making the world more beautiful, and changes the worst rainy day into the most wonderful one... You can pretend that you only believe in money, but I know that secretly you are also dreaming about true love."

"Geez... Amelia." Lina groaned. "Shut up already. Believe whatever you want, but at least don't try to drag me into this. And right now we need some logic. Focus for a while."

Amelia's enthusiasm subsided a little at the remembrance about the situation they were going to deal with soon. She really was worried about Filia and Val. There were no needs to be distracted right now.

"Honestly." Lina mumbled under her breath. "I'm beginning to feel some respect for our Zel. He really has to have an enormous patience to you if hearing something like that, he still wants to hang out with you. Anyway..." her face brightened. She patted Gourry's back approvingly, thanks to what the poor swordsman hit the table. "Great work, Gourry."

Amelia, who felt pretty offended by Lina's last comment, rolled her eyes. As for the genius sorceress, she was really acting childish when it was about Gourry.

"Fine, Lina-san." she said amicably. "If it's Xellos-san, in which I don't believe, but we assume that it's him, how could we stop him?"

"I don't know." the sorceress sighed, but then she cheered up. "We'll think about it when we'll talk with Filia. If we set off at dawn, we'll get Filia's town tomorrow afternoon." she smiled to them.

Gourry and Amelia nodded.

"One of the better sides of argument with you Amelia is that I burnt so many calories, that I have a room for another dessert right now." she grinned. "Waiter!"

The tower seemed to scream Mazoku just by the look at it.

It was already night when Zelgadis left the town. He had paid for three nights, but he decided that staying there would be pointless now, he had the direction to the Eartholrd Rangort's Sanctuary. When planning his journey he hadn't even considered this possibility. And now he was so close that he didn't want to waste any second.

The shortest route to the city was leading through the marshland. It might be safer for travellers to use the main track, but it went along the river and made a huge circle meeting three bigger cities on its way. In Zelgadis' point of view, choosing a road that was passing over the cities full of people and was in fact longer would be stupid.

And now when he went deep into the marshland he noticed a sharp, pointy silhouette of the tower against the snow tops of Lithiades Mountains.

The night was moonless but the stars were shining pretty bright here, where no artificial lights were obscuring the view. Rezo had used this once with a term light pollution. Even though he had never had a chance to see the stars, he had been pretty knowledgable in this subject.

It wasn't very thought over decision, more like a spur of the moment. When the tower seemed to be closest to him, he turned right and cast Ray Wing spell.

It might be unnecessary side trip so it was better to get there fast.

He got nearer in no time, but it was yet too early to be cheerful over that. Just when Zelgadis thought this side trip wouldn't take him long something strange happened.

In one second he was in the air, flying towards the tower, in next – he was falling.

It seemed that something cancelled his Ray Wing spell and when he tried to cast Levitation, it didn't work.

He didn't have time to gracefully land on his feet. Picking himself up from soft ground he thought about certain someone whose trademark was landing on her face.

The thought made him smile.

He wondered how she had been doing. Last time he had a chance to get her letter, she had been writing about being invited for council meeting and how dull it was, since it had been only about council needs and nothing about people.

He decided it would be nice to write her about the discovery of Earthlord Rangort Sanctuary, it seemed pretty promising to him and he was sure that Amelia would be excited to know that the sanctuary of one of Ceiphied's Lord was in his reach. He felt pretty excited himself and it wasn't only about potential chance of finding his cure.

His thoughts were stopped by the disturbing feeling of sinking.

Then it hit him.

This was a swamp.

And he was really heavy.

It wasn't wise to stand in one place for too long. For a moment he considered if it wasn't wiser to get back on the track, yet it would be like giving up. And nothing frightened him more than a thought that it might come a day, when he would give up.

Very carefully Zelgadis tried to put his feet on places that looked solid enough to hold him for longer. It wasn't fast process but he was walking forward.

He was now so close that even in very dim starlight he was able to see how damaged and desolated the tower looked like. Some stones were chipped off so badly that it seemed that the tower was standing only because of the force of habit.

The feeling of Mazoku origin was even stronger when he was so close.

Just like to answer to this thought, Zelgadis heard a strange rustle.

The bog in front of him was boiling. Not literally, Zelgadis didn't feel any change in the temperature, but it was bubbling.

Slowly a strange figure emerged from the marsh. It wasn't human, but its silhouette resembled one. It was tall and slender with a pair of black, feathery wings stuck to his back. Hairless head contained a pair of grey eyes and something that looked like a nose. That was it. No mouths attached.

It wasn't strange, though.

If the tower was Mazoku's that meant meeting there one was expected. And Mazoku's true form might differ from human's a lot.

The strange was that the creature seemed to be wearing a really weird clothes. It somehow reminded Zelgadis the drama play that he had once attended to with Rezo. He still had been a kid then, but in retrospect, Zelgadis hadn't had so many happy memories with Rezo so those few seemed to be quite vivid.

It was 'Hamlet', Zelgadis recalled the title of the play. The creature in front of him seemed to give this hamletish vibe. It was even holding a skull.

"Strange, how the wind blows tonight, it has a thin eerie voice reminds me of old…" The skull howled.

Zelgadis almost dropped down. He really expected 'to be or not to be'. Talking skull didn't surprise him as much as the lack of Hamlet's monologue. Certainly that Mazoku were able to speak even without mouths, the voice had sounded like it had been coming from within. Talking skull was new to him. Yet, considering the blank expression in grey eyes of the monster, Zelgadis wondered if this creature's head wasn't actually the skull.

"Drab dead yesterdays shutting out beautiful tomorrows." The skull howled again, its voice very theatrical. "Hideous stumbling footsteps creaking along the mystic corridors of time. And in those corridors I see figures. Strange figures… Weird figures..."

The skull stopped and turned its empty eye sockets towards him. For a moment nothing happened, and then he had been pushed by strong force of wind.

"Intruder." the skull hissed.

"Elmekia Lance" Zelgadis shouted Power Words directing the attack towards the opponent.

Mazoku blocked this one, but Zelgadis was happy to note that his magic was still working there.

He didn't have time to think about strategy as he had to doge the stream of fire shot towards him from the monster. Zelgadis jumped left, pulling his sword. "Astral Vine"

The sword glowed red. It had been pretty useful spell, but was only effective when target could be hit by it.

This monster couldn't.

He was extremely fast and he not only dodged Zelgadis' sword but was also shooting fireballs at him causing the chimera to jump from place to place in order to avoid being hit.

SLAM

Zelgadis slipped on muddy ground, falling on his back.

It actually saved him from being hit, as the ball of fire just swooshed over the place he had been standing before.

It got him irritated. "Blam Blazer"

Mazoku jumped high above. He used his wings to keep himself on air, whole shooting some kind of laser attacks on the chimera.

Zelgadis needed a distraction. Just a bit time he could use for incantation.

The laser beam almost hit him, causing him to drop at the ground.

For a moment it stopped. Zelgadis thought that even Mazoku probably needed some energy to keep flying up and use offensive attacks. That was his chance.

Dwelling within the eternal and the infinite,

source of all souls, everlasting flame of blue,

Let the power hidden in my soul be called forth from infinite

"Rah Tilt"

Wall of blue flames engulfed the monster.

The skull shrieked.

Zelgadis saw the monster edges became blurry as his body began to rip off and blend into darkness.

"Thank you." The two red points of light into skull's eyes looked straight into his. "You've released me from my prison."

It disappeared. Zelgadis looked around. He wasn't damaged in any way. Although, considering the fight in the mud, he probably would have to throw off his current clothes.

Sheeting his sword, he neared the tower. It was nothing he expected to be.

Those few stores above were completely open. There were no stairs leading up, no ledges he could use to climb. Just plain stone with holes and windows and the ceiling way too high to reach it without flying spell.

On the other hand there were stairs that led down.

In the lighting spell he could see that there were at least few floors before the stairs sunk into darkness…

The city was amazing. So full of life and in the same moment so peaceful. People were smiling; they were kind and polite, and really helpful. Though it wasn't as big as Seyruun, Mahia somehow resembled Amelia her home.

For a long minute, the princess felt nostalgic. But then Lina reminded her why they had come to this city in the first place, and Amelia got her spirit back. So enthusiastically that Lina started to question if she really shouldn't have better left her in that gloomily nostalgic mood.

"Come on, Lina-san. We had to find Filia-san's store." Amelia enthused, dragging Lina towards the market square. "Excuse me." she accosted some old woman. "I'm looking for the pottery store that is run by the tall, young, blond girl, dressed in priestess' clothes, can you help me?"

Lina watched how the woman was almost tearfully apologising that she wasn't able to help, since she didn't know the city so well. Amelia assured her that it was all right, and, to Lina's utter surprise, she and the old woman, stopped a young boy both asking the same question in the same time.

The boy was better informed and Lina smirked, listening to his guidance. If someone asked her, she would say that the best source of information were either kids or bandits. Kids – because they were wandering around the city for all their free time, getting a look into every single corner. Bandits, because every proper bandit had to be well informed about the local stores. But since no one was asking her, she could be observing Amelia's poor attempts to get the information.

Fortunately the boy really knew the city, leading them straight to the Filia's store at some side street. The pottery that could be seen through the shop window was so much in Filia's style, that there couldn't be any mistake.

The three of them sighed with relief.

Amelia pushed the door open. The annoying bell, at least in Lina's opinion, announced their arrival. But it wasn't Filia who came to meet them.

"Finally." said the voice of, what Lina remembered, belonged to annoying fox. "Boss was hoping you'd come earlier."

Gourry watched Jillas with confusion. He really tried to remember how did Filia looked like, but that many things had happened since they had seen her last time, that he had only remembered the outlines. One thing he was sure it was that she had a tail... well the fox in front of them also had a tail, so probably that really was Filia. But she looked too boyish for a girl... Well he could always ask. Asking never hurt anyone.

"Is that Filia?"

SMACK

Apparently, he forgot he was asking Lina.

"Think before you ask!" she yelled. "Haven't you heard Amelia's description from before, you jellyfish brain?! Or maybe that is how the tall, young, blond girl dressed in priestesses' clothes looks like in your world?!"

Gourry rubbed the sore spot on his head. The hit really was painful.

"I wasn't listening to the description." he admitted apologetically.

SHWAP

"I figured that much!"

"Lina-san, stop it." Amelia pulled Lina's sleeve, seeing Gourry's miserable look. She felt pity for the swordsman. Besides, Lina really should stop that, it was really, really bad habit. "We don't have time for this." she added uncertainly, when Lina glared at her threateningly. She turned to Gourry. "He's Jillas-san, Gourry-san."

"Oh, Jillas." Gourry smiled. "Who was he?"

"Argh... Stop fooling around, and pay attention at least for once!" Lina cried with frustration, but she prevented herself from beating Gourry more. "Where is Filia, you tricky fox?!"

As always Lina's glare matched the one she had on the wanted posters, it was impressive enough to make the poor Jillas to take a few steps back, before he even consider the answer.

"Boss went to look for the other boss." he informed.

It took a while before the sense of this information sunk to the three travellers.

"Ah, you mean that Filia-san is looking for Val-san." Amelia smiled nicely.

"Isn't that what I said?" Jillas asked.

Lina waved her hand. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Any clue, where could she go?"

"From the all information we've been able to find, and believe me, miss, it wasn't easy, it looked that they took him South." Jillas informed solemnly. "The last place the suspicious stranger had been seen was... Ryouma city. Boss rushed this track."

"Jillas-san, is there any chance of you having map of this place?" Amelia asked with polite smile.

"Well, it's not the end of the world." Jillas muttered, but his tone smoothed a little when he was talking to princess. She was nice, so could he. "There are many maps that can be purchased. This city, nearest cities, whole area..."

"Good idea, Amelia." Lina patter her princess friend on the back approvingly. "Let's grab some lunch, buy a map and on the road. Ryouma is waiting for us!"

PS: Almost everything said by the howling creature at Cursed Tower (so all those sentences written in bold and itallic) was taken from Groucho Marx. This was said by him in his small interlude in 'Animal Crackers' film. So these words aren't mine, all credits goes probably to George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind (either them or to Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby, who are also mentioned as authors in wikipedia and I don't know who actually had written this particular part).