DISCALIMER: I still do not own The Slayers...

It's Zel and Filia's scene, but Xelloss gets the last word.

Oh and thank you ntl-msh! I'm glad you like it and it's great to have you as a fan! (nn)

Enjoy!

- Nicci

Chapter Five

Along This Road…

Filia sighed as she flew high over the Desert. She had missed flying. The peace, and at the same time, the rush of racing along between both land and stars.

The sun was rising, warming the air and she let out a murmur of approval, taking a dip and warming her wings.

The fiery glow painted the path before her in gold and she dove lower, following the road of golden sand.

Above him Zelgadiss heard the sound of roaring wind, and looked up, sheltering his eyes as a shadow covered the sands around him.

"Filia?" He wondered aloud, taking in the sight of the majestic dragon above him.

Then he noted the pink bow on her tail and smirked. "Well now I'm certain it's Filia."

Filia spotted the stone statue appraising her from below and halted, immediately determining who it was.

Zelgadiss watched a she turned away and dove behind a large dune, a glow of light illuminating the sands around her landing, the dune hiding her form as she transformed.

He stared in awe as the golden light gathered together and flashed brightly as it collapsed together.

As an artist he couldn't help but be amazed. Dragons were so very different than other creatures. Perhaps it was that he didn't have their design in his makeup that made him feel this way.

Still, he preferred humanity.

Filia stepped out from behind the dune and Zelgadiss smiled politely. "Hello, Miss Filia. What brings you out here?"

Filia smiled back happily. "It's good to see you, Mr. Zelgadiss... as for what brings me out here..."

She sucked in her breath, looking off across the desert to Saillune. "I... I don't know. It's just that…"

She shook her head sadly, willing away the feelings trying to break free with the word of the vision roaring at her in her mind. "Well… Bad things are going to happen in Saillune, very bad things."

Zelgadiss followed her gaze, containing his own troubled thoughts as well. "I was afraid of that... Amelia... she visited me in a dream..."

Filia turned to him quickly, her face anxious. "She did? What did she say?"

Zelgadiss swallowed, shaking his head, his gaze still on the horizon. "Just that she wanted me to come..."

... home... His mind offered pressingly and he shook it off.

"To Saillune..." He forced on, turning away from the horizon to meet Filia's worried blue gaze. "She wanted me to come back to Saillune."

Filia bit her lip, gripping the hem of her cloak nervously. "Mr. Zelgadiss... I need to know everything that happened in that dream."

"Why?" Zelgadiss asked harshly, forcing it to appear as though he was suspicious, and not afraid. He was growing more so by the moment.

"Because..." Filia prompted, taking a deep breath and forcing herself to continue. "The Fire Dragon King came to me last night, in a vision. That is how I know terrible things are going to happen in Saillune."

"A Vision?" The chimera echoed, outwardly sounding incredulous as inwardly his chest felt as though it were collapsing. "But you gave up the Priesthood."

Filia looked at him, stricken.

"Yes... I did…" She whispered sadly, the memories of their past journey looking out at him in that gaze. "But now, I'm the only one left to hear His words."

The chimera's gaze softened, and he gave a slow nod. "Tell me what you saw..."

"The light burns bright, beyond all night..." Filia whispered softly, remembering the feel of the fire running through her veins. "For the night is wrought with blood and lust..."

Zelgadiss watched her face, the words painting images in his mind. Foggy images, yet somehow he knew they had already begun.

"The suffering of the wicked and the joy of the fooled. They shall join and be well met..." She turned her intent gaze on him, and for a sliver of a second, he could see the fire in her eyes. Ancient and powerful.

"But in the end only the wicked shall stand..." She concluded, turning away and growing pensive. "For he is pure..."

They stood there in silence for bit, the sun climbing higher into the morning sky as each one considered the meaning of the prophecy.

"Tell me what you dreamt." Filia finally asked, turning back to him urgently. "I need to know, it may be important. Afterall, the timing of meeting you this way..."

"Talismans..." Zelgadiss murmured thoughtfully, meeting her intent gaze calmly. "I'll choose to withhold the rest of the dream for now. However, Amelia had two of Lina's talismans and one of them was broken."

He shook his head wearily. "I... I'm just certain that it's connected, aren't you?"

He looked at her anxiously and she nodded, biting her lip.

"Yes..." She agreed slowly, perplexed. "But how? If you could tell me the rest of the..."

"No." He interrupted firmly, looking away coolly. "It's private... until it becomes relevant you have no need to know. Dreams are still only dreams afterall. Not prophecy."

Filia had no argument for this, he was right and so she let it go, following his gaze to the horizon.

"Shall we go together, than?" She asked quietly and he appraised her with a bemused smile.

"Are you sure you can carry me?" He asked dryly and Filia smiled with an easy chuckle.

"I am a Golden Dragon, Mr. Zelgadiss." She replied with a little more bravado than necessary. "I could carry you to the ends of the earth if the occasion called for it."

"I'm certain it doesn't." He reasoned easily. "Just get us to Saillune, and we can walk."

He watched as she disappeared back behind her dune and his smile dropped, a foreign expression crossing his features.

Yes, just get me home to Saillune... He called after her in his mind, this time not correcting himself, the look on his face deepening as she transformed in a flash of gold and fire.

With a majestic roar, she dove to meet him, tipping her on her right wing.

He caught the hand she was offering and flipped onto her back, his gaze never leaving the horizon.

Home... He repeated inwardly, beginning to like the feel of it. ...to Saillune...

O O O

Xelloss stared at the deserted city streets; window shutters pulled shut across the town.

"So. Saillune sleeps in late, now." He mused aloud, eying the various CLOSED signs warily.

"Only after we take a late-night shipment, Mr. Xelloss." Amelia's soft voice cut in, and he turned to face her.

It crossed his mind that he hadn't really felt her approach, odd. Perhaps this city was unnerving him more than he'd thought.

For the first time all mission he was glad for Dira and Dara's presence here in this bizarre new Saillune.

"Oh?" He replied evenly, arching a brow and pulling on a deceiving grin. "And what sort of shipment comes at night, here in beautiful Saillune?"

Amelia smiled softly, shaking her head gently, her ebony lock swaying gracefully. It seemed all of her had begun to sway recently; it was really starting to annoy him.

"Not yet, Mr. Xelloss." She replied, motioning to the castle gates. "But soon enough. Come back to the castle, would you?"

She eyed him calmly, although he could see bemusement wanting to break into her gaze.

"I'd prefer not to run the risk of you awakening the my sleeping citizens."

He gave the near ghost town one more quick look over and smiled tightly, giving a little bow.

"After you, Princess..."

O O O

Next chapter, the gangs all here. See you on Monday! (n-)