Filia slept peacefully, curled up with Xelloss in their bed. The sheets were disordered, wrapped around them for warmth. It was, Xelloss realized, something he found comfortable.

That was a disturbing thought for him. As a mazoku, he shouldn't find something so, well, peaceful enjoyable. It was supposed to be boring at best. He was certain that he shouldn't be wishing that things could stay that way forever.

Things always got so much more complicated as the years passed. Originally, life had been simple and good. The whole slaughter-and-burn method of combat didn't really require much in the way of complex thought. You killed everybody who wasn't on your side, and you burned what could be burned because, hey, burning things was fun.

Of course, it didn't remain anywhere near that simple for him for long. He quickly realized that things would be so much easier if he encouraged his victims to gather into one place, and being an essentially lazy mazoku he quickly started doing just that. But just as quickly as he came up with a technique that seemed pretty reliable, either Zelas-sama sent him up against an entirely new group or his prey realized what he was doing. Either way, he had to switch tactics.

After so many years, without him quite noticing it, life had become complex, and his own complexity had increased constantly to match it. It had its good points; life was certainly more interesting and amusing now. On the other hand, it had also landed him here.

Maybe things wouldn't get any more complex. It would be nice, really, and he wasn't sure he wanted to find out what it would take for things to become any more complicated.

It is perhaps not surprising that, when Filia finally woke up, she informed Xelloss that he was not done making up for his previous mistake yet, she just had gotten tired. Xelloss wasn't sure later why he had slipped up and not only said something about insatiable dragonesses aloud but said it loud enough for it to be clearly audible to Filia. It was a dire mistake, since the resulting racket drew the attention of Jillas and Grabos.

There was no possible way for either of the beastmen to misunderstand what was going on. Filia was on top of him, and it was obvious that if he had been nearly anybody or anything else she'd have him pinned down to the bed. It would be very hard to think that Filia wasn't a willing participant.

Xelloss managed to smother a comment about Filia not seeming to mind the audience enough to do more than stop moving. He did mind it, and besides that he doubted that it was a good time to risk getting her angry. Instead, he just prayed that they'd leave, soon.

Much to Xelloss's surprise, his prayers were answered.

Filia took that as her cue to go back to what she'd been doing.

Eventually, Filia was satisfied, or perhaps merely hungry enough to take a break for breakfast. Xelloss wasn't sure which, and did not want to ask. He didn't think asking her would be a wise idea. In fact, he was feeling unusually eager to not upset Filia. He was certain that Zelas-sama had intended the previous night's penance as a warning to not risk this mission by alienating Filia.

Jillas and Grabos were waiting for them in the kitchen with what could charitably be called a breakfast. Neither seemed to be a particularly good cook; there was a distinct smell of smoke, and on the plates was a collection of various bits of charcoal. Xelloss poked cautiously at the charcoal, then cautiously sniffed the substance in a glass that accompanied the charcoal before deciding to follow Filia's lead and pretend that neither the plate or glass were there.

"Onee-san, what's going on between you and him?" From Jillas's and Grabos's nervousness, Xelloss suspected that this was not the first time that either of them had asked Filia about her love life, or at least had asked her personal questions. Filia seemed rather nervous herself, though, and he decided that it would be a good idea to answer for her.

"Filia-san has been having some very bad dreams, and I have been doing what I can to comfort her. I don't like it when she's not feeling up to being angry at me." Xelloss hoped they'd accept that. He didn't want to have to admit to not having always been a willing participant, nor did he want to have to fully admit aloud what his feelings were for Filia. Both would be, at best, embarrassing.

They did accept it, though begrudgingly, and Filia calmed down since she no longer had to explain why she was having sex with Xelloss. Bad dreams, even of the prophetic kind, were much easier to talk about, and she did need to tell them something.

"I've been having prophetic dreams," Filia stated, watching the beastmen's reactions carefully. "I will soon be leaving here, and," she continued, raising her voice to be heard over the surprised reactions of Jillas and Grabos (Xelloss's surprise being silent, but still clear), "I want you two to stay here to mind the store and take care of Val's egg.

"I suspect that Xelloss will be getting ordered to go with me." Xelloss nodded, calm mask back in place from the knowledge of exactly what this trip was about. "The only way I'm going to stop having prophetic nightmares is if I do something to prevent them from coming completely true."

The two beastmen went from being doubtful that she should leave, particularly when such as Xelloss was showing unusual attraction to her, to open encouragement that she go on such a noble quest. Xelloss wasn't sure if he should be amused or embarrassed by that.

As soon as they had convinced Grabos and Jillas that it was perfectly safe to leave them alone together and that they should go settle in again at their homes, Xelloss and Filia quickly disposed of the 'breakfast' the two beastmen had cooked. Not even needing to talk to each other, they started making an edible breakfast with Xelloss making the tea and setting the places and Filia taking charge of the cooking.

They saved conversation for when they finally sat down to eat. "Xelloss-san, you're familiar with where we're going. How do you suggest we get there?"

Xelloss smiled. "Now, now, Filia-san. Nobody but Hellmaster Phibrizo, his most trusted servants, and his pets could be said to be familiar with that wasteland." He took a bite of the bacon and chewed on it, enjoying the flavor. "It's too close to winter for us to take a ship to the beach I always entered them through when I had to go on foot. The weather's completely against that."

Filia speared a piece of bacon with her fork. "Is there some route you'd suggest as an alternative, Xelloss-san?"

"Yes, there is, though I've never taken it myself. We could take a ship to the first port below the bad lands, and then go north through the desert. It'd be a bit round-about, but I know that quite a few humans and dragons have survived that route." Xelloss glanced down at his plate, and realized that he had already finished the bacon. Slightly puzzled, he started on the egg.

"I see. Is there any particular reason we shouldn't fly there, or teleport?" Filia said, snatching the salt shaker while Xelloss was busy with the pepper grinder.

"That kind of behavior would attract the attention of the various things Hellmaster-sama created or co-opted to guard the borders of his headquarters," he replied. "While we will probably be the most powerful beings there as long as we work together, it still would be advisable that we avoid fighting with them whenever possible." He gave Filia the pepper in return for the salt. "I doubt you would like to turn this into a test of endurance."

Filia viciously cut her egg into manageable pieces. "You have a point. When do you suggest we leave, then?"

Xelloss looked thoughtfully at his plate. There was less egg left than he thought there should be. "How about a week? I should be able to have our sea-passage arranged for by then, and that will also give whomever I choose to prepare the mundane equipment for the trip in the desert time to get things arranged. We should do our best to seem to be humans, or at least something very closely related to humans."

Filia nodded, accepting Xelloss taking charge of making the arrangements for their journey. "That should give me time to make sure that my shop will still be here when we return."

"That reminds me. We should give your neighbors some excuse for why we're going on a journey together. They're not going to think too highly of you seeming to just run off with a strange man."

Filia smiled mischiviously. "Why don't we tell them that we were betrothed by our parents as small children and it's finally become time for us to hold our wedding?"

"Yes, that should work perfectly, particularly if we tell them that the traditions of our homeland demand that we must travel to the town where the head of the groom's family resides for the ceremony."

Xelloss paused. "You are aware that we'll have to pretend to be married once we return?" Filia's smile became downright predatory, answering Xelloss's question and surprising him yet again.