"Xellos!" She hissed, eyes narrowing. "You piece of gutter trash, why - "

"Ah-ah-ah," he shook his finger at her, smiling in his Trickster's way. "There is a young one present."

"Namagomi..." She snarled, then bit back her temper. As much as she hated to admit it, the Mazoku was right.

"Allow me." He gave a mock bow, and easily lifted the youth. "After you, milady." His grin was next to unnerving. Firia sighed, biting down on her temper with all her resolve.

She led him to her camp, where he laid the child out before the fire. Somewhere along the way he had fallen asleep, clutching at the Mazoku for warmth. Xellos now gazed down on him with open eyes, his Trickster's smile having faded to the expression of a concerned being.

"Why did you help, Xellos." The Dragon priestess asked, gathering her medical supplies.

"Sore wa himitsu desu," he commented half-heartedly. "How... How did you find this child?"

"By the lake, traped under driftwood." She replied, setting down the materials and checking the boy for a temperature. "Why do you want to know?"

"Sore wa himitsu desu," he answered again with a little more of his usual venom.

"Namagomi..." Firia growled as she applied the white cotton bandages to her ward. "If you don't give me an answer, I'll..."

"You'll what, lizad lips?" He grinned, completely returned to his Mazoku-style tauntings.

"Sore wa himitsu desu." She stuck her tongue out at him, cleaning up the healing tools and looking fondly at the child. The boy couldn't have been more than six, but was at least five. That was still too young to lose his mother.

"What's wrong, Firia?" Xellos taunted. "Don't tell me that's your kid? Who's the lucky father?"

"He's not mine." She shook her head, still gazing at the youth. "I just found him."

"Yeah, right." He poked her with his staff, sucessfully snapping her from her light trance.

"So maybe he's your offspring, eh, namagomi?" She yelled, whipping out her mace and bashing in his face.

"Oh, no, his face is much too innocent." Xellos responded, pointing at the child's features. "See? His eyes are more round and wide, rather than angular and long. And his nose curves at the tip, mine points. And his hair is the most interesting shade of green-blue..."

"Momma!" The boy cried out, sitting up suddenly. "Papa!"

"Shhh, little one," Xellos whispered, closing his eyes and holding up a lavender-gloved hand. "They aren't here right now. Rest easy, Firia here wouldn't hurt you."

Said dragon gave the Mazoku a stunned look, disbelieving words like that could come from the gutter trash.

"Because," he added with a smirk, "she enjoys beating on me much more."

"Xellos! You... You masochistic Mazoku namagomi!" She raised her choice weapon to attack, but remembered the young and impressionable mind watching. She swiftly reattatched it to her garter.

"Awww, you're no fun anymore, lizard lips." He pouted.

"Firia-sama," the youth asked, "where are Momma and Papa?"

She looked stricken for a moment, unsure of how to answer.

"Momma and Papa can't come at the moment, but I'm sure they'll be here as soon as they can." Xellos' save was once again shocking.

"Really?"

"Sore wa himitsu desu." The Trickster Priest shook his finger, then lightly tapped the boy's nose on the last syllable. The child giggled, dispelling Firia's initial frustration for the moment.

"Xellos-sama, is what Firia-sama said true?" The little one inquired after a while. "Are you really a Mazoku?" Xellos paused and stroked his chin in thought.

"I'll tell you what," he offered with a grin. "I'll tell you, if you'll tell us your name, okay?"

"Okay!" He readily accepted the deal with a smile. "I'm Koi. Momma named me after the pretty fish in the lake."

"And I am Xellos Metallium, a Mazoku." Apparently, he left of his rank so as to not scare him. "The Trickster Priest." He added adter a second's worth of hesitation.

"Sugoi!" Koi exclaimed, expression brightening. "Can you pull a rabbit out of a hat, Xellos-sama?"

"But of course!" Xellos opened his violet eyes and glanced around. "I don't suppose you could happen to have a hat handy?"

"No..." Koi's face fell, until Xellos said: "I guess we'll just have to ask dear Firia to borrow hers." He suddenly appeared behind her and snatched her head gear before she could protest.

"Now, let's see what's in here..." The Mazoku stuck his hand into the cap, reaching obviously farther than the laws of physics allowed. "Hmmm. Blanket. Soap. Hair brush. Toy duckie. Spare Mace. Emergency mace. Undergarme - " His eyes bugged out as he stuffed the unmentionable into his cape's pocket demension, then dove head first into the hat and began to throw the things out after him. About thirty seconds later he surfaced triumphant, much to Koi's delight and Firia's combination of anger and embarresment.