"Lina, either wait until you’re done eating or stop eating now," Zelgadis growled, growing impatient with Lina’s attempts to speak while she was stuffing food into her mouth. "Either way, don’t talk with food in your mouth!"

"Please, Lina," Filia pleaded, "My allowance is pathetically small. Keep this up and we won’t have any money left for the rest of the trip."

Lina smirked at her and swallowed her food.

"Don’t worry, Filia," she said smugly, "Your pocketbook can relax. XELLOSS is paying for this!"

The trickster priest, who--up until that moment--had been so peacefully drinking his coffee, looked up in surprise.

"Me?" he asked curiously. "But Lina-"

"No buts," she cut him off, "If you’re going to continue to travel with us, you’ve got to cough up some cash."

"Lina!" Xelloss whined, "I never use any of the accommodations, let alone eat anything! Why should I have to pay?"

"Just pay the bill, Xelloss," she snapped.

Grumbling all the way, he pulled out a small bag of coins and gave it to the head waiter. Oh well. Unlike the pathetic priestess of the Fire Dragon King, he had access to plenty of money.

"ANYWAY," Lina said, swallowing the last of her drink, "I was GOING to say that I found an interesting cave a few miles from here. It’s got some strange magical properties that I want to explore."

Zelgadis perked up a bit.

"A magical cave?" he asked.

"Sounds fascinating," Filia muttered.

"So, Xelloss," Lina glanced at the purple-haired man, "You paid the bill?"

"Yes, Lina," he sighed.

"Great!" she grinned and stood, "Let’s go!"

An hour later, they found themselves by the base of a huge cliff, towering over a river. Lina directed them to a cave and boldly walked inside. Amelia and Gourry followed cheerfully while Filia nervously trailed after them. Zelgadis paused by the entrance and glanced over his shoulder at Xelloss, who was lagging behind.

"You coming?" he asked coldly.

Xelloss studied the entrance and shook his head slowly.

"I think I’ll wait outside," he said, his voice a bit more serious than usual.

Zelgadis eyed him suspiciously but walked in anyway. He had a nagging feeling about this. If XELLOSS wouldn’t come in, perhaps it would not be the wisest thing for them to do either. Still, he should warn Lina.

Xelloss waited outside the cave, perched on a rock. To fight off boredom--for L-sama’s sake, they’d been in there for almost two minutes! When were they going to come out?!--he pulled a book out of nothingness and leaned back to read.

He made it through half the book before he looked up again. No one had come out. Pulling a fancy pocket watch out of his cape, he discovered they had been gone almost five minutes now. When were they coming back?! He finished the rest of his book and looked up again. No one. Nine minutes and counting.

Although he’d never admit it, Xelloss began to worry. Ten minutes in that cave. Too long. And in THAT cave, no less.

"Nope," he said to himself adamantly, "I’m not going in. Wild gargoyles could not force me to go in there."

A loud rumble and a shriek. Xelloss jumped off the rock and ran to the entrance of the cave. He hesitated at the opening, peering in cautiously.

"Lina?" he called.

Like a herd of so many elephants, Lina, Gourry, Amelia, and Zelgadis came running out, plowing straight over the mazoku priest. Xelloss picked himself up off the ground and brushed off his cape. He eyed a snag in the material with mild irritation. Then, he forgot about the snag when he found a pair of hands gripping the front of his cloak and shaking him violently.

"L-Li-na-a!" he stammered, "W-what’s wr-o-on-g?!"

Lina stopped shaking him and glared into his closed eyes.

"Filia is still in there!" she exclaimed, "You’ve got to go get her!"

"Me?" he smiled and brushed her hands away. "You MUST be joking."

"You’re a powerful mazoku!" she screamed, "Surely you can brave something as simple as a little cave-in!"

"I’m sure Filia is just fine," he smirked. "She’s a dragon. Those rocks won’t penetrate her tough hide."

"Mr. Xelloss!" Amelia started-

"Oh, no," Xelloss groaned.

"Just because you and Filia don’t get along," she said, pointing toward the sky dramatically and posing, "doesn’t mean you should let her die in there! In the name of justice and good, you have a moral obligation to go save her!"

"In the name of my own personal safety, I’m staying out here," Xelloss shot back.

"Xelloss!" Lina shrieked, "If you don’t go in there and come back out with Filia alive, L-sama help me... I’ll never let you travel with us again."

"Like you can control that, Lina," he smirked.

He opened his eyes in surprise when her talismans began to glow. She smiled darkly.

"Lord of the dreams that terrify..." she chanted. "Sword of cold and darkness..."

Xelloss backed away, his violet eyes wide in shock.

"L-lina!" he gasped, "What are you doing?"

"Free yourself from the heaven’s bonds!" she shouted, "Become one with my power, one with my body and let us walk the path of destruction together!"

"Lina!" Xelloss tripped over a small boulder as he backed away and fell on his backside. He stared up at the young sorceress with horror as he shoved himself away from the rock and scrambled to his feet. "Lina, stop this!"

"Power that can smash even the souls of the gods!" she screamed.

"I’m GOING!" he shouted desperately, "For L-sama’s sake, Lina! STOP!"

She smiled and let the spell dissipate in her hands. Xelloss glared at her through narrowed eyes.

"That’s playing dirty, Lina!" he complained.

"Don’t bother coming back if she’s not alive, Xelloss," Lina replied sweetly.

He teleported into the cave. Unable to teleport once he was inside, he ran to the back, searching around desperately for the stupid dragon who had caused all this. A large rock fell near him, slicing across his arm. He yelped in pain and grabbed his arm with surprise.

"That... shouldn’t have happened!" he gasped, looking down at his arm. Black, swirling chaos that was his essence flowed through the gash. It wasn’t bad, but it would take awhile to heal. He looked up, ducking as another rock fell toward him, and spotted blond hair. "Filia!"

"Stupid Namagomi!" she shouted as she picked her way through the rubble toward him, "What are YOU doing in here?"

"I’m here to take you out, lizard lips!" he called back, holding his hand out to her. She looked up at him from several feet below, having fallen into a small pit. Her blue eyes flashed angrily.

"I’m not coming with you, you monster!" she shouted, "You can just take that hand and leave!"

Xelloss was tempted, but he recalled what Lina had said and stretched his arm out again. He opened his violet eyes to meet her glare.

"Like it or not," he shouted, "You’ve got to get out, and I can help you!"

Filia grumbled in complaint and reached up. As she clasped onto his hand, Xelloss grunted and pulled her up. But before Filia was over the edge, she let out a piercing scream and pulled back. Caught by surprise, Xelloss tumbled forward into the pit after her. Something struck him as he fell, and hot streaks of pain shot through his back up to his shoulders and down his legs again. Before he blacked out, he thought stupid dragon... somehow, this is all her fault!