Filia looked at fork in the road ahead. Concentrating with her mace in front of her, she tried using her senses to decide which road to take. Suddenly, a loud growl echoed deep through the forest, causing Filia to look up.

"Lina-san! Your stomach growling disturbed me!"

"Don't look at me! It was Amelia!"

"Lina-san! It's not nice to accuse people!" Amelia complained.

"It seems to me the noise came from over there..." Xellos materialized behind Filia, startling her.

"Namagomi! What are you doing here?!"

"That's a secret! I suggest we leave now if we want to reach there before sunset."

As the group started walking ahead, Filia came to a halt and looked around. Sensing a strong presence, she veared her head back, peering through the corner of her eyes, at the woods that she had just exited.

"What's wrong, Filia?" Zelgadis asked her.

"Hmmm...no, nothing.." What is it that I'm sensing...?

Once the group walked out of sight, a shadowy figure stepped out from behind the trees and stared ahead toward the direction the Lina-tachi took.

"So you can sense me... looks like I'll have to be more careful, eh?"

* * * * * *

"Lina-san!! Who do you think is paying for all this?!" Filia inquired, knowing the answer already.

"Don't worry! If we run out of money, we can go blow up some bandit caves!" Lina stated bluntly.

"I will not let you commit such immoral acts!!" was Filia's strong reply.

"That's right, Lina-san! Even if bandits are criminals and steal from others-- Hey! That's my food!!" Amelia chimed in.

Amelia suddenly realized that her plate was empty. In a brief period of time, Lina and Amelia battled for food. Filia regarded them and sighed.

"I can't believe they're the ones who helped stop Dark Star from destroying the world..."

Suddenly, the growl from earlier was heard again.

"Okay, that's it! This is the second time I've heard this! WHERE THE HELL DID THAT NOISE COME FROM?!" Lina yelled at particularly no one.

"It's the dragon," a near-by waitress answered.

The Lina-tachi turned around, facing the waitress, who began an explanation:

"There was a gigantic dragon who lived at the top of the mountain over in the east. Every day at sunset, he would come down and search all over town for something. We don't know what, but it was rumored to be some magical item..."

"A dragon, eh? Gee...Filia... should we pay a little visit to your ancestor?" Lina asked.

"We have a more serious business to deal with. This is no time to bother with someone else's problem!" Filia argued.

"Well, then in that case I should go find my cure. Traveling to Zelfy City is none of my concerns after all." Zelgadis deduced, as usual.

"Zelgadis-san! That was not a nice thing to say. We're all friends and we should stick together no matter what!!"

"I was making a point!" Zelgadis replied.

Lina looked thoughtful. "Magical item, eh? Hmm... it got to be powerful for a dragon to waste his time looking for it..."

"Lina-san! We don't have time to help others right now!"

"Who says I was going to help?"

"So you're just going to find the item and keep it to yourself? That's selfish!"

"Yare yare...that's Lina-san after all..."

"Hey you! What's that supposed to mean?!?!"

"No...nothing."

...I knew that mazoku have bad influence on Lina-san... Filia murmured to herself.

"Hmph! Anyways, I think we should go now and try to catch up with that dragon."

"Lina-san..."

"Let's go everyone!!" With that, Lina ran out of the restaurant dragging Gourry with her, who was followed by Amelia and Zelgadis.

* * * * * *

A few hours later, the Lina-tachi arrived to a gloomy place surrounded by small hills. In front of them, a humongous mountain stood tall against the dark sky.

"So this must be the place... all we need is to find an entrance somewhere..." Lina said.

Filia shivered, looking worried. "I still think we shouldn't be doing this..."

"Look on the bright side, Filia! If we find that thing and if it's really powerful, it can come in handy in our quest. But if it's not, we can just sell if off for a profit and that should be a load off your pocket money."

"The mind of a true businesswoman..."

"Alright! Let's search for that overgrown lizard!" Xellos encouraged, quite cheerfully.

"DON'T CALL A DRAGON A LIZARD, WILL YOU!!!" Filia's temper was rising by now.

"But dragons ARE lizards." Xellos commented.

"Who asked you... NAMAGOMI!"

Suddenly, the group heard footsteps coming closer. The sound became louder and louder until it came to a halt. Everyone looked around and saw nothing.

"Excuse me..." A voice said.

"Where the heck are you? Whoever you are... SHOW YOURSELF!" Lina yelled, startled.

"Look down."

Upon doing so, Lina found herself staring down at a little girl. She had huge aqua eyes and short black hair. The little girl looked at Lina and smiled sweetly.

"Hello Miss. My name is Lina, who might you be?"

"EH?! Your name is Lina too?!"

"Oh, so your name is Lina? Nice to meet you." The little girl extended her hand for Lina to shake.

"So what are you doing here alone?" Filia asked.

"I'm looking for my daddy. He has short purple hair and always carries a staff. His eyes are closed and he always looks cheerful. Do any of your happened to see him?"

"Hmmm...short purple hair, carries a staff, and closed eyes...?" For a moment, Lina looked pensive, and then shocked at the sudden realization.

"Yes."

The groups gasp as the image of the person came to mind.

"Masaka! It can't be that, that..." Filia's eyes opened wide, she was utterly shocked. "You're... a mazoku?"

All eyes were glued to the little girl. Ironically, the girl started laughing as the group regarded her oddly.

"I can't believe how gullible you guys are!"

"ARRGHHH!! So you were lying to us all along!?" Lina shouted, losing her patience.

"Lying? Oh no... I'll call that a little fib. Lying is such a harsh word."

"So who are you exactly?" Zelgadis asked her, narrowing his eyes.

Looking straight at the group, the new acquaintance smiled evilly and lowered her head.

"No one you'd want to know..." she said with a grave tone as her bangs shielded her eyes, hiding her expression.

Tension arose among the group as they positioned themselves into battle stances.

Sitting on a tree branch a little further away from the Lina-tachi, Xellos watched the scene, chuckling.

"You sure know how to make an appearance... don't you, Mitsuko-chan?"

TO BE CONTINUED...