Legal stuff:
Lina Inverse, Gourry Gabriev, Amilia Wil Tesla Saillune, Zelgadiss Graywords, Xelloss and all Slayers related concepts are copyright © Hajime Kanzaka. Dengeki "Haze" Oraios, Daimonas and all other fan created characters are copyright © to myself, Jamie A. Lee, and may -not- be used without my expressed written permission.

Note: This is my first Slayers fanfic, so please forgive any mistakes I might make. I'm going to be using this story to try to explore the lesser magical species of the Slayers world, instead of focousing on the mazoku and ryouzoku. The timeline takes place inbetween NEXT and TRY.
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The wind tore through the night air, snapping trees and carrying anything not tied down away in it's course. Rain was minutes from drenching the countryside, the smell of dampness hung in the air, and the sun's light was dimming in a foreboding warning. Off in the distence thunder roared, the heavens light briefly as lightening crackled inside the blackened clouds.
A lone figure dashed quickly through the countryside. Gender was undeterminable at this point, for the stranger wore a thick black robe that whipped wildly in all directions, keeping their head covered in a cowl that occationally allowed a few strands of electric blue hair to emerge from underneath.
Breath ran ragged from parched lips, feet pounding against the ground in an effort to outrun the oncoming storm.
The place of interest wasn't far away. It could be seen off in the distence. Just a little further...
A spattering of rain began to fall. Spattering that quickly turned into a drizzle.
The figure's pace quicked, unwilling to become soaked before reaching dry shelter.
Not much farther... just up ahead...
Lightening struck painfully close, scorching the ground and sending a shockwave that caused the figure to be knocked from their course.
The figure yelped, tumbling through the dirt and grass. Stopping in a curled position with both held securely over their head. The figure's head lifted after a moment, paused briefly, shaking the sudden shock and dizzyness away. Trembeling, the figured pulled themself back to their feet, taking a moment to beat fresh mud from their robes.
Then, off again. Feet splashing through newly formed puddles, the rain now beating down with considerable force. The figure's breath was exhasted, chest heaving, but onward they pressed--Ignoring the pain and cold.
Almost there... Can't stop now...

"Damn it, Gourry! That chicken leg is mine!"
"No way, Lina, I saw it first!"
Flaming orange hair framed challenging red eyes as the scorceress stood opposite of a dinner table, eyes met with the equally challenging blue of the man standing opposite, his golden blond hair nearly long enough to sweep the floor as he haunched over, ready to pounce.
They stared hard at each other. They circled the table in unison, eyes never breaking their lock. Their lips curled back as they snarled like jackals.
Lina's stomach gurgled.
"That does it, that chicken's mine!" Lina howled, diving onto the table, facefirst toward the single chicken leg that sat on a plate, beside dozens of other empty stacks. The moment Lina made her move, so did Gourry. Teeth gnashed as they simutaniously grabbed opposite ends of the chicken in their mouths. Growling, now eye to eye, they began a game of tug-of-war.
Nearly everyone in the restaraunt had left, those that still remained sat as far away from the squabble as possible.
"Mr. Zelgadiss, do you ever get the feeling that we're traveling with a pack of wild animals?"
"Every day." the chimera answered Amelia flatly, turquise eyes set half-lidded over his cup of tea.
Amelia watched the two with a mixture of disgust and shock, uttering the occational whimper when either Gourry or Lina would motion to make a foul move.
She had long ago learned that it was never a good idea to come between those two and food.
Zel on the other hand simply sighed. With a shake of his head, he closed his eyes and reseated himself to face away from the table. Taking another sip from his cup, he turned his eyes toward the nearest window. Lightening occasionally flashed as the newly emerged rainstorm thrashed violently against the windowpanes.
Zel's ears twitched, picking up a distressed sound from outside. The door suddenly burst open with a crack of violence it wasn't made for. A figure heavily robed quickly shuffled inside, heaving against the door with an audible slam, the figure, still facing the door, immidiately crumbled to the floor in a mess of soaked black fabric that pooled sloppily around their body.
Even Lina and Gourry allowed their chicken leg to drop back in their plate, their eyes attentive and confused to the new body. The figure's chest heaved with exhausted breath. Suddenly the person's head snapped up, looked quickly to either side, and immidiately slid across the floor, taking refuge beneath the nearest table that had stood less than five feet away. Femanine sobs escaping what could now be determined as the woman's throat.
Lina, Gourry, Amelia and Zelgadiss looked at each other.
"What do you think's her problem?" Lina was the first to speak, arching a brow toward the figure, whom reseated herself into a more comfortable position.
"Gee, I dunno. Do ya suppose we should help her?" Gourry groped at his chin.
"Nah, she's probably just some drama queen looking for attention. Not worth the time, right? And now, as I was saying--That chicken leg's mine!" Lina snarled, attempting to make another dive for the piece of meat.
"Ms. Lina, you should be ashamed of yourself!" Amelia cut the scorceress off mid-swipe "Ignoring a helpless person in distress is unjust and unacceptable! You should--"
"Why should I bother wasting my time butting into someone else's buisiness, when all that's probably happened in her boyfriend broke up with her or something!"
"You won't know that unless you ask!"
"Well than you ask her!"
"It's not my responsibility!"
Zelgadiss' face went flat, muttering a sigh he stood up, placing his cup on the table "I swear, you fight worse than children. I'll talk to her."
Crossing the floor, the chimera walked up beside to where the woman laid crumbled in a soggy mess. Lowering himself to one knee, he cleared his throat, reaching out and cautiously tapped her on the shoulder "Um, excuse me, miss? Are you okay?"
The figure spun quickly around, electric blue eyes connecting with Zel's. The hood of her black robes sat damply just above her eyebrows, her skin was an unnaturally pale white, hair matching the color of her eyes hanging in soggy clumps to the sides of her face. Most notably though where... fangs?
Her eyes broke away from his, quickly she studied his face--His light turquise skin, his wiry purple hair, his elven ears, the stone-like knobs on his face...
"Get away from me, demon!" she screamed loudly, kicking him in the gut, sending the chimera flying backwards.
Of course, then her eyes widened as she squealed in pain, clutching her foot gingerly as if she'd just kicked a boulder.
Zel grumbled stiffly, pulling himself back to his feet "Well so much for trying to be a good samaritan."
"I told you she ain't worth the time to deal with." came Lina's triumphant remark.
"Miss," Amelia said suddenly, her tone harsher than usual "Mr. Zelgadiss was only trying to help, the least you could do is show a little appriciation."
Zel muttered under his breath "It's not like it's something I'm not used to."
"But it's injustice to judge someone so quickly like that!" Amelia shouted.
"Great," the woman croaked, her throat raw, she brushed a stray hair from her now glowering eyes "Another person with a warped idea of justice, to shove her ideas of rightousness upon those who don't even care. He is a demon. Human justice need not apply."
Red flashed briefly across Amelia's eyes, her cheeks flustered as she tried to restrain her quick-rising temper "Mr. Zelgadiss is not a demon! You have no right calling him that!"
"Demon blood flows through his veins," the woman muttered, raising to one knee and brushing dust and water from her body, she wrung her cape of more water before lifting up to both feet. Amelia's face was a deep red from trying to hold her temper. The woman's cape was tied twice in the front to keep it from hanging loosely, hiding much of her body's apperance. Her pale white face and hands mere specks of light lost to the sea of darkness she wrapped herself in. Her head still tilted to the ground, eyes set to the group through their corners "Why am I a concern to any of you anyway? Why show any concern to a complete stranger?"
"Uh," Gourry spoke up, he scratched his head idly "Well, you did sorta crash through the door all dramatic-like and crawl underneath a table to start crying."
"Thank you, Mr. Subtle." Lina rolled her eyes.
Zel muttered something barely audible under his breath, his typical scowl more pronounced than usual. He turned his back to the scene and walked back to his group's table to sit.
The woman shot a quick glare at Gourry, studied his mercenery suit for a moment, before returning her eyes to Zelgadiss and looking him over, her eyes deeply furrowed and her frown wide.
With a little effort she pulled them away, she glanced over Amelia quickly--her garb betraying her as a white mage, but otherwise nothing too interesting about her.
Her eyes flashed across Lina, her sorceress suit and flaming orange hair catching her attention.
Her head tilted "You're that infamous bandit killer. The one who defeated Hellmaster Phibrizo. Lina Inverse. Aren't you?"
Lina blinked, her cheeks flustered for a moment, "Yup, that's me!" she said cheerily, poping her leg and flashing a peace sign. Her friends nearly facefaulting by her sudden change in attitude.
"I see. Interesting," the woman turned, looking out the window and into the storm, with a sigh she tilted her head "I'm sorry for the scene I created, and I'm sorry to have bothered any of you," she turned back toward the door, brushing the wetness of her tears away as she gazed into the storm, her demeanor now dramatically different from how she had entered. Her eyes narrowed to slits "I was hoping to find sanctuary untill the storm died. I was hoping that to hide here would buy me time," she once more glared at Zelgadiss "But I can sense that won't be possible. I was foolish to come here. I must be going now," her head turned ever so slightly "I suggest you leave as well. Your demon friend will be in danger otherwise."
She turned and began walking toward the door, her cape still soaked upon her back, revealing the odd contoures in it.
"He is not a demon!" Amilia snapped, fists tightening in rage.
The woman turned, glaring at Amilia through the corner of her eye, letting off a snort as she began walking toward the door.
"Wait," Zel said suddenly, never turning to face her "Who exactly are you?"
The woman turned, smiling wide so that her fangs shown clearly "I am neither the truth, nor deceit. I am the Haze of doubt that resides between."
Before anyone could question her, she'd twisted the doorknob and left without looking back.
"Uhh, Lina, what do you suppose she ment by that?" Gourry spoke suddenly.
"How should I know?" Lina snapped while rubbing her nose.
Zelgadiss sighed, pushing himself back to his feet "It's probably best that I leave."
Amelia's eyes shot wide the moment he'd said that "Yo-You're not going to take that women seriously, are you?!"
"Yeah! And what's this 'I' jazz, hmm?" Lina quickly followed.
"Listen," Zel scratched behind one of his elven ears in annoyance "Something was not normal about that girl. And whether you want to admit it or not," he directed this particular comment to Amelia "My body is still a third demon."
The chimera shifted his weight toward the door "Further more, if her warning has any substance to it, I don't need to be putting any of you in danger."
"Bull!" Lina spat "Even if her warning was for real, what could possibly be worse than some of the stuff we've been through?" she turned, brushing a hand through her hair, an ear to ear grin on her face "After all, didn't she just say that I was the one who defeated Hellmaster Phibrizo?"
"And nearly had yourself consumed by the Lord of Nightmares!"
"A minor setback. I still came out on top, didn't I?"
Zelgadiss promptly facefaulted. The moment he hit the floor, a loud crack sounded that caused everyone to jump.
"Geez, Zel!" Lina whined.
"That wasn't me." Zelgadiss grumbled, pulling his face up from the floor.
"Ms. Lina, I think we should be going," Amelia said "The wind's starting to get pretty strong outside. We should get to an inn before we get stuck here."
"Yeah, I'm getting tired anyway," Lina agreed, turning to Zelgadiss "We're sticking together, you got that?"
The chimera simply groaned and gave one of those 'Whatever-you-say' looks