Nature Vs. Perogative
Author's Note: Set sometime in the latter part of NEXT.
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"Tell me, what makes you think you're less of a monster than myself?"
Zelgadiss glared in annoyance at the violet-haired priest, who sat calmly from his perch on a large rock sipping a cup of tea. Delicate china was always his choice of cup, ironic for a monster. He didn't care for the question directed at him, and wondered what Xellos was getting at.
"Well the fact that you are a monster is a big start." he replied gruffly, unwilling to look at Xellos. Why Lina had asked, no, commanded they hold down the fort was beyond him. Maybe it was Lina's way of torturing him for some misdeed he had done to her in the past. He wouldn't put the sorceress past it, he always suspected she had a large sadistic streak in her.
"Monster by blood and birth and nature, yes indeed, but that's not a very good reply, Mr. Zelgadiss. Surely you can do better."
"I think that was enough of a good reply. I have no interest in conversation."
"Oh, just as stony in disposition as skin I see! Well, either way your answer would have failed you."
Zelgadiss rolled his eyes. He didn't want to continue this, but curiosity got the unfortunate best of him.
"How so?"
"Because you see, either way you answered it would prove nothing because the honest truth is quite the opposite. You are, in fact, actually more of a monster than myself."
Now Zelgadiss looked at him, his gaze wide in anger and shock. He was so tempted to cast a spell or strike the priest with his sword, but knew it wouldn't do any good much to his chagrin.
"I think you're lying." Zelgadiss said quietly.
"Well then let's examine the facts. I was born a monster, how I am is my nature by blood and instinct. I was fostered to be the creature I am but you- you had the choice. You were born human and you can cry that you were made the form you were by the doings of others but wasn't it your own foolish vanity and greed that caused that bargain to be struck? From that moment on you continued to make those choices. To be a theif, to be the villian. Were you not the villian against Miss Lina when you first met her? Your goals were the most important thing to you regardless of others."
"Shut up." Zelgadiss warned quietly, his anger rising. He hated how the truth spun bitter from the mouth of this creature of all others. How they were the truth, unable to refuted as fiction when they were cold fact.
"Even after you defeated Rezzo you still went your own way and played the villian, you're whole reason for being on this current adventure with Lina is the Claire Bible and for your own purposes. Would you have come all this way knowing what's at stake if you didn't have any personal gain involved? I am a monster by nature, but you...you are one by your own perogative. And that is why you are more the monster. I have no choice to be as I am, but you chose it even if you deny it to yourself. Tell me in this where I've lied."
Zelgadiss didn't say a word, he looked away and stared straight ahead. He wouldn't...wouldn't give Xellos any further satisfaction to the wound he had cast.
