I don't know exactly how to describe how I felt at first. Dread, revulsion, horror, and agony don't begin to reach my feelings. Perhaps, though, I should further explain myself. I have a habit of rushing ahead lately... but then again, take a look at the company I keep... or -kept-, rather.
My name is Zelgadiss Greywords. I was born into a wealthy family, and I had every convience when I was younger. There was no errand that was too low for a servant to do. After all, why do something yourself when there's someone who's paid to do it for you? I didn't always get a chance to see my parents; they were usually off at parties while I was left at home with a nanny.
As a child, I became very reserved and quiet. Antisocial, you might say. I didn't have any real friends, only the children of my parents business associates that were at the house while our parents did business transactions. To this day, I'm not exactly sure what they did in there. The other children would crowd around me and ask me to play, and I would simply shake my head, retreating to the library. I read more books in my childhood than some people do in their lifetimes.
I wasn't exactly a casanova in my teens, either. I was pale, quiet, and antisocial. The ladies didn't flock to me in hordes.. how surprising. I became the kickaround kid of the jocks at school, for those very reasons. Plus, it's fun to beat up the poor little rich boy, show him who's boss. I spent most of my teenage years either beat up or recovering from a previous attack.
My grandfather Rezo was visiting my father, his son, the weekend of my seventeenth birthday when he gave me the sword that I still carry to this day. I remember saying that I wasn't strong enough to use it, and he replied "You can be, Zelgadiss.. come see me when you're ready." In retrospect, I probably should've said 'No' right then and there, but I was still young and naiive.
Newly equipped with my sword, I began training with it every night after dinner in the forest behind the mansion. One night, after about a month of training, I heard the jingling of metal against metal and turned, seeing Rezo standing behind me.
"Are you ready, Zelgadiss?" He asked quietly.
"I want to be strong."
"Good. "
I didn't know why Rezo was smiling then, but as I felt the cold vines wrap around my arms and legs, I knew it couldn't be good. The pain was worse than I could've ever imagined. It was like the flesh was being ripped off my body, replaced with cold hard stone. Screams of agony left my throat raw and sore, and when it was all over, I collapsed onto the grass, panting.
My eyes opened to the sight of my new body reflected in a mirror Rezo was holding in front of me. I let out another scream, wondering who this freak was staring at me.. I realized with a shudder that I was the freak. A long time ago, I had read the story of Doctor Frankenstein and his monster. Rezo, with his blind eyes and cold smirk, was Dr. Frankenstein.. that left me to play the role of the monster.
"What have you done to me!?" I demanded, struggling to get back to my feet. For skin of stone, it wasn't that difficult to move around as I thought it would be.
"You wanted to be strong, Zelgadiss. I merely granted your wish."
"You made me into a monster! H.. how can I go home now!? How can I face my parents?!"
"You can't."
Rezo explained to me that I would have to go with him. He would train me in the ways of magic and fighting, and in return, I would serve him and assist him in finding magical artifacts. After all, according to him, I owed him for the "wonderful" new body. I didn't want this body. I wanted my old body back. Finally, he promised me that he would change my body back to normal.. but before he could fulfill his promise, he was dead.
Over the years, even through the stares and cries I received, the taunts and humiliations, I knew that I was stronger than before. Not only physically, but mentally. Part of that was knowing that with a single spell, I could blow the whole town full of pointing and gasping simpletons sky high. But that wasn't my cup of tea.
I had also gained a new family, of sorts. Lina Inverse, the somewhat insane older sister who you couldn't help but look up to.. Gourry Gabriev, the dimwitted brother who came through when we needed him more often than not.. Ameria Seiruun, the slightly annoying little sister tagging along everywhere, clinging to your arm at the precise moment that you needed both of them to complete a spell.
Two others added to our crazed "family" later. Xelloss Metallium.. Well.. what can you say about Xelloss? He's the type you love to hate. And I really did love to hate him. Then again, how could anyone really love a Mazoku.. a race that thrives on pain and destruction. It'd be an interesting match, anyway. The other was Filia du El Copt, a Golden Dragon. She and Xelloss were at two opposite sides of the spectrum, and they clashed. Terribly. Filia was, to paraphrase Shakespeare, both "the innocent flower and the serpent hiding beneath it".
I can't count the number of times that one of us were on the receiving end of the mace that she carried around, but nine times out of ten, it was Xelloss she was attacking.
Finally, I decided that I had enough adventures to last me a lifetime. We went our seperate ways again, returning me back to loneliness. Strangely enough, I wasn't bitter this time. I knew that I would always have my friends with me, whether they were by my side or not. Even now, as I write this, though my body is not back to normal yet, I've accepted the fact that I may never get it back again.
Even though all the pain, all the suffering that I've been through.. I still get my greatest joy from staring at the moon at night before I go to sleep.. and I dream.. I dream of when life used to be so simple.
After all, even Xelloss admitted once that "Simple is best.."
My name is Zelgadiss Greywords. I was born into a wealthy family, and I had every convience when I was younger. There was no errand that was too low for a servant to do. After all, why do something yourself when there's someone who's paid to do it for you? I didn't always get a chance to see my parents; they were usually off at parties while I was left at home with a nanny.
As a child, I became very reserved and quiet. Antisocial, you might say. I didn't have any real friends, only the children of my parents business associates that were at the house while our parents did business transactions. To this day, I'm not exactly sure what they did in there. The other children would crowd around me and ask me to play, and I would simply shake my head, retreating to the library. I read more books in my childhood than some people do in their lifetimes.
I wasn't exactly a casanova in my teens, either. I was pale, quiet, and antisocial. The ladies didn't flock to me in hordes.. how surprising. I became the kickaround kid of the jocks at school, for those very reasons. Plus, it's fun to beat up the poor little rich boy, show him who's boss. I spent most of my teenage years either beat up or recovering from a previous attack.
My grandfather Rezo was visiting my father, his son, the weekend of my seventeenth birthday when he gave me the sword that I still carry to this day. I remember saying that I wasn't strong enough to use it, and he replied "You can be, Zelgadiss.. come see me when you're ready." In retrospect, I probably should've said 'No' right then and there, but I was still young and naiive.
Newly equipped with my sword, I began training with it every night after dinner in the forest behind the mansion. One night, after about a month of training, I heard the jingling of metal against metal and turned, seeing Rezo standing behind me.
"Are you ready, Zelgadiss?" He asked quietly.
"I want to be strong."
"Good. "
I didn't know why Rezo was smiling then, but as I felt the cold vines wrap around my arms and legs, I knew it couldn't be good. The pain was worse than I could've ever imagined. It was like the flesh was being ripped off my body, replaced with cold hard stone. Screams of agony left my throat raw and sore, and when it was all over, I collapsed onto the grass, panting.
My eyes opened to the sight of my new body reflected in a mirror Rezo was holding in front of me. I let out another scream, wondering who this freak was staring at me.. I realized with a shudder that I was the freak. A long time ago, I had read the story of Doctor Frankenstein and his monster. Rezo, with his blind eyes and cold smirk, was Dr. Frankenstein.. that left me to play the role of the monster.
"What have you done to me!?" I demanded, struggling to get back to my feet. For skin of stone, it wasn't that difficult to move around as I thought it would be.
"You wanted to be strong, Zelgadiss. I merely granted your wish."
"You made me into a monster! H.. how can I go home now!? How can I face my parents?!"
"You can't."
Rezo explained to me that I would have to go with him. He would train me in the ways of magic and fighting, and in return, I would serve him and assist him in finding magical artifacts. After all, according to him, I owed him for the "wonderful" new body. I didn't want this body. I wanted my old body back. Finally, he promised me that he would change my body back to normal.. but before he could fulfill his promise, he was dead.
Over the years, even through the stares and cries I received, the taunts and humiliations, I knew that I was stronger than before. Not only physically, but mentally. Part of that was knowing that with a single spell, I could blow the whole town full of pointing and gasping simpletons sky high. But that wasn't my cup of tea.
I had also gained a new family, of sorts. Lina Inverse, the somewhat insane older sister who you couldn't help but look up to.. Gourry Gabriev, the dimwitted brother who came through when we needed him more often than not.. Ameria Seiruun, the slightly annoying little sister tagging along everywhere, clinging to your arm at the precise moment that you needed both of them to complete a spell.
Two others added to our crazed "family" later. Xelloss Metallium.. Well.. what can you say about Xelloss? He's the type you love to hate. And I really did love to hate him. Then again, how could anyone really love a Mazoku.. a race that thrives on pain and destruction. It'd be an interesting match, anyway. The other was Filia du El Copt, a Golden Dragon. She and Xelloss were at two opposite sides of the spectrum, and they clashed. Terribly. Filia was, to paraphrase Shakespeare, both "the innocent flower and the serpent hiding beneath it".
I can't count the number of times that one of us were on the receiving end of the mace that she carried around, but nine times out of ten, it was Xelloss she was attacking.
Finally, I decided that I had enough adventures to last me a lifetime. We went our seperate ways again, returning me back to loneliness. Strangely enough, I wasn't bitter this time. I knew that I would always have my friends with me, whether they were by my side or not. Even now, as I write this, though my body is not back to normal yet, I've accepted the fact that I may never get it back again.
Even though all the pain, all the suffering that I've been through.. I still get my greatest joy from staring at the moon at night before I go to sleep.. and I dream.. I dream of when life used to be so simple.
After all, even Xelloss admitted once that "Simple is best.."