*~Part 3~*
It was dark, to be certain. Dark, surprisingly cool, and… wet.
As he splashed along in the calf-deep water, Zelgadis couldn't help but look around with puzzlement clearly etched onto his face. How could anywhere located in the Desert of Destruction have water and not be an oasis? For that matter, how was it that this cavern wasn't stifling hot like all the others he'd encountered?
Well, it was certainly strange; strange enough to make him think that perhaps that little encounter with Xellos hadn't been purely coincidental (and any encounter with Xellos was far from being in the realms of coincidence). Oh, no. Zelgadis must have come across something interesting to have warranted the Trickster Priest's attention. And if it had anything to do with the Holy Sword Excalibur…
Zelgadis continued on along the darkened natural corridor, every inch of his being tensed in suspicion and slight excitement. His mind had long treaded into thought, this time concerning the rationale behind Hellmaster Phibrizzo's ownership of the supposedly sacred item.
According to Azarel, Excalibur was an exalted artifact, suspected to be a gift left over from Ceipheid before he fell into the Sea of Chaos during the Shinma War. Considering that aspect of the legend, it made sense to think that the Holy Sword would possess tremendous power. And power to that extent would naturally attract the Monster Race.
In particular Hellmaster Phibrizzo, he thought with a frown before nearly tripping over an unseen rock. That crazed Controller of Death was obsessed with power; obsessed with power that could potentially destroy the world. It was for that reason alone that he'd essentially stalked Lina Inverse nearly two years ago.
Zelgadis didn't even bother to suppress the shudder that came over him. He'd never openly admit it to anyone, but he still had nightmares about that night in Sairaag – dead Sairaag.
A bright light up ahead pulled him away from his troubling thoughts. He canceled the Lighting spell and put a hand on the hilt of his sword, the other tensed in case he had to hurdle a quick spell for self-defense.
As it turned out, he needed neither: as soon as he stepped into the chamber where the light came from, his tension rapidly turned into excitement as he saw in the center a small kind of island with a stone in the middle.
And there, shoved directly into the stone itself, was the Holy Sword Excalibur.
It had to be. What other sword would shine so brightly, and glean despite the dimness of the cavern? It was what gave off the inexplicable light, and in that light Zelgadis could sense the sheer power emitting from it as well.
Without any further thinking, he made his way up to the island and stepped up to the mound. One half-gloved hand reached out for the hilt, and the next thing he knew, Zelgadis was pulling the sword out…