Chapter 25: Entwined for Eternity
Dark. That was all there was to his world. Darkness over everything because the darkness was everything. There seemed something wrong with that. Shouldn't it be the other way around? Light was everything wasn't it? And dark only the absence of light. Therefore, if everything was now darkness then the world was not as it should be. This was Zel's first logic upon coming back into his senses. The first chord of a guitar melody echoed into his logic, making him realize that darkness could be banished by the simple action of opening his eyes.
He found himself laying on his side in a patch of late summer wildflowers. Birds chirped above him to the time of the familiar tune that played into the serenity of the forest. He stretched, smiled, and sat up to look about himself, wondering when and how he had fallen asleep.
Jaylin was there, perched upon her rock, her hair glinting silver in the dappled sunlight streaming down from the openings of the trees overhead. She smiled when she saw him watching her, and set down her guitar. Nonetheless the music continued without the motions of her fingers. This, however, didn't seem to be unusual for she did not even seem to hear it. Her eyes shining, she took his arm, folding it around herself, tucking her body against his in the manner they used when he taught her the motions of the sword. He obliged her unspoken request, taking her wrist in his hand and guiding it to the sheathe at his hip.
They did not speak, but moved in rhythm to the music. He could feel her against him as they performed their strange dance, and her motions seemed to blend seamlessly into his. The scent of her hair made him close his eyes to further enjoy the use of his other senses. The urge to kiss her grew with each form, until he gave in and spun her around in his arms, the sword between them. She did not resist, her eyes still sparkling with secret as she considered him. He bent down to brush her lips gently. She drew back in surprise, demanding explanation with her gaze, but as she looked at him the expression softened. She closed her eyes, waiting. Accepting her silent invitation, he bent down again to exchange a longer, more passionate, kiss as the melody played on.
When he opened his eyes once more it was not only Jaylin's eyes that were sparkling. Her entire body glowed with some unknown radiance. He felt her place the sword into his hands as the light surrounding her began to resemble some sort of mist. He sent her a questioning look, but her only answer was a smile and a few hummed notes of the song. The light brightened, becoming too intense for him to look at straight on, and all the while Jaylin disappeared into it. It shrank into a small sphere of pure whiteness and flew into the pommel of his sword where it winked out completely, leaving him alone in the darkness again.
This darkness was familiar now, and he figured out much sooner that he had nothing more difficult to do than unclose his eyes before it was gone. He was now on a pallet inside an inn room. The morning sun came in through the window and a tiny blue and silver bird perched on the sill. The sound of the door opening brought his attention from the little creature to the other side of the room where Amelia entered with a tray balanced on her hip. When she saw him looking at her, she nodded to herself.
"Xellos told me you would be awake," she said, setting the tray down. "I was beginning to think you would sleep through until winter."
"How long have I been sleeping?"
"Two days. Berihn carried you into town, though he was sure you were going to die. Everyone was sure, except Xellos of course, he's always known more than he's let on."
"Berihn? What happened?"
"Well, the lightning struck you, do you remember?" Yes, he could still feel that if he dwelled on the memory long enough. "And then it was all over. The storm stopped right then, and the shrine maidens came hurrying from the temple to see if any damage had been done to the tree. They are probably still there casting healing spells after what copy Rezo did to it, but anyway, Berihn and the others managed to get you and Xellos here into the inn. That was no easy task either, you kept jerking around and screaming about something." That seemed odd that he would do that since the vision he had seen in the darkness had been so peaceful. "The innkeeper almost wouldn't let us in, but Xellos and Lina talked him into it." He let her voice drone on while he put together the pieces in his head. The spell, and then the lightning, but before the lightning had been the little flash of blue.
"What happened to Jaylin?" He blurted the question out, interrupting Amelia's narrative. She blinked herself into silence, her eyes gone confused, then sympathetic. He hated seeing them that way. "Never mind, I remember." She was dead, Amelia's resurrection spell had failed, and he had been foolish to even hope it would work out.
"I think Xellos wants to talk to you about that."
"Where is Xellos?" He found himself asking, though he wasn't exactly sure he wanted to talk to the meddling priest at the moment. However, it was something to take his mind off of what he would do now that the battle was over and she was gone.
"In the room at the end of the hall, to your left when you walk out the door." He nodded, pulling the blankets away from him and standing. There was a quick wave of dizziness, but he found that he was capable of motion without support. He was almost out of the room when a deep pulling on his mind made him hesitate in the doorframe. It was as if someone had called out to him because he had left them behind. He turned around to find Amelia giving him a puzzled look, but that was not what he was looking for. His sword lay propped against the wall, properly inside its sheathe, but the hilt was revealed, and in it was a dazzling silver cobalt stone. The sun played over its polished surface, making it seem almost alive with the light, and this is what he wanted. This was what he had forgotten. Gently, without knowing why he was being gentle, he buckled the weapon in its place, savoring its familiar weight against his hip and thigh, and hurried down to the priest's room.
He was there, of course, no reason for him to be anywhere else, sitting on the bed and gazing out the window. When Zel closed the door behind him, he turned his attention and smiled softly.
"I thought you would be joining me this morning," he said in a voice that was much different than before. It had lost its sense of secret, and the sarcasm was gone. His words were simply that. . .words.
"What did you have done with the body?" It was pointless to say whose body. They both knew who he was speaking of, and he didn't think he could speak her name out loud again for a quite some time anyway.
"It has been prepared for burial and lies in a coffin, awaiting your orders. I did not think you would want it to remain here." He nodded.
"No, she did not belong here. Her place was in the forests of the south, and I think it is time that I brought her home. I owe it to her mother."
"Very well." He pushed himself off the bed with a slight grimace, his motions stiff and slow as the movements of a very old man. "We shall be off at once."
"You are coming with me?"
"I have much to speak with you about, Zelgadis, before we part ways forever."
"All right then. I shall return for you as soon as I retrieve the coffin and means to transport it." Although he wished to be alone, Berihn insisted on coming with him. The slavemaster had taken to protecting the chimera since he had lost Eris. Sympathy for that loss, and lack of desire to argue, were the only reasons that Zel agreed. Besides, Berihn had had time to examine the city beforehand, and knew where they were going.
Getting the coffin was simple enough, Xellos had taken care of all the details of payment and the like, but the transport was more difficult than Zel had originally thought. Sairaag was a rich city, it was true, but horses were scarce in any part of the world, except in the wild plains of the east, and it took careful persuasion on Berihn's part before they could get a willing farmer to sell his beast. It was after the purchase of the cart that Zel was finally grateful that the Plainsman had come along. He found himself hovering behind Berihn like a shadow, his hand clutched tightly to the hilt of his sword without even knowing why. He felt tired, but not as empty as he thought he would be. And he felt no shame that there was no real sorrow. At every corner he expected to run into Jaylin, because he felt her presence so close. It was almost as if she hadn't died, even though he knew she had. He had seen her die, had been holding her when it happened, but the reality of her being gone had not yet sunken in.
Berihn understood him more than anyone else could, though Zel was sure that the Plainsman was suffering a greater pain than he let on. He tugged Zel along patiently, as the chimera was not focusing on anything at all. He did all of the talking, and had to push Zel into motion to get him walking back towards the inn when they were finally finished.
"Where do you mean to go?" He asked as they walked.
"I mean to return to Tegyrn for Jaylin's funeral."
"May I join you?"
"What of Mestronia?"
"There is nothing there that holds any interest for me any longer." He nodded slowly, understanding.
"You may go where you choose." There was no further discussion between them, each content to leave the other in their individual silent sorrow. Zel wasn't sure what he thought of the Plainsman coming with him, but he simply didn't want to discuss anything with anyone, especially the man who he had planned revenge upon for so long.
Amelia was waiting for them when they came back in the early afternoon, leading their horse and cart with the coffin, covered in a blue muslin cloth, resting in the back. Her deep eyes watched Zel carefully as he made his way to the door. They were so intense that he quickly grew self conscious, automatically lowering his hand to rest on the hilt of his sword. The young princess had always made him feel uneasy, and now that everything seemed over it was no different. Every glance she gave him, every gesture, made him nervous and wanting to be away from her. She opened her mouth as if to speak, sighed instead, and looked at the ground.
"You'll be leaving now, I suppose," she finally muttered, her hands clasped behind her back in a childish motion. He nodded, half afraid that she would ask to come with him, and he was thinking of a quick reason for her not to follow when she rushed forward to hug him tightly. She managed to kiss his cheek in a slight brushing of lips before he pulled her away, holding her shoulders to study her.
"What is the matter with you?" He demanded, wondering what had possessed her to perform the action. She looked up at him with tears twinkling in her eyes on the verge of falling, then broke away to run from him in the direction of the shrine of Sairaag. He thought of calling her back, to apologize if anything, but a hand on his shoulder prevented him. Lina stood there, shaking her head, her lips parted in a silent "no." It was then that Zel concluded that all women were odd at best, and sometimes completely indecipherable.
"I didn't mean to hurt her," he explained quickly. "But I wasn't expecting. . " She waved her hand at him.
"Don't worry about it. She knew she could never have you." She was watching the way Amelia had gone, folding her arms.
"I don't think I understand." Lina smiled, closing her eyes and patting his shoulder as if he were a child.
"Of course not, you really couldn't have noticed I guess, but Amelia has loved you from the moment you first met her. A childish love, naturally, not worth being upset over. She'll get over it before you've arrived at whatever place it is that you are intending on traveling. Besides, she'll never become a shrine maiden if she's following you all over creation."
"I didn't know."
"I wouldn't let it bother me. She knew that you belonged to Jaylin. It'll be fine, she'll go on with her life, and without you." Berihn interrupted them then, as he came outside to tie down the coffin in the back of the cart. He tried to be as silent as possible, but both of them wanted a distraction from what they had been talking about, and gladly changed the subject.
"Where are you going anyway?" Lina asked curiously as she watched the Plainsman work.
"I'm taking Jaylin home, Lina." Somehow saying the words out loud made it sound strange. He was taking her home, to a village that had given her up into slavery, and a mother she had never known. But more than that, he was taking her back to the forests she had grown up in. Taking her back to a childhood that belonged with him, but was it really for her that he was doing these things? What did she care where her physical body was placed? She had no more need of it. No, he decided, it wasn't for her that he was doing these things, but for himself. He needed this to feel that he was doing the right thing, that he had done the right thing for Jaylin from the beginning. He needed to feel that he was taking care of her, even if she no longer required him to.
He was thinking over these things when the first swirl of color entered his mind. It was small at first, but grew quickly into a burst of cheery blue and bright gold. His breath caught, and he had to thrust out his hand to the inn wall to support himself. The colors drifted through his head, bringing with them a feeling of slight melancholy and much sympathy. But where had they come from? What presence had entered his mind so that even his thoughts were interrupted by strange sensations and hues? It almost made him panicked to think that something had been able to take control of him without him ever realizing it had taken place. He squeezed his eyes shut, willing the color to depart, and the presence to be gone from him.
"Let her be, Zelgadis," he heard Xellos soothe from the inn doorway. "She'll exhaust herself if you fight her like that. She's only trying to help, you know." How could Xellos possibly have known? Wait, who? Zelgadis dropped his attempts of forcing the other presence from his mind in order to stare at the priest, who leaned wearily against the doorframe, his eyes serious for once.
"What does that mean?" Zelgadis demanded of him. "What riddle is this?" Xellos appeared surprised at being asked such a thing, blinking at Zel before responding.
"It is no riddle, it is painfully obvious who I am speaking of." Zel shook his head, wanting to think the impossible, but not daring to give himself the luxury.
"Painfully obvious perhaps, but nothing is clear without a bit of light to make it that way. Now tell me plainly, who are you talking about?"
"Why, Jaylin of course." Assent filled him in a flash of deep green, almost as if the presence was nodding. "Didn't you recognize her?" Jaylin? How could that be? Yet as he thought about it he did recognize her. It was her feelings that filled his mind with color, and her familiar force that seemed part of him now. His hand moved to rest on his sword.
"The lightning?" He heard himself ask, that being the only explanation he could think of on how Jaylin's soul had been joined to him. Xellos nodded, winced slightly, and sighed.
"In part," he allowed softly. "She was always yours, Zelgadis, just not in the way you expected." Zel remembered him saying that before, and Jaylin herself had quoted him in that phrase, but he had not truly understood what it meant until just now. So Jaylin was his, joined to him more tightly than any lovers the world had ever known because she was a part of him. But why were they joined thus? Was it simply a failed resurrection spell or something more significant? There had to be some reason. Thousands of couples were separated from the other by death all the time. What made Jaylin and him so special?
"This has to do with Jaylin's magic doesn't it?" It had to be. Jaylin's peculiar magic that had no name or specific trait, yet it had enabled her to magnify power, or to absorb it almost at will. He had thought that everything was ended now that she was dead, but now he was second guessing himself.
"You never are content with what you have are you?" Xellos sighed. "But you are right. It does have very much to do with Jaylin's magic, and your own. You have a great test ahead of you, Zelgadis Greywers."
"Test? What test? Everything is over, priest, we have won."
"It is far from over, Zelgadis. It will not be over until there is another beginning."
"More puzzles, more games, can nothing you say ever make sense?"
"Do not worry so, I will teach you all you need to know, and Jaylin will help you with the rest. You did dream of her did you not?" Was there anything he did not know?
"I did, but what has she to do with this?"
"She is as new to this as you are, but she will quickly learn and be able to communicate with you with words instead of only colors and feelings. She will be more sensitive to what you must do when the time comes. I will begin your preparation to the best of my ability, and the rest is up to you and Jaylin." As he spoke his voice became melancholy, as if he were longing for something that was unobtainable to him. Zel didn't know what to make of it.
"I still do not understand."
"Do not question so fervently. We have a little time yet, and this is not the place for explanations. Concentrate first on the funeral, and Jaylin's family, and then we shall worry about your answers." Berihn came out of the inn then, brushing past Xellos, laden with provision packs and his blade. He asked no questions of either of them as to what they had been speaking of, deeming it none of his business. Berihn had changed completely and totally from the commanding, almost arrogant, person that he had been when leading Mestronia. He had been humbled down to the simple content of a servant, securing everything into place in the back of the cart and completely ignoring the other two men.
"All is prepared, Lord," were the only words he spoke as he pulled himself up into the driver's seat and gathered the reins into his hand. Lina came back outside to see them off, Gourry hovering protectively at her side, his hand unconsciously around her shoulders, winking at Zel when she noticed that Amelia was still no where to be found. He was thankful that his stone skin would hide any blush at all the implications the action had made.
"I hope you find what you're looking for," she said to him, coming close to shake his hand in parting, making him wonder if indeed he was looking for something. Everything was over, yet he was still trying to find himself, the him that had been before the chimera, even though that young man was lost and could never be recovered no matter how desperate the quest.
"And you," he muttered back, nodding his head. Lina would never slow down as long as there was something else to investigate, but he doubted if he would ever encounter her again where he was going. Tegyrn. Back to the forests of Tegyrn until Xellos decided that it was time for his next adventure to begin. She smiled, stepped back into the comfort of Gourry's side, content. They were close now, having lived through so much, and Zel knew that they would never be separated in this lifetime. The color flared up with that thought, a soothing, rolling ocean blue that seemed to communicate that she was still there and that they were just as close as the sorceress and her protector, and could not be separated ever again. He allowed himself to enjoy that feeling as Lina and Gourry went their own way, and would have continued reveling in Jaylin's presence if it weren't for Berihn touching his elbow to gain his attention.
"Lord?" He whispered. "We're ready to go." Zel nodded to him, and looked back to Xellos who was pushing himself away from the doorframe. He took two staggering steps, almost falling, before Zelgadis caught him, holding him steady.
"What's wrong?" He questioned, thinking there was some injury done to the priest that had not been noticed before.
"The staff is broken, the Angel of Summer has flown, and I am tired of it all." His voice was barely audible, Zel only heard due to his demon enhanced senses.
"The staff? Was it so essential to you?" He felt Xellos sniff in semi-amusement.
"More than you know. Please, no more questions, I just want to rest for a while." A little concerned, Zel assisted the priest to the cart, all but lifting him into the back so he could settle in next to the coffin. He sighed, closing his eyes in a wince that softened into a look of complete exhaustion. It made Zel wonder what he meant, and what the significance was of the staff. Berihn gave him a confused look, but he could only shake his head. The only way he would know anything was through the priest, and it didn't seem that he would be in a very talkative mood for quite some time.
The trip to Tegyrn was quiet and fairly quick. The cart had no problem passing through the flat lands of the plains, and the horse was a fine animal. Xellos kept to himself for the most part, saying next to nothing, eating even less, and he needed help moving about. He never complained about anything, but it was obvious that something was wrong, something more than simple fatigue, but Zel decided not to press him. He had other things on his mind, the foremost being what he was going to tell Tyarli about her daughter. It had been hard enough to bear the bad news about her husband, and now he had to do it again. Even though Jaylin was not truly dead, there was no way he could get her to believe the truth of the matter when her physical body was lying in that coffin. It would probably be better for her this way anyhow. She could have confirmation, her grief, and then her new life afterward.
When they did reach Tegyrn eight days later, the wind carried a chill to it, warning that autumn was close. The wind did not help the priest's condition at all, causing him to wrap himself securely in his cloak and go into a deep trance like state that Zel could not rouse him from no matter how hard he attempted.
He was greeted warmly by the elder of the village, who recognized him first, and it wasn't very long after that Tyarli herself was running from her task of hanging laundry to meet him, her deep brown eyes shining with eagerness at what he would tell her.
"Zelgadis!" She cried, throwing herself into his open arms with such force it was a wonder she didn't hurt herself. "You've no idea how glad I am to see you return. I'd thought you were dead." He smiled, hugging her as tightly as he dared for she was the only mother he had ever known who had cared for him at all.
"After what I've been through there is no reason I should be alive, surely, but I was saved for something."
"And Jaylin?" Her hope was so strong it was almost tangible, and Zel felt something catch in his throat as he looked into her eyes. If will alone were strong enough, Tyarli would have brought Jaylin back to life in that very instant with nothing else save the desire she had to see her daughter one more time.
"She is gone," he told her gently, unable to bring himself to say that she was dead when he knew very well that it was a lie. "She sacrificed herself to save the city of Sairaag. She went with honor and glory will forever hang about her name." Those were the only things he could think of to comfort the poor woman who had lost both her husband and her daughter within a year. Her face fell into a mask of despair, her eyes losing their shine and her shoulders hunching forward with the burden of sorrow he had just bestowed upon her. Jaylin's presence raised up in his mind with a sunshine yellow swirl of sympathy, that she tried to extend through him to her mother.
Tyarli stepped away from his embrace, walking slowly to the cart where Berihn was helping Xellos down. She ran her hand over the surface of the wood, shaking her head as if to will the coffin away. Zel felt compelled to stand behind her, his hands on her trembling shoulders.
"It's not fair is it?" She murmured in a choked tone, reaching a hand up to scrub a tear from her cheek.
"No," he agreed, rubbing her arms gently. "It never is."
"Her star must shine on in your eyes now." She sniffed, and he gathered her to him again, not being able to do anything else to help her except to hold her. Berihn came up to them with several other young men following him to get the coffin from the cart and to take care of the horse. His black eyes softened when he saw Ty in Zel's arms, and he quickly stepped to their side.
"The Elder wishes to speak to you, Lord," he spoke low in Zel's ear. Zel glanced at the shaking woman he held tightly, but Berihn placed his hand on her back, allowing Zel to relinquish her to the Plainsman. She went readily, and it seemed natural for him to hold her that way.
"I've made the necessary preparations for the funeral," the Elder said, his voice quivering both from age and sadness. "I only wish to know where you'd like the grave." Zel smiled, knowing exactly where to put it.
"South from the valley, in the woods, there is a stone in the shape of a chair. It is this stone that I wish for her monument." The Elder nodded slowly, his hand to his chin.
"I know the place," he finally said. "I shall set them working on it tonight while you and your companions rest yourselves. We shall hold the ceremony tomorrow if it pleases you."
"Yes, as soon as possible would be best. Thank you." The old man shrugged, waving Zel away.
"It is fine, now go and rest yourselves. A place has been prepared for you in the meeting house, and your horse has been taken care of." Zel nodded, several times, then went off for the meeting house, where Xellos, Berihn, and Tyarli already were. Jaylin's mother was making tea in the large fireplace, a forced smile on her face.
"I must do something useful or drive myself mad," she quickly told Zel before he could order her away to grieve. Leston, Jaylin's younger brother, was there as well, huddled in a corner in a miserable ball. Zel spared him a long look, but there wasn't anything he could think of to say to him so he left him alone to his own sorrow.
Berihn seemed torn between serving Xellos or Tyarli. In fact, ever since they had arrived his eyes never seemed to leave the woman. It could have been because she reminded him of Jaylin, or that she was in need of his comfort, or it might have been something else entirely. At this point, Zel really didn't care, his concerns were more on Xellos at the moment.
The priest looked old and worn, wrapped in his cloak beside the large fireplace, his back propped against a wooden pillar and his eyes closed. Zel took the cup that Ty offered him, and placed it in Xellos' hands. The priest looked up, smirking as he lifted the cup to his lips.
"How are you?" He asked softly, kneeling before him, watching the flame shadows flicker over his face. Maybe this time he would get a straight answer.
"Tired, Zelgadis, I am tired." He wouldn't say more, only gave the teacup back to Zel, having taken only one sip, and curled up in his cloak in the straw. Zel shook his head, and Jaylin swirled through his mind with a worried mist of brown and gray.
"Zel?" He twisted to look up at Tyarli standing over him. Leston was at her side, her arm comfortingly around his shoulders. "You'll be all right?" He gave Xellos a glance before nodding.
"Yes, you don't have to worry about us. Just get on home." She hugged her son tight, reached out a hand to squeeze Zel's shoulder, and left the town meeting house to return to her own home. Berihn watched her go, an unreadable expression on his face. Zel didn't know what to make of him, but didn't really want to worry about it. He decided to go into the forests to think things through.
The moon gave him very little light as he made his way through the tangle of branches to his old home, but he didn't need any help finding where he was going. He had grown up here, and he knew where everything was. Jaylin filled his mind with comfortable shades of red and blue as he walked. She knew where they were, might even be seeing through his eyes for all he could tell, and she was glad of the familiar surroundings. He could feel her excitement lightening his mood in its child like simplicity, and found himself smiling because of it.
"Jaylin," he whispered into the night as he stood on the edge of the mountain that overshadowed the valley of Tegyrn. "What do you think of all this?" She swept through with a questioning haze of smoky gray. "Xellos' riddle, Xellos himself, what does he expect us to do?" There was a reassuring burst of red, but no explanations. Zel knew that she had a better understanding of what was happening, but no way to communicate it yet. It wasn't for lack of trying either. They had spent many nights like this, alone on the plains as they traveled to Tegyrn simply getting used to the idea of her being joined to him in this fashion. He understood her emotions now, but her thoughts were still shadowed from him. She tried, but their exercises together generally ended up with her quitting in a frustrated flash of black. In the end, Zel drew his sword, watching her soul twinkle inside the pommel, and going through the familiar comfort of the forms in the moonlight. There would be time for puzzling Xellos' riddle when the priest deemed it time to give him more information. In the meantime, there was the sword, and Jaylin, and the starlight.
The sun shone brightly on the day of Jaylin's funeral, but the breeze carried the promise of the cool autumn. The entire town of Tegyrn was there, covering the fresh grave with the last of the summer's wildflowers. Zel stood apart, staring at the ground with indifference. Jaylin was not there, even now he could feel her, a warm presence in his mind. The only sorrow he felt was for Tyarli who stood with her son close beside her, holding her hand tightly. Berihn hovered at her other side, murmuring words of apology and comfort. Since the Plainsman had said that he would not be returning to Mestronia Zel suspected very strongly that he meant to stay with Ty. He shrugged, feeling very distant from those who had been a major part of his life just a short time ago. Lina and Gourry were gone, following their own path that would continue in circles throughout the land. Amelia more than likely training to become a shrine maiden in the holy city Seyruun. But what of himself? Was there nothing left to him but to follow the crazy priest all over creation? And what of the priest? He was standing next to the chimera, leaning on an oaken staff that had been cut for him, his eyes on the grave and a small smile on his lips.
"What about you, Xellos?" He asked the man. "What will you do?"
"We need to go home," he murmured, his voice a hoarse whisper that made Zel turn to consider him.
"Where is that?" He asked quietly as the mourners made their way back to the town. The priest stared off to the west, his eyes longing and tired.
"The mountains of Sairaag." Zel hung his head. They had just come from there, now they would have to go back? "That is where you'll be trained."
"Why can I not be trained here?"
"Because that is where she is waiting for me. I have to go to her before the summer ends." Relying heavily on the staff, Xellos began to pick his way back to town.
"Her? What do you mean?"
"Tariel, she's calling me to her, and she waits for me in Sairaag."
"Xellos, you're ranting." He smirked, laboring his way through the makeshift trail made by the mourners.
"No, it will be made perfectly clear to you on the way. We'll leave early tomorrow."
"I do not think you are strong enough to make the journey again, at least not now.
We'll stay here and rest a few days, until you're ready, and then if you still wish to do this, we'll go."
"Tomorrow, Zelgadis, we're leaving tomorrow. No amount of rest is going to help me now, don't you understand? The Angel of Summer has flown and I am going with her before Meleyal takes her reign. I need to return to Sairaag, and I need you to --" He cut off, his hand raised to his temple, hunching over in some silent pain. Zelgadis grabbed his arm to steady him, watching him closely as he'd been doing for days for some sign of injury, but as usual couldn't find any. He felt Jaylin reach out her presence to him in comfort.
"Easy, priest. If it is so important to you then we'll leave this afternoon, but I still don't think it is a good idea." Xellos smiled in the fashion that he used to that had a tendency to make Zel grind his teeth. He took a deep breath, straightening himself, and continued on toward the village moving very slowly. Zelgadis watched him, not knowing what to make of it all. If what Xellos had to teach him was so important, why was he procrastinating? What was in Sairaag that called him back with such force? He hadn't meant to get actual answers to these questions, it was simply idle wondering, but Jaylin attempted to respond anyway, and it surprised him. First there was a scarlet orb centered in the back of his head, resembling the staff that Xellos had carried where ever he went. He had yet to find the significance of that staff. He was puzzling what she meant to tell him with this, when it shattered exactly the way it had when Rezo had sent the spell through it, and a flash of crimson exploded in all directions. The flash was so intense he had to grab onto a tree to keep himself from becoming dizzy with the vision. Jaylin proceeded to show him a flame that grew smaller and dimmer until it had snuffed itself out completely. He knew she was trying to communicate with him, but was having difficulty understanding what she meant.
"Xellos is dying isn't he?" He whispered into the cool autumn breeze. By now the priest was out of hearing distance, and he was safe speaking to himself out here in the protection of the trees. Assent filled him in a miserable shade of dark purple. "And that's why he wants to go home to Sairaag in such a hurry." There was a short puff of green, as if Jaylin had sighed, before she receded into a warm presence at the back of his skull. There was a certain sadness to the realization of that. True, Zel harbored no real love for the priest. He'd been manipulated far too much for that, but he had developed a respect for Xellos' power and knowledge.
The Mestronians came to Tegyrn that night, their coming announced loudly by a bugle's note. Zel had almost forgotten that it was time for their yearly pilgrimage and for the choosing. And with Berihn there it was a wonder it was happening at all.
Reskir was leading them, astride his pale sand colored horse, his dark hair waving into his eyes in the wind. The Elder came out to meet them, and the girls lined up as usual, but Berihn came out to stop it all. The Whitemaster was obviously ecstatic to see his lord again, leaping from his mount to grip his shoulders as if he expected never to see him alive.
"What are you doing here, Berihn?" He asked, smiling broadly, stepping back to examine the master of Mestronia. "I'd thought you'd gone to see Rezo." Berihn shook his head.
"That's a long story. One that a bard will sing someday."
"I'll have time to listen on the way back, and since you are here I'll trust you to the Choosing."
"There will be no choosing this year, Reskir." The girls in line began chittering among themselves while Zel watched from his perch on the town well. No choosing? Then Berihn was serious in saying that Mestronia would be no more. "As for the girls I wish for you to release them, except for Deseray. I want you to care for her. She has done more for us than you'll ever know. Take care of her and take Mestronia. It's yours now. The only thing I ask is that you do not use it in the way it has been used."
"What of the other Colormasters? And the Breaker?"
"They are free. I wish for Mestronia to redeem itself. There will be no more slaves. Go now. I will not be joining you." Reskir stared at the man as if he'd never seen him before, but he did nod his head in acceptance of his last wishes. The girls rushed back to the arms of their relieved families before anyone could change their minds. Jaylin swirled up in a happy yellow mist at the decision, and Zel smiled in reaction to her. Reskir mounted his horse again, giving the signal to the men who accompianied him that they were to go on ahead. He turned his beast to follow, but looked back once more at the Plainsman.
"Deseray?" He asked, the beginnings of a smile on his lips.
"That's right."
"And you're staying here?"
"For good." He shrugged, then spurred the horse to catch his companions as they made their way back to Mestronia. Only, there would be no Mestronia once they reached it. The slave trade was dying. Soon there would be no more slaves to be found in any land. Young girls could remain with in their homes, and stories like Jaylin's and Zel's could cease to exist.
"You've made the right choice, Plainsman," Zel said as Berihn walked past. "I have a request since you are staying here." He stopped, giving Zel a glance.
"What's that?"
"Tomorrow I'm going back to Sairaag with the priest. I need you to watch out for Tyarli for me."
"Back to Sairaag? Why would you need to do this?"
"It is as the priest wants. He has something to teach me. You know how he is. Nothing straightforward if he can go about it in a secretive manner." Berihn nodded in understanding.
"I've noticed. Very well. I'll do as you ask," he paused to give the chimera a wink. "And with pleasure." Zel didn't know how he felt about Berihn becomming involved with Ty, but his worry for the priest superseded what he thought about the match. Jaylin didn't seem to mind, or she might just be too preoccupied with something else to be paying much attention.
Ty was waiting for him when he reached the meeting hall that night. Xellos was already there, curled up in the straw, apparently asleep. She smiled in welcome, coming to embrace him quickly in a maternal gesture.
"He told me that you were leaving tomorrow," she began, nodding to where the priest was curled in his cloak. "I've packed some food for you, and some tea for him. He's going to need it, I think. It really isn't a good idea for him to travel. He's so exhausted I'm afraid he's going to make himself sick."
"I know, but he's set to do this. There's no talking him out of it now. It's very important to him."
"What about you?"
"I don't care either way. I have nothing to hold me here, or in Sairaag. I may as well follow the priest. I doubt he'd make it back home by himself."
"You'll come back won't you?"
"I don't know. Perhaps I'll find my way home again, but if not I've made sure that you will be cared for."
"I'm not worried about that. I can care for myself in any case. I'm more worried about you." He smiled at her, shaking his head slowly.
"You shouldn't. I've got everything I need."
"I'm getting tired of farewell, Zelgadis."
"You aren't the only one." He smiled in what he hoped was a soothing manner as she gathered her things and departed for home, the moonlight shimmering over her hair as she walked. Berihn met up with her before she'd gotten too far, and together they made their way.
"They will be safe here," croaked Xellos' voice, making Zel turn from the doorway to see him sitting up and staring. "Nothing can harm them now."
"That is a good thing to know," Zel allowed, coming to sit cross-legged before the priest. "Everything is arranged. We can leave first thing in the morning." He nodded tiredly.
"Well done." He lowered himself back down to the straw, and was asleep within moments. All Zel could do was shake his head in wonderment, and then fell asleep himself as he enjoyed the swirling gray-green that Jaylin sent into his head as she herself rested.
Dark. That was all there was to his world. Darkness over everything because the darkness was everything. There seemed something wrong with that. Shouldn't it be the other way around? Light was everything wasn't it? And dark only the absence of light. Therefore, if everything was now darkness then the world was not as it should be. This was Zel's first logic upon coming back into his senses. The first chord of a guitar melody echoed into his logic, making him realize that darkness could be banished by the simple action of opening his eyes.
He found himself laying on his side in a patch of late summer wildflowers. Birds chirped above him to the time of the familiar tune that played into the serenity of the forest. He stretched, smiled, and sat up to look about himself, wondering when and how he had fallen asleep.
Jaylin was there, perched upon her rock, her hair glinting silver in the dappled sunlight streaming down from the openings of the trees overhead. She smiled when she saw him watching her, and set down her guitar. Nonetheless the music continued without the motions of her fingers. This, however, didn't seem to be unusual for she did not even seem to hear it. Her eyes shining, she took his arm, folding it around herself, tucking her body against his in the manner they used when he taught her the motions of the sword. He obliged her unspoken request, taking her wrist in his hand and guiding it to the sheathe at his hip.
They did not speak, but moved in rhythm to the music. He could feel her against him as they performed their strange dance, and her motions seemed to blend seamlessly into his. The scent of her hair made him close his eyes to further enjoy the use of his other senses. The urge to kiss her grew with each form, until he gave in and spun her around in his arms, the sword between them. She did not resist, her eyes still sparkling with secret as she considered him. He bent down to brush her lips gently. She drew back in surprise, demanding explanation with her gaze, but as she looked at him the expression softened. She closed her eyes, waiting. Accepting her silent invitation, he bent down again to exchange a longer, more passionate, kiss as the melody played on.
When he opened his eyes once more it was not only Jaylin's eyes that were sparkling. Her entire body glowed with some unknown radiance. He felt her place the sword into his hands as the light surrounding her began to resemble some sort of mist. He sent her a questioning look, but her only answer was a smile and a few hummed notes of the song. The light brightened, becoming too intense for him to look at straight on, and all the while Jaylin disappeared into it. It shrank into a small sphere of pure whiteness and flew into the pommel of his sword where it winked out completely, leaving him alone in the darkness again.
This darkness was familiar now, and he figured out much sooner that he had nothing more difficult to do than unclose his eyes before it was gone. He was now on a pallet inside an inn room. The morning sun came in through the window and a tiny blue and silver bird perched on the sill. The sound of the door opening brought his attention from the little creature to the other side of the room where Amelia entered with a tray balanced on her hip. When she saw him looking at her, she nodded to herself.
"Xellos told me you would be awake," she said, setting the tray down. "I was beginning to think you would sleep through until winter."
"How long have I been sleeping?"
"Two days. Berihn carried you into town, though he was sure you were going to die. Everyone was sure, except Xellos of course, he's always known more than he's let on."
"Berihn? What happened?"
"Well, the lightning struck you, do you remember?" Yes, he could still feel that if he dwelled on the memory long enough. "And then it was all over. The storm stopped right then, and the shrine maidens came hurrying from the temple to see if any damage had been done to the tree. They are probably still there casting healing spells after what copy Rezo did to it, but anyway, Berihn and the others managed to get you and Xellos here into the inn. That was no easy task either, you kept jerking around and screaming about something." That seemed odd that he would do that since the vision he had seen in the darkness had been so peaceful. "The innkeeper almost wouldn't let us in, but Xellos and Lina talked him into it." He let her voice drone on while he put together the pieces in his head. The spell, and then the lightning, but before the lightning had been the little flash of blue.
"What happened to Jaylin?" He blurted the question out, interrupting Amelia's narrative. She blinked herself into silence, her eyes gone confused, then sympathetic. He hated seeing them that way. "Never mind, I remember." She was dead, Amelia's resurrection spell had failed, and he had been foolish to even hope it would work out.
"I think Xellos wants to talk to you about that."
"Where is Xellos?" He found himself asking, though he wasn't exactly sure he wanted to talk to the meddling priest at the moment. However, it was something to take his mind off of what he would do now that the battle was over and she was gone.
"In the room at the end of the hall, to your left when you walk out the door." He nodded, pulling the blankets away from him and standing. There was a quick wave of dizziness, but he found that he was capable of motion without support. He was almost out of the room when a deep pulling on his mind made him hesitate in the doorframe. It was as if someone had called out to him because he had left them behind. He turned around to find Amelia giving him a puzzled look, but that was not what he was looking for. His sword lay propped against the wall, properly inside its sheathe, but the hilt was revealed, and in it was a dazzling silver cobalt stone. The sun played over its polished surface, making it seem almost alive with the light, and this is what he wanted. This was what he had forgotten. Gently, without knowing why he was being gentle, he buckled the weapon in its place, savoring its familiar weight against his hip and thigh, and hurried down to the priest's room.
He was there, of course, no reason for him to be anywhere else, sitting on the bed and gazing out the window. When Zel closed the door behind him, he turned his attention and smiled softly.
"I thought you would be joining me this morning," he said in a voice that was much different than before. It had lost its sense of secret, and the sarcasm was gone. His words were simply that. . .words.
"What did you have done with the body?" It was pointless to say whose body. They both knew who he was speaking of, and he didn't think he could speak her name out loud again for a quite some time anyway.
"It has been prepared for burial and lies in a coffin, awaiting your orders. I did not think you would want it to remain here." He nodded.
"No, she did not belong here. Her place was in the forests of the south, and I think it is time that I brought her home. I owe it to her mother."
"Very well." He pushed himself off the bed with a slight grimace, his motions stiff and slow as the movements of a very old man. "We shall be off at once."
"You are coming with me?"
"I have much to speak with you about, Zelgadis, before we part ways forever."
"All right then. I shall return for you as soon as I retrieve the coffin and means to transport it." Although he wished to be alone, Berihn insisted on coming with him. The slavemaster had taken to protecting the chimera since he had lost Eris. Sympathy for that loss, and lack of desire to argue, were the only reasons that Zel agreed. Besides, Berihn had had time to examine the city beforehand, and knew where they were going.
Getting the coffin was simple enough, Xellos had taken care of all the details of payment and the like, but the transport was more difficult than Zel had originally thought. Sairaag was a rich city, it was true, but horses were scarce in any part of the world, except in the wild plains of the east, and it took careful persuasion on Berihn's part before they could get a willing farmer to sell his beast. It was after the purchase of the cart that Zel was finally grateful that the Plainsman had come along. He found himself hovering behind Berihn like a shadow, his hand clutched tightly to the hilt of his sword without even knowing why. He felt tired, but not as empty as he thought he would be. And he felt no shame that there was no real sorrow. At every corner he expected to run into Jaylin, because he felt her presence so close. It was almost as if she hadn't died, even though he knew she had. He had seen her die, had been holding her when it happened, but the reality of her being gone had not yet sunken in.
Berihn understood him more than anyone else could, though Zel was sure that the Plainsman was suffering a greater pain than he let on. He tugged Zel along patiently, as the chimera was not focusing on anything at all. He did all of the talking, and had to push Zel into motion to get him walking back towards the inn when they were finally finished.
"Where do you mean to go?" He asked as they walked.
"I mean to return to Tegyrn for Jaylin's funeral."
"May I join you?"
"What of Mestronia?"
"There is nothing there that holds any interest for me any longer." He nodded slowly, understanding.
"You may go where you choose." There was no further discussion between them, each content to leave the other in their individual silent sorrow. Zel wasn't sure what he thought of the Plainsman coming with him, but he simply didn't want to discuss anything with anyone, especially the man who he had planned revenge upon for so long.
Amelia was waiting for them when they came back in the early afternoon, leading their horse and cart with the coffin, covered in a blue muslin cloth, resting in the back. Her deep eyes watched Zel carefully as he made his way to the door. They were so intense that he quickly grew self conscious, automatically lowering his hand to rest on the hilt of his sword. The young princess had always made him feel uneasy, and now that everything seemed over it was no different. Every glance she gave him, every gesture, made him nervous and wanting to be away from her. She opened her mouth as if to speak, sighed instead, and looked at the ground.
"You'll be leaving now, I suppose," she finally muttered, her hands clasped behind her back in a childish motion. He nodded, half afraid that she would ask to come with him, and he was thinking of a quick reason for her not to follow when she rushed forward to hug him tightly. She managed to kiss his cheek in a slight brushing of lips before he pulled her away, holding her shoulders to study her.
"What is the matter with you?" He demanded, wondering what had possessed her to perform the action. She looked up at him with tears twinkling in her eyes on the verge of falling, then broke away to run from him in the direction of the shrine of Sairaag. He thought of calling her back, to apologize if anything, but a hand on his shoulder prevented him. Lina stood there, shaking her head, her lips parted in a silent "no." It was then that Zel concluded that all women were odd at best, and sometimes completely indecipherable.
"I didn't mean to hurt her," he explained quickly. "But I wasn't expecting. . " She waved her hand at him.
"Don't worry about it. She knew she could never have you." She was watching the way Amelia had gone, folding her arms.
"I don't think I understand." Lina smiled, closing her eyes and patting his shoulder as if he were a child.
"Of course not, you really couldn't have noticed I guess, but Amelia has loved you from the moment you first met her. A childish love, naturally, not worth being upset over. She'll get over it before you've arrived at whatever place it is that you are intending on traveling. Besides, she'll never become a shrine maiden if she's following you all over creation."
"I didn't know."
"I wouldn't let it bother me. She knew that you belonged to Jaylin. It'll be fine, she'll go on with her life, and without you." Berihn interrupted them then, as he came outside to tie down the coffin in the back of the cart. He tried to be as silent as possible, but both of them wanted a distraction from what they had been talking about, and gladly changed the subject.
"Where are you going anyway?" Lina asked curiously as she watched the Plainsman work.
"I'm taking Jaylin home, Lina." Somehow saying the words out loud made it sound strange. He was taking her home, to a village that had given her up into slavery, and a mother she had never known. But more than that, he was taking her back to the forests she had grown up in. Taking her back to a childhood that belonged with him, but was it really for her that he was doing these things? What did she care where her physical body was placed? She had no more need of it. No, he decided, it wasn't for her that he was doing these things, but for himself. He needed this to feel that he was doing the right thing, that he had done the right thing for Jaylin from the beginning. He needed to feel that he was taking care of her, even if she no longer required him to.
He was thinking over these things when the first swirl of color entered his mind. It was small at first, but grew quickly into a burst of cheery blue and bright gold. His breath caught, and he had to thrust out his hand to the inn wall to support himself. The colors drifted through his head, bringing with them a feeling of slight melancholy and much sympathy. But where had they come from? What presence had entered his mind so that even his thoughts were interrupted by strange sensations and hues? It almost made him panicked to think that something had been able to take control of him without him ever realizing it had taken place. He squeezed his eyes shut, willing the color to depart, and the presence to be gone from him.
"Let her be, Zelgadis," he heard Xellos soothe from the inn doorway. "She'll exhaust herself if you fight her like that. She's only trying to help, you know." How could Xellos possibly have known? Wait, who? Zelgadis dropped his attempts of forcing the other presence from his mind in order to stare at the priest, who leaned wearily against the doorframe, his eyes serious for once.
"What does that mean?" Zelgadis demanded of him. "What riddle is this?" Xellos appeared surprised at being asked such a thing, blinking at Zel before responding.
"It is no riddle, it is painfully obvious who I am speaking of." Zel shook his head, wanting to think the impossible, but not daring to give himself the luxury.
"Painfully obvious perhaps, but nothing is clear without a bit of light to make it that way. Now tell me plainly, who are you talking about?"
"Why, Jaylin of course." Assent filled him in a flash of deep green, almost as if the presence was nodding. "Didn't you recognize her?" Jaylin? How could that be? Yet as he thought about it he did recognize her. It was her feelings that filled his mind with color, and her familiar force that seemed part of him now. His hand moved to rest on his sword.
"The lightning?" He heard himself ask, that being the only explanation he could think of on how Jaylin's soul had been joined to him. Xellos nodded, winced slightly, and sighed.
"In part," he allowed softly. "She was always yours, Zelgadis, just not in the way you expected." Zel remembered him saying that before, and Jaylin herself had quoted him in that phrase, but he had not truly understood what it meant until just now. So Jaylin was his, joined to him more tightly than any lovers the world had ever known because she was a part of him. But why were they joined thus? Was it simply a failed resurrection spell or something more significant? There had to be some reason. Thousands of couples were separated from the other by death all the time. What made Jaylin and him so special?
"This has to do with Jaylin's magic doesn't it?" It had to be. Jaylin's peculiar magic that had no name or specific trait, yet it had enabled her to magnify power, or to absorb it almost at will. He had thought that everything was ended now that she was dead, but now he was second guessing himself.
"You never are content with what you have are you?" Xellos sighed. "But you are right. It does have very much to do with Jaylin's magic, and your own. You have a great test ahead of you, Zelgadis Greywers."
"Test? What test? Everything is over, priest, we have won."
"It is far from over, Zelgadis. It will not be over until there is another beginning."
"More puzzles, more games, can nothing you say ever make sense?"
"Do not worry so, I will teach you all you need to know, and Jaylin will help you with the rest. You did dream of her did you not?" Was there anything he did not know?
"I did, but what has she to do with this?"
"She is as new to this as you are, but she will quickly learn and be able to communicate with you with words instead of only colors and feelings. She will be more sensitive to what you must do when the time comes. I will begin your preparation to the best of my ability, and the rest is up to you and Jaylin." As he spoke his voice became melancholy, as if he were longing for something that was unobtainable to him. Zel didn't know what to make of it.
"I still do not understand."
"Do not question so fervently. We have a little time yet, and this is not the place for explanations. Concentrate first on the funeral, and Jaylin's family, and then we shall worry about your answers." Berihn came out of the inn then, brushing past Xellos, laden with provision packs and his blade. He asked no questions of either of them as to what they had been speaking of, deeming it none of his business. Berihn had changed completely and totally from the commanding, almost arrogant, person that he had been when leading Mestronia. He had been humbled down to the simple content of a servant, securing everything into place in the back of the cart and completely ignoring the other two men.
"All is prepared, Lord," were the only words he spoke as he pulled himself up into the driver's seat and gathered the reins into his hand. Lina came back outside to see them off, Gourry hovering protectively at her side, his hand unconsciously around her shoulders, winking at Zel when she noticed that Amelia was still no where to be found. He was thankful that his stone skin would hide any blush at all the implications the action had made.
"I hope you find what you're looking for," she said to him, coming close to shake his hand in parting, making him wonder if indeed he was looking for something. Everything was over, yet he was still trying to find himself, the him that had been before the chimera, even though that young man was lost and could never be recovered no matter how desperate the quest.
"And you," he muttered back, nodding his head. Lina would never slow down as long as there was something else to investigate, but he doubted if he would ever encounter her again where he was going. Tegyrn. Back to the forests of Tegyrn until Xellos decided that it was time for his next adventure to begin. She smiled, stepped back into the comfort of Gourry's side, content. They were close now, having lived through so much, and Zel knew that they would never be separated in this lifetime. The color flared up with that thought, a soothing, rolling ocean blue that seemed to communicate that she was still there and that they were just as close as the sorceress and her protector, and could not be separated ever again. He allowed himself to enjoy that feeling as Lina and Gourry went their own way, and would have continued reveling in Jaylin's presence if it weren't for Berihn touching his elbow to gain his attention.
"Lord?" He whispered. "We're ready to go." Zel nodded to him, and looked back to Xellos who was pushing himself away from the doorframe. He took two staggering steps, almost falling, before Zelgadis caught him, holding him steady.
"What's wrong?" He questioned, thinking there was some injury done to the priest that had not been noticed before.
"The staff is broken, the Angel of Summer has flown, and I am tired of it all." His voice was barely audible, Zel only heard due to his demon enhanced senses.
"The staff? Was it so essential to you?" He felt Xellos sniff in semi-amusement.
"More than you know. Please, no more questions, I just want to rest for a while." A little concerned, Zel assisted the priest to the cart, all but lifting him into the back so he could settle in next to the coffin. He sighed, closing his eyes in a wince that softened into a look of complete exhaustion. It made Zel wonder what he meant, and what the significance was of the staff. Berihn gave him a confused look, but he could only shake his head. The only way he would know anything was through the priest, and it didn't seem that he would be in a very talkative mood for quite some time.
The trip to Tegyrn was quiet and fairly quick. The cart had no problem passing through the flat lands of the plains, and the horse was a fine animal. Xellos kept to himself for the most part, saying next to nothing, eating even less, and he needed help moving about. He never complained about anything, but it was obvious that something was wrong, something more than simple fatigue, but Zel decided not to press him. He had other things on his mind, the foremost being what he was going to tell Tyarli about her daughter. It had been hard enough to bear the bad news about her husband, and now he had to do it again. Even though Jaylin was not truly dead, there was no way he could get her to believe the truth of the matter when her physical body was lying in that coffin. It would probably be better for her this way anyhow. She could have confirmation, her grief, and then her new life afterward.
When they did reach Tegyrn eight days later, the wind carried a chill to it, warning that autumn was close. The wind did not help the priest's condition at all, causing him to wrap himself securely in his cloak and go into a deep trance like state that Zel could not rouse him from no matter how hard he attempted.
He was greeted warmly by the elder of the village, who recognized him first, and it wasn't very long after that Tyarli herself was running from her task of hanging laundry to meet him, her deep brown eyes shining with eagerness at what he would tell her.
"Zelgadis!" She cried, throwing herself into his open arms with such force it was a wonder she didn't hurt herself. "You've no idea how glad I am to see you return. I'd thought you were dead." He smiled, hugging her as tightly as he dared for she was the only mother he had ever known who had cared for him at all.
"After what I've been through there is no reason I should be alive, surely, but I was saved for something."
"And Jaylin?" Her hope was so strong it was almost tangible, and Zel felt something catch in his throat as he looked into her eyes. If will alone were strong enough, Tyarli would have brought Jaylin back to life in that very instant with nothing else save the desire she had to see her daughter one more time.
"She is gone," he told her gently, unable to bring himself to say that she was dead when he knew very well that it was a lie. "She sacrificed herself to save the city of Sairaag. She went with honor and glory will forever hang about her name." Those were the only things he could think of to comfort the poor woman who had lost both her husband and her daughter within a year. Her face fell into a mask of despair, her eyes losing their shine and her shoulders hunching forward with the burden of sorrow he had just bestowed upon her. Jaylin's presence raised up in his mind with a sunshine yellow swirl of sympathy, that she tried to extend through him to her mother.
Tyarli stepped away from his embrace, walking slowly to the cart where Berihn was helping Xellos down. She ran her hand over the surface of the wood, shaking her head as if to will the coffin away. Zel felt compelled to stand behind her, his hands on her trembling shoulders.
"It's not fair is it?" She murmured in a choked tone, reaching a hand up to scrub a tear from her cheek.
"No," he agreed, rubbing her arms gently. "It never is."
"Her star must shine on in your eyes now." She sniffed, and he gathered her to him again, not being able to do anything else to help her except to hold her. Berihn came up to them with several other young men following him to get the coffin from the cart and to take care of the horse. His black eyes softened when he saw Ty in Zel's arms, and he quickly stepped to their side.
"The Elder wishes to speak to you, Lord," he spoke low in Zel's ear. Zel glanced at the shaking woman he held tightly, but Berihn placed his hand on her back, allowing Zel to relinquish her to the Plainsman. She went readily, and it seemed natural for him to hold her that way.
"I've made the necessary preparations for the funeral," the Elder said, his voice quivering both from age and sadness. "I only wish to know where you'd like the grave." Zel smiled, knowing exactly where to put it.
"South from the valley, in the woods, there is a stone in the shape of a chair. It is this stone that I wish for her monument." The Elder nodded slowly, his hand to his chin.
"I know the place," he finally said. "I shall set them working on it tonight while you and your companions rest yourselves. We shall hold the ceremony tomorrow if it pleases you."
"Yes, as soon as possible would be best. Thank you." The old man shrugged, waving Zel away.
"It is fine, now go and rest yourselves. A place has been prepared for you in the meeting house, and your horse has been taken care of." Zel nodded, several times, then went off for the meeting house, where Xellos, Berihn, and Tyarli already were. Jaylin's mother was making tea in the large fireplace, a forced smile on her face.
"I must do something useful or drive myself mad," she quickly told Zel before he could order her away to grieve. Leston, Jaylin's younger brother, was there as well, huddled in a corner in a miserable ball. Zel spared him a long look, but there wasn't anything he could think of to say to him so he left him alone to his own sorrow.
Berihn seemed torn between serving Xellos or Tyarli. In fact, ever since they had arrived his eyes never seemed to leave the woman. It could have been because she reminded him of Jaylin, or that she was in need of his comfort, or it might have been something else entirely. At this point, Zel really didn't care, his concerns were more on Xellos at the moment.
The priest looked old and worn, wrapped in his cloak beside the large fireplace, his back propped against a wooden pillar and his eyes closed. Zel took the cup that Ty offered him, and placed it in Xellos' hands. The priest looked up, smirking as he lifted the cup to his lips.
"How are you?" He asked softly, kneeling before him, watching the flame shadows flicker over his face. Maybe this time he would get a straight answer.
"Tired, Zelgadis, I am tired." He wouldn't say more, only gave the teacup back to Zel, having taken only one sip, and curled up in his cloak in the straw. Zel shook his head, and Jaylin swirled through his mind with a worried mist of brown and gray.
"Zel?" He twisted to look up at Tyarli standing over him. Leston was at her side, her arm comfortingly around his shoulders. "You'll be all right?" He gave Xellos a glance before nodding.
"Yes, you don't have to worry about us. Just get on home." She hugged her son tight, reached out a hand to squeeze Zel's shoulder, and left the town meeting house to return to her own home. Berihn watched her go, an unreadable expression on his face. Zel didn't know what to make of him, but didn't really want to worry about it. He decided to go into the forests to think things through.
The moon gave him very little light as he made his way through the tangle of branches to his old home, but he didn't need any help finding where he was going. He had grown up here, and he knew where everything was. Jaylin filled his mind with comfortable shades of red and blue as he walked. She knew where they were, might even be seeing through his eyes for all he could tell, and she was glad of the familiar surroundings. He could feel her excitement lightening his mood in its child like simplicity, and found himself smiling because of it.
"Jaylin," he whispered into the night as he stood on the edge of the mountain that overshadowed the valley of Tegyrn. "What do you think of all this?" She swept through with a questioning haze of smoky gray. "Xellos' riddle, Xellos himself, what does he expect us to do?" There was a reassuring burst of red, but no explanations. Zel knew that she had a better understanding of what was happening, but no way to communicate it yet. It wasn't for lack of trying either. They had spent many nights like this, alone on the plains as they traveled to Tegyrn simply getting used to the idea of her being joined to him in this fashion. He understood her emotions now, but her thoughts were still shadowed from him. She tried, but their exercises together generally ended up with her quitting in a frustrated flash of black. In the end, Zel drew his sword, watching her soul twinkle inside the pommel, and going through the familiar comfort of the forms in the moonlight. There would be time for puzzling Xellos' riddle when the priest deemed it time to give him more information. In the meantime, there was the sword, and Jaylin, and the starlight.
The sun shone brightly on the day of Jaylin's funeral, but the breeze carried the promise of the cool autumn. The entire town of Tegyrn was there, covering the fresh grave with the last of the summer's wildflowers. Zel stood apart, staring at the ground with indifference. Jaylin was not there, even now he could feel her, a warm presence in his mind. The only sorrow he felt was for Tyarli who stood with her son close beside her, holding her hand tightly. Berihn hovered at her other side, murmuring words of apology and comfort. Since the Plainsman had said that he would not be returning to Mestronia Zel suspected very strongly that he meant to stay with Ty. He shrugged, feeling very distant from those who had been a major part of his life just a short time ago. Lina and Gourry were gone, following their own path that would continue in circles throughout the land. Amelia more than likely training to become a shrine maiden in the holy city Seyruun. But what of himself? Was there nothing left to him but to follow the crazy priest all over creation? And what of the priest? He was standing next to the chimera, leaning on an oaken staff that had been cut for him, his eyes on the grave and a small smile on his lips.
"What about you, Xellos?" He asked the man. "What will you do?"
"We need to go home," he murmured, his voice a hoarse whisper that made Zel turn to consider him.
"Where is that?" He asked quietly as the mourners made their way back to the town. The priest stared off to the west, his eyes longing and tired.
"The mountains of Sairaag." Zel hung his head. They had just come from there, now they would have to go back? "That is where you'll be trained."
"Why can I not be trained here?"
"Because that is where she is waiting for me. I have to go to her before the summer ends." Relying heavily on the staff, Xellos began to pick his way back to town.
"Her? What do you mean?"
"Tariel, she's calling me to her, and she waits for me in Sairaag."
"Xellos, you're ranting." He smirked, laboring his way through the makeshift trail made by the mourners.
"No, it will be made perfectly clear to you on the way. We'll leave early tomorrow."
"I do not think you are strong enough to make the journey again, at least not now.
We'll stay here and rest a few days, until you're ready, and then if you still wish to do this, we'll go."
"Tomorrow, Zelgadis, we're leaving tomorrow. No amount of rest is going to help me now, don't you understand? The Angel of Summer has flown and I am going with her before Meleyal takes her reign. I need to return to Sairaag, and I need you to --" He cut off, his hand raised to his temple, hunching over in some silent pain. Zelgadis grabbed his arm to steady him, watching him closely as he'd been doing for days for some sign of injury, but as usual couldn't find any. He felt Jaylin reach out her presence to him in comfort.
"Easy, priest. If it is so important to you then we'll leave this afternoon, but I still don't think it is a good idea." Xellos smiled in the fashion that he used to that had a tendency to make Zel grind his teeth. He took a deep breath, straightening himself, and continued on toward the village moving very slowly. Zelgadis watched him, not knowing what to make of it all. If what Xellos had to teach him was so important, why was he procrastinating? What was in Sairaag that called him back with such force? He hadn't meant to get actual answers to these questions, it was simply idle wondering, but Jaylin attempted to respond anyway, and it surprised him. First there was a scarlet orb centered in the back of his head, resembling the staff that Xellos had carried where ever he went. He had yet to find the significance of that staff. He was puzzling what she meant to tell him with this, when it shattered exactly the way it had when Rezo had sent the spell through it, and a flash of crimson exploded in all directions. The flash was so intense he had to grab onto a tree to keep himself from becoming dizzy with the vision. Jaylin proceeded to show him a flame that grew smaller and dimmer until it had snuffed itself out completely. He knew she was trying to communicate with him, but was having difficulty understanding what she meant.
"Xellos is dying isn't he?" He whispered into the cool autumn breeze. By now the priest was out of hearing distance, and he was safe speaking to himself out here in the protection of the trees. Assent filled him in a miserable shade of dark purple. "And that's why he wants to go home to Sairaag in such a hurry." There was a short puff of green, as if Jaylin had sighed, before she receded into a warm presence at the back of his skull. There was a certain sadness to the realization of that. True, Zel harbored no real love for the priest. He'd been manipulated far too much for that, but he had developed a respect for Xellos' power and knowledge.
The Mestronians came to Tegyrn that night, their coming announced loudly by a bugle's note. Zel had almost forgotten that it was time for their yearly pilgrimage and for the choosing. And with Berihn there it was a wonder it was happening at all.
Reskir was leading them, astride his pale sand colored horse, his dark hair waving into his eyes in the wind. The Elder came out to meet them, and the girls lined up as usual, but Berihn came out to stop it all. The Whitemaster was obviously ecstatic to see his lord again, leaping from his mount to grip his shoulders as if he expected never to see him alive.
"What are you doing here, Berihn?" He asked, smiling broadly, stepping back to examine the master of Mestronia. "I'd thought you'd gone to see Rezo." Berihn shook his head.
"That's a long story. One that a bard will sing someday."
"I'll have time to listen on the way back, and since you are here I'll trust you to the Choosing."
"There will be no choosing this year, Reskir." The girls in line began chittering among themselves while Zel watched from his perch on the town well. No choosing? Then Berihn was serious in saying that Mestronia would be no more. "As for the girls I wish for you to release them, except for Deseray. I want you to care for her. She has done more for us than you'll ever know. Take care of her and take Mestronia. It's yours now. The only thing I ask is that you do not use it in the way it has been used."
"What of the other Colormasters? And the Breaker?"
"They are free. I wish for Mestronia to redeem itself. There will be no more slaves. Go now. I will not be joining you." Reskir stared at the man as if he'd never seen him before, but he did nod his head in acceptance of his last wishes. The girls rushed back to the arms of their relieved families before anyone could change their minds. Jaylin swirled up in a happy yellow mist at the decision, and Zel smiled in reaction to her. Reskir mounted his horse again, giving the signal to the men who accompianied him that they were to go on ahead. He turned his beast to follow, but looked back once more at the Plainsman.
"Deseray?" He asked, the beginnings of a smile on his lips.
"That's right."
"And you're staying here?"
"For good." He shrugged, then spurred the horse to catch his companions as they made their way back to Mestronia. Only, there would be no Mestronia once they reached it. The slave trade was dying. Soon there would be no more slaves to be found in any land. Young girls could remain with in their homes, and stories like Jaylin's and Zel's could cease to exist.
"You've made the right choice, Plainsman," Zel said as Berihn walked past. "I have a request since you are staying here." He stopped, giving Zel a glance.
"What's that?"
"Tomorrow I'm going back to Sairaag with the priest. I need you to watch out for Tyarli for me."
"Back to Sairaag? Why would you need to do this?"
"It is as the priest wants. He has something to teach me. You know how he is. Nothing straightforward if he can go about it in a secretive manner." Berihn nodded in understanding.
"I've noticed. Very well. I'll do as you ask," he paused to give the chimera a wink. "And with pleasure." Zel didn't know how he felt about Berihn becomming involved with Ty, but his worry for the priest superseded what he thought about the match. Jaylin didn't seem to mind, or she might just be too preoccupied with something else to be paying much attention.
Ty was waiting for him when he reached the meeting hall that night. Xellos was already there, curled up in the straw, apparently asleep. She smiled in welcome, coming to embrace him quickly in a maternal gesture.
"He told me that you were leaving tomorrow," she began, nodding to where the priest was curled in his cloak. "I've packed some food for you, and some tea for him. He's going to need it, I think. It really isn't a good idea for him to travel. He's so exhausted I'm afraid he's going to make himself sick."
"I know, but he's set to do this. There's no talking him out of it now. It's very important to him."
"What about you?"
"I don't care either way. I have nothing to hold me here, or in Sairaag. I may as well follow the priest. I doubt he'd make it back home by himself."
"You'll come back won't you?"
"I don't know. Perhaps I'll find my way home again, but if not I've made sure that you will be cared for."
"I'm not worried about that. I can care for myself in any case. I'm more worried about you." He smiled at her, shaking his head slowly.
"You shouldn't. I've got everything I need."
"I'm getting tired of farewell, Zelgadis."
"You aren't the only one." He smiled in what he hoped was a soothing manner as she gathered her things and departed for home, the moonlight shimmering over her hair as she walked. Berihn met up with her before she'd gotten too far, and together they made their way.
"They will be safe here," croaked Xellos' voice, making Zel turn from the doorway to see him sitting up and staring. "Nothing can harm them now."
"That is a good thing to know," Zel allowed, coming to sit cross-legged before the priest. "Everything is arranged. We can leave first thing in the morning." He nodded tiredly.
"Well done." He lowered himself back down to the straw, and was asleep within moments. All Zel could do was shake his head in wonderment, and then fell asleep himself as he enjoyed the swirling gray-green that Jaylin sent into his head as she herself rested.