Chapter Twenty-Six: Tactics
There was no time for discussion. Following Lina, Xellos raced through the wide, decorative corridors of what he now could confirm was the palace of Seyruun. Galveira bobbed on her back, snugly pinning her cape. Even in the dim sconce lighting, he could make out ornate statues and fine works of art lining the walls, the pointy edges of the Bow of Light. They were in a wing of the palace he had never infiltrated so he was relieved that Lina knew the way, especially since he could no longer teleport.
Running ahead of him, Lina looked back and yelled, "Can you cast any magic, Xellos?"
It was something he hadn't contemplated. Even as a monster, he knew that he could cast some magic, but he didn't. It was far weaker than anything else he could use. But now, it would be quite helpful. Regardless of his skill level or abilities, however, he wanted to keep as much about his power a secret from them, at least for as long as he could.
"It's not that I can't cast magic." He responded, catching up to her, but not quite matching her pace. "It's more like I haven't had a reason to cast any in a great while. I guess you could say I'm a bit rusty." He smiled nonchalantly, maintaining what would have been a facade, hiding his actual experience. Besides, it wasn't a lie. From time to time, he had cast some magic, but it was never the destructive kind Lina used. Although, he was certain that, with a little practice he could learn. He was confident in his abilities, his knowledge. It was the practical experience that he lacked.
The ground rumbled under Xellos' feet as they finally rounded a corner into the palace's great hall which was full of injured humans sprawled out on the floor, leaning against the walls. Their groans and complaints echoed in the cavernous building. A few dozen medics tended to them, but were clearly overwhelmed. Looking around as they rushed past the people of Seyruun, Xellos smirked at the sight of their suffering. He took pride in bringing misfortune upon them. Relieved in his satisfaction, Xellos followed slightly behind Lina as they headed for the towering stone doors at the entrance of the palace. While Lina gingerly dodged the limbs around the hall, Xellos enjoyed lightly kicking them, as if accidentally, as he rushed past. Darting through the open doors, past the supporting columns, they arrived in the courtyard, the brisk night air biting at Xellos' nose. It was an unwelcome surprise.
In the distance, just outside the wall surrounding the city, orange and red explosions flashed in the darkness. The smell of burning debris filled the air. It was a smell he always associated with Lina and found that he still preferred it when it was caused by her instead of what he assumed were lesser demons. Streaming blue lights illuminated the night sky above Xellos and Lina as frost spells soared above them. Turning on his heel, Xellos looked upward. Nearly a hundred sorcerers lining the perimeter of a massive parapet that circled the palace shot staggered waves of frost arrows in the direction of the explosions.
Zelgadis brushed past Xellos as he strode forward, joining with some of the Seyruun Guard. They spoke privately, Xellos watching them out of the corner of his eye as he took in the rest of his surroundings. Gourry and Amelia regrouped with him and Lina to the side of the entrance, moving out of the way of medics carting more injured civilians. Amelia stole worried glances in his direction. Coyly, he waved at her.
"Hi, Mr. Xellos." She murmured, barely audible over the explosions in the distance. "Are you feeling better now?"
"Quite." Xellos continued smiling nonchalantly at her. He maintained his usual appearance as if hiding behind his aloof facade.
Looking at him uncomfortably, Amelia fidgeted noticeably before continuing. "You were... bleeding, Mr. Xellos... are you sure that..."
"Enough about that, we have some butt to kick before we hightail it outta here." Lina interjected, cracking her knuckles. "Gourry, Xellos, Amelia - let's go!" Lina kicked off the ground, flying high into the air on a Ray Wing spell. Upon raising herself above Seyruun's highest buildings, Xellos had nearly lost sight of her in the darkness. Amelia immediately followed suit, with Zelgadis finding them shortly thereafter. Occasionally, more orb like spells illuminated the sky and them as they flew into the distance.
Gourry looked to Xellos as the three casters left their sights. "We should get going or they'll leave us behind." Grinning widely as he always did, he drew the Sword of Light and screamed his usual phrase. White energy erupted from the sword's hilt. A blue hue danced around them, illuminating the street and buildings, drawing attention from some of The Guard and civilians in the street. As much as Xellos hated seeing that stupid smile on Gourry's face, it was almost a relief knowing the weapon was back in his hands. It would certainly do Xellos more good in Gourry's possession than Zellas' now.
Reluctantly, Xellos followed after Gourry on foot. Fighting alongside him would probably be unavoidable, depending on how difficult the enemies were. Though he would have preferred to watch the others fight, he knew he would, eventually be required to contribute. As they rushed through the streets, pushing against the straggling civilians making their way to safety, Xellos couldn't help thinking on his lack of power. Being without his staff was troublesome enough. He felt almost naked without it, especially with a fight on the horizon. Casting anything felt odd in its absence.
Darting around a few food carousels, Xellos and Gourry found their way to the front of the city, arriving shortly after Lina, Amelia, and Zelgadis. The outer wall rumbled as another explosion pounded against it. Visible wear to the interior had begun to show. It wouldn't hold much longer and what spells Lina had placed several nights ago had already fallen. Smirking, Xellos remembered the reason he and Lina had not noticed why or when the barriers were compromised earlier that evening.
Xellos remained calm as Zelgadis relayed what he learned from the guard earlier. There were three lesser demons and a Mazoku attacking the city. Xellos didn't care about the minor details and couldn't have cared less about anything Zelgadis had to say, including the part about damage to the interior of Seyruun. His mind was, instead, occupied by strategies he couldn't use. There were countless spells that were now inaccessible. His arsenal had greatly decreased and that would absolutely be a hindrance if he had to contribute substantially. Galveira would be most useful against remote opponents, if he could persuade Lina to give it to him. In close quarters, however, Xellos realized he would be extremely vulnerable. It was in his best interest to take a back seat to the action as he had usually done in their presence, even if this was his fight. As much as it frustrated him, he was at Lina's mercy now. This was her territory.
"Xellos." Lina's commanding voice interrupted his thoughts. "Here." In a quick motion, she removed the legendary Bow of Light and offered it to him.
As if he had been elsewhere, Xellos mentally rejoined Lina and her comrades, accepting the bow confidently. A small smile formed on his face as he tilted his head slightly downward, concealing his eyes from Lina's comrades.
Immediately, Zelgadis objected. "Lina! This is ridiculous! You can't just give Xellos Galveira." The chimera approached her, outraged. "I've had enough of you coddling him. He's a Mazoku."
"I haven't forgotten that, Zel. But you've clearly forgotten just how valuable Xellos can be in a fight." Lina smirked, winking in Xellos' direction. "If you use your Mazoku powers, they can trace you right, Xellos?"
Looking up at her, he caught her tactic. "I suppose that can be said." He answered, following her strategic lead as she led them closer to the wall. Even though he was, technically, on their side for the time being, he still didn't feel comfortable divulging more information than necessary. Once he was himself again, they would probably become enemies from time to time. The less they knew, the better.
"There ya go, Zel." Lina shrugged as Zelgadis continued objecting under his breath. "I don't think we want to draw any more attention to ourselves than we already have." She stood confidently before her companions, Xellos slightly behind them.
Another wave of blue lights soared overhead, trailing a snowy powder behind them. As the Frost Arrows connected with the fires burning on the outer edge of Seyruun's wall, steam erupted. The embers sizzled on the other side of the wall as white smoke billowed from where the fires had once raged. Nodding to everyone, Lina grabbed Gourry by the hand, lifting him high into the air with a Ray Wing spell before landing at the top of the wall. Placing Gourry awkwardly down, Lina posed with her hands on her hips before her enemies, her cape flapping behind her back, cinder sparkling around her.
"Hey! Haven't you ever heard of knocking first?!" She snapped at the lesser demons and Mazoku that were still out of Xellos' sight. "This isn't the how you get a lady's attention, you know." Looking over her shoulder, she nodded at Xellos, Zelgadis, and Amelia before preparing a fireball and sending it over the wall.
Instantly, Zelgadis and Amelia took flight, following her lead. They sprinted along the rampart, preparing astral spells to deal with the Mazoku. Xellos didn't particularly want to help, but knew he needed to in order to gain the confidence of Lina's allies. He needed their aid in his revenge. With Galveira he wouldn't be completely useless and it was possible that, by paying attention to Lina and her companions he would be able to pick up on some magic. It wasn't foreign to him, but he certainly didn't want to reveal any weaknesses. He had already done enough of that for his entire lifetime in the past week. Lina was a big enough vulnerability, apparently.
Finding the stairs, Xellos climbed the stone steps quickly, clutching Galveira. Learning the RayWing spell was on the top of his list. On the other side of the wall, he heard Lina heckling her enemies. As he reached the top and looked out over the edge, he was just in time to see Gourry laid waste to the lesser demons. The lizard humanoids fell at the swordsman's feet, bodies ripped to pieces by the Sword of Light. Xellos scanned the battlefield, his eyes landing on the Mazoku and Lina. He had hoped he would have been able to identify their enemy, but without his powers, he could not read the Astral Signature of the short-statured Mazoku before them. It hunched over, keeping its face and limbs hidden under a long travelling cloak. The best he could ascertain by simply looking at his enemy was that it was weak comparatively.
Knowing firsthand how few of their spells would work on Mazoku, Xellos readied Galveira with his left hand. With his right, he gripped the air just inside the bow's curve, where the arrow should have met the cord at the knocking point. Pulling back, he concentrated on sending what power he could to the bow. Immediately, the weapon responded to his will, buzzing and illuminating. Smirking sinisterly, he proudly drew the arrow back, spreading the glow from the bright blue light around him. His power was distinctly weaker compared to when he had wielded the bow in the past, but he was probably the only one to notice. It still took the same shape, retained its pulsing nature. The moisture in the air snapped as it came in contact with his energy. Drawing it completely, he took aim. In doing so, he also drew the Mazoku's attention toward him.
As if on cue, two Ra Tilt emerged from just outside of Xellos' line of sight. One managed to knick the Mazoku, slowing him down and distracting him enough to prevent him from phasing into the Astral Realm. Their enemy was slow, almost dumb. It wasn't like Zellas to send such absurdly weak minions, Xellos contemplated. Zelgadis' voice rang out in the air, interrupting Xellos' thoughts, and encouraging Amelia to prepare another attack as Gourry charged forward. Lina remained behind, preparing an amplified Ragna Blade. Their battle chemistry together showed, even after such a long time had passed since they fought a formidable opponent. Following their lead, Xellos concentrated his energy, now determined to prove his worth.
Filling the Bow of Light with what power he could supply it in his weakened state, Xellos pulled back as far as he could on the energy, until the tension was at its greatest. The bow crackled between his fingers, the light pulsing around him. The heated energy almost spoke to him, telling him when the time was right to fire. Focusing on his target, Xellos gripped the riser tightly and released an arrow. It pierced the air, following his index finger's direction. The recoil's force pushed him back slightly. As his arrow whizzed past Lina, she leaned slightly to her right, dodging what was a larger attack than Xellos had thought possible. Gourry, on the other hand, barely managed to stumble aside, hopping on one foot to regain his balance. Curving slightly, Xellos' arrow found its target just as another two Ra Tilt connected. Their enemy, engulfed by intense blue flames erupted, smoldered, and vanished.
Xellos stood at the edge of the rampart, staring over the entrance to Seyruun. Though he took an immense amount of pride in dispatching the Mazoku so quickly, he knew he was already at his limit. Zellas' attacks and being ripped from the Astral Plane had taken their toll on him far more than just the physical injuries. It was everything he could do to maintain his composure as he noticed Lina and her party turning to ascertain the source of the arrow. Xellos' eyes fell on Lina. Her confident grin beamed back at him. She was, clearly, pleased with his contribution. He nodded subtly, respectfully to her. Without her providing him Galveira, he was certain he would have been unable to fight with them which would have raised too many questions from her comrades.
As she and the others flew over the wall, Zelgadis carrying Gourry this time, they recouped with Xellos. The Seyruun Guard rushed past them, securing the border of the city as Lina began discussing their predicament.
"It looks like all of our barriers and wards are down now so we need to get going. If we don't, Mazoku will just keep coming to Seyruun." Lina looked at each of her companions, her eyes lingering on Xellos a little longer as Zelgadis began rebutting her decision. Still unable to read her completely, Xellos was at a loss. On one hand, he thought her eyes were asking him if she should reveal everything. On the other, they were telling him to deal with it himself. Instead of leaving things to Lina, Xellos decided to offer an explanation.
He secured Galveira to his body with a strap Lina had clearly fashioned to look similar to his clothing. It was a small detail he had not initially noticed in their haste. Finding comfort in it, he stepped closer to the group. "It seems I'm going to need your assistance to... regain my former position."
"What?!" Zelgadis' enraged voice nearly interrupted him. Striding up to Xellos, he gripped him by his collar, almost raising him off the ground. "What's that supposed to mean? What did you do?!"
Smiling at the chimera sheepishly, Xellos humbly responded. "If you'd just let me explain, I'm sure we can come to some kind of understanding."
Lina, backing her lover up, placed a hand on Zelgadis' arm. Instantly, Xellos felt his stomach reacting to her actions. Maybe the sensations were so intense because he had never experienced the physical changes to his body, but he found himself disapproving Lina's actions. Pushing down on Zelgadis' arms, he forced the chimera to lower him. Though he wasn't as strong as he used to be and he was certain that he could no longer physically overpower the chimera, it and Lina's touch were enough to convince Zelgadis to concede.
Zelgadis stared angrily at Xellos, shooting disapproving looks in Lina's direction as Xellos began explaining what he was willing to divulge.
"It's a bit of a long story, but the gist of it is that Beastmaster, one of Lord Ruby Eye Shabrinigdo's five servants and my master, has become rather obsessed with destroying me and Lina. The spells I had you cast concealed our presence for a while, but it appears they've fallen much sooner than I anticipated." Xellos did his best to maintain the appearance of his facade, hoping to look as normal as possible. Now that the short-lived battle had subsided, he was starting to feel the effects of using Galveira in his still weakened state. He needed to keep things short. It didn't take Mazoku abilities to sense skepticism from Zelgadis and Amelia. "Perhaps we should discuss this over a meal?" He raised a finger and grinned coyly.
Lina seemed to pick up on his implications. "That sounds nice actually, don't you think Gourry?" Looking at Gourry, Lina rubbed her stomach. The swordsman immediately agreed and, in spite of Zelgadis' grumbling, they all proceeded to the palace.
"Weren't you just saying that we should get outta here, Lina?" Zelgadis protested as the palace came back into sight. He was usually a voice of reason, but also stubbornness. It irritated Xellos. He didn't like being questioned and he didn't like Zelgadis questioning Lina.
Shrugging, Lina immediately replied, almost nonchalantly. "Yeah, but, I doubt they're going to send anyone else right away. Besides, we shouldn't travel on empty stomachs."
Lina looked around her, a worried expression on her face as they began passing injured civilians and soldiers again. Had it not been for the clerics already tending to their needs, Xellos was certain Lina would have skipped out on her meal and stayed to help. Amelia, alternatively, had already rushed ahead and had begun treating a small boy leaning against a supporting column. These were her people, Xellos reminded himself. After a direct attack on her city, he could understand her immediate concern and need to help. It was perfectly in her nature but posed a threat to his plans. If she opted to stay to help, Xellos would lose a somewhat valuable ally. Then again, he reflected, she didn't know about her sister. So, maybe convincing her to stay would be preferable. The last thing he needed on this journey was unwanted drama and Naga would prove tough enough to wrangle.
"Hey, Miss Lina?" Amelia's voice came from behind them.
Lina paused and, without turning back, replied. "I know, Amelia. You do what you've gotta do. We'll catch up later." Waving once, almost casually, Lina continued walking toward her room, Xellos and her other comrades following behind her.
Apparently, Xellos thought, convincing Amelia wouldn't even be required. Persuading Zelgadis, however, especially now that Amelia may be staying in Seyruun could prove much more challenging. As they arrived in Lina's room, Zelgadis shot her and Xellos more disapproving looks. The room still smelled of sex and sweat. It was a scent Xellos had failed to notice in their haste.
"This is absurd." Zelgadis complained as he sat at the table, the chair creaking. He glanced between Lina and Xellos. "Gourry, surely you can't be alright with this."