A/N: Helloooooo! I'm sorry for the short update, but at least it has something vital in our story! Gourry, Amelia, and Sylphiel don't really appear, though, save for the fact that Gourry is the one to deliver the fish to the campfire. Lol. Chapter dedicated to my loyal follower, Kaylove75. Thank all of you so much for reading this story!
Disclaimer: I don't own Slayers...sadly...If I did, the second season would have ended with Zelgadis kissing Lina in the Sea of Chaos.
Chapter 29:
Zelgadis pushes through the undergrowth outlining the forest and curses under his breath, still startled and mortally terrified about what recently happened on the path. "Who does Vraak think he is, driving me mad? Xellos?" he mumbles, continuing to curse even as he fishes for dinner. He knows he'll be here for a while, as Gourry has a huge appetite and the trickling brook isn't exactly plentiful.
He decides to consider all that has happened to them since the beginning of this adventure. Not only did he decide to give up on his cure for good, he went out looking for one with Lina. As he thinks more about it, he comes to the conclusion that, obviously, Beast Master Zelas is somehow working with Vraak to get something out of them. Whatever it is, he doesn't really wants to know, he thinks, but it must be another one of those plots to toss the world back into the Sea of Chaos, of which Lina will eventually stop. Other than that, they could be plotting to get Lina on their side again, which is unlikely, or they could be attempting to kill all of them in one blow. That's probably the most likely explanation.
Zelgadis finally gathers up enough fish to feed both Gourry and Amelia; the princess often has a rather ravenous appetite, and the chimera doesn't want to be on the other end of the table when she begins inhaling her food.
So, as far as he can tell, Zelas has kidnapped Lina in order to pull together a larger plot that most likely includes the entire world, if not the universe, by luring them in with a false bribe of a cure.
Well, technically, if I'm believing Vraak's word here, she didn't lie. Zelgadis lets out a sigh and calls Gourry over. The blonde swordsman carts the fish back to their small clearing, and Zelgadis leans back against a tree at the edge of the stream. He takes a deep breath of the cool, clear air, and despite the sun's heat, feels utterly content for the first time in weeks. He almost forgets for a moment that Lina isn't there, but when he doesn't hear the usual Fireball that means she's cooking fish, his enlightened heart is pierced by a wicked black arrow and just flutters back down again.
"I'm sorry, Lina," he murmurs softly, staring up at the cloudless blue sky and wondering where she could be.
"Sorry for what, Zel?"
Zelgadis' ears prick just a moment before she appears from behind the very tree he's leaning against. Tilting his head upwards to look up at her face, he doesn't think he's ever seen anything more beautiful. Her pale but rosy cheeks glisten in the sunlight, and her ruby red eyes glint with that familiar mischievous glow. Her scarlet hair dances in the slight breeze, whereas his own remains immobile.
"Lina..." he breathes as she prances around the tree and offers a hand out to him. "Is that...really you?" Accepting her hand, he rises to his feet and thus towers above her.
She places both clenched hands at her hips with a huff. "Zelgadis Greywords, I am not a mirage! I can't believe you'd even think that!"
"Maybe I didn't and I'm just shocked that you're actually standing right in front of me." He offers her a small smile, taking one of her hands in his.
Her eyes glisten with unshed tears for a moment, and she replies softly, "It came at a cost, Zelgadis. You know that I couldn't have gotten away without some sort of sacrifice."
His eyes narrow. "What happened?" he murmurs. Together, the both of them sit with their backs against the tree. For a while, Lina refuses to meet his azure gaze.
"I was being held in a cell," she begins. "Although it was a rather nice cell, with a comfy mattress and a chair to sit on. Carpeted. The room was dark, and, might I add, I was starving my behind off. I was doing everything I could possibly think of to get someone's attention and bug them until they gave me food, but then Xellos appeared.
"He told me that we had to hurry, and that he was letting me out. The entire time, he kept glancing around. I couldn't really tell what he was thinking, but I know he was anxious. He didn't speak for a while as I was picking up my collection of items. He took me through the Astral Plane to somewhere near here. I think it was about a mile or two away, at most. Not far." She meets his gaze, her eyes watering. "Xellos told me to hide, and so I did. I got as far away as I could while still keeping him in sight. He said that he would give me a signal to run as fast as I could.
"That's when Vraak appeared. He said something to Xellos, pestered him for a bit, but then they got home to business and I saw him flash a victory sign behind his back. That's when I knew he expected me to win against this guy, when I met up with you guys later."
Lina sobs slightly as the tears start to flood down her cheeks, and she buries her face in Zelgadis' tunic, her voice muffled. "Xellos died. I could hear his screams, like when he fought Gaav. It was terrifying. We've lost a valuable ally."
"Ally..." Zelgadis repeats softly, staring into the trickling water with a distant expression. "I never thought Xellos would sacrifice so much for our ragtag group of four. Isn't that strange?" He awkwardly lays a hand on Lina's crimson head and waits for her to settle down.
She takes a short breath and whispers, "All I know, Zelgadis, is that unless we all work together, we're doomed."
