xOxOxO
"To the leaders of the Alliance, her neighboring allies, and all those who join us in the pursuit of justice and truth!"
Amelia stood at the forefront of the Ruvinagald royal assembly chamber, a study in early imperial decadence with its wrought iron candelabras and gilded pillars. At the center of the ceiling were three magnificent frescoes depicting sacred myths of the coast's first fishermen and mythical ocean deities. No one was about to blow that up for a cheap stunt.
She'd dressed to match the occasion, her goddess-slash-bride-slash-war-hero dress expertly retooled into something closer to Dike or Astraea, with its emblems of wheat and gold altered into scales. Best of all, they'd cut away the dreaded crinoline and shortened the hoops into a gown that could withstand a long day of talking and high-intensity pointing.
"Thank you for coming together on such short notice, at such a dark hour," she continued. She'd decided the "dark hour" could refer to both the great tragedy in Calliope or the fact that she'd convened the session at six in the morning. Sometimes justice couldn't wait for sunrise. "This is a matter of the greatest import. Your presence here this week is desperately needed to ensure the coast remains stable and secure. World peace is at stake!"
She looked out over the crowd, more than three times the size of Calliope's equivalent parliament, but still smaller than any major officiating chambers in Seyruun. There was barely room for all the kings, queens, and accompanying diplomats in attendance. Amelia felt joy at how many faces she recognized, not merely as fellow royalty, but something closer to compatriots. There was Martina, beautiful and attentive; Zangulus, squinting over a massive carafe of coffee; Prince Miwan, still in a dress (he maintained pants were uncomfortable unless you were exercising); Pokota and the king of Taforashia; Wizer, nodding sagely. They weren't all her friends, exactly, but they were people she could ultimately trust to do the right thing. Surely they could make the world a better place if they worked together.
Amelia liked fighting and blasting evil in the name of justice. But she did like being a princess, too. The best part of it was days like this, when she got to do big things that helped people (and yes, dramatically expose villainy while she was at it). To snap your fingers and order food brought to the needy or medical care for the sick was a wonderful feeling. And now, to step in during a great crisis for thousands of innocents in need-well, what could be better than that?
xOxOxO
The thirty-eight bells of the Ruvinagald capital's carillon tolled noon, followed by a ponderous rendition of All Creatures Of Our Dragon King that echoed over every busy square and neighborhood. Zelgadis knew that noon meant a pause in the proceedings, scheduled for four straight days. It could well go longer if certain princesses couldn't be more concise.
He was inclined to let Amelia focus on her work, and determined to avoid Phil's other spies as much as possible, so Zelgadis instead focused on keeping peace in town. There were still plenty of tourists, but local officials fretted it wouldn't last. Ruvinagald's status as a popular summer getaway with serene beaches and quaint stone houses was under threat: a plague of sickly monsters tended to have that effect. No one knew what was causing the problem, only that it apparently originated from across the sea, towards the far west. Other than the unaccountable monster scourge Ruvinagald was more pleasant than ever, with bright asphodels and yarrow thriving under the vivid blue skies.
The skies were the first indicator that something might be amiss. A dark silhouette winged far over the horizon, only to collide with a small object and combust in a shower of feathers. When it happened a second time Zelgadis went to investigate. He followed the shapes back to the port, where a crowd had gathered for a good old-fashioned violent display. Close to the water Lina was tossing grenades to Gourry, who expertly struck each one with the flat of his blade and sent the projectiles soaring into the sky, where they exploded amidst wildebats, bedlam birds, and winged dragons. Filia and Sylphiel sipped tea at a nearby cafe table. Zelgadis, somewhat more hesitant to be around Lina and Gourry when there was live ordinance involved, hung back a bit beside the women and their tea.
"What's all this?" he asked.
"Oversized pest control," Lina said, frowning. "These things keep popping up, and Wizer's paying us to keep them at bay. We see one, we throw a bomb, kaboom, repeat."
She must really need the money if she's taking work from Wizer. "And you're not using magic?"
"There are too many of these things to keep up. I'm off spells for a coupla days anyhow."
That meant Amelia's royal meeting and the people of Ruvinagald were now much safer. Before Zelgadis could grapple with this unfamiliar sensation of optimism, the universe helpfully dashed it for him in the form of someone (some thing, rather) taking advantage of a brief recess. It landed hard on the patio table, shattering the tea saucers.
"Hey, gorgeous girls!"
Filia leapt up from her chair and backed far away, arms crossed over her face. Sylphiel just blinked in confusion. Pokota stared back at her with his flat button eyes.
"Haven't I seen you before?" he asked. When she just stammered in response, he jumped up and grabbed hard at Zelgadis's cowl so that it choked around his neck. "Who is she, huh? How do you know all these beautiful women? Is it 'cause you're so ugly that nature has to balance it out? What's the deal, mope rock?"
"I'm not here to introduce you," Zelgadis snapped, but he obliged on Sylphiel's behalf. Life had been a lot easier when he didn't feel bad about just walking away from situations that annoyed him. "Sylphiel, I apologize in advance. This is Pokota, who was with us in Seyruun a few years ago. Don't let him anywhere near Sairaag."
"Sairaag?" Pokota asked, perking up. "Isn't that where Rezo's lab was? He destroyed it, right?"
"Well..." Sylphiel tried to briefly explain what had happened to the lab and the curious, convoluted phenomenon of Copy Rezo. She was interrupted by Lina, who wasn't about to be upstaged by a fluffy interloper.
"Ugh, speaking of clones, who ordered my cheap mascot knockoff?"
Pokota stuck out his tongue and shook all his fists at her. "Nobody was talking to you, Queen Sexless Harpy of Flatsylvania! This is Rezo Club. You're not invited."
"We are not Rezo Club," Zelgadis said firmly. Sylphiel, who cherished being included in things, looked deflated.
"Who are you calling 'sexless', you little pest?" Lina retorted, grabbing Pokota and holding him over her head. "Because I sure don't see anything. Sylphiel, wanna see?"
Pokota squealed with tiny animalistic rage, and perhaps the only thing that spared them all from a wharfside Dragon Slave was the arrival of Zangulus, sword drawn and royal cape billowing behind him. He looked downright merry at the prospect of spending his lunch break in combat.
"Gourry!"
"Zangulus!" Gourry was so startled he ended up bunting a grenade at Lina, who narrowly avoided being roasted by spiking it into the water. It set off great rippling waves that rattled the docks. The crowd cheered. "How are you? What have you been up to all this time?"
"Being a father, being a king, sitting in meetings for hours at a time, so it goes." He held out his sword and grinned. "But I haven't stopped being a swordsman. Are you up for a match?"
"Oh…" Gourry scratched his head, and Zelgadis got the distinct impression that one of these subjects might have interested him more than swordfighting. But Gourry rarely spoke up about his opinions, and was generally willing to do whatever others asked of him. Zelgadis wondered what would happen on a day when Gourry got to make all the decisions. He envisioned several straight hours of eating, helping old ladies find misplaced coin purses, and teaching kids to swing sticks around. "That sounds great, but I have a job to do-"
"No you don't!" Lina cried. She raced to Gourry's side, hands balled in eager fists, and she danced around him. "Gourry, now is a great time for a fight! Especially if it's in the public square where we can sell tickets and arrange bets! Just imagine, the King of Zoana versus the Dashing Warrior of Light!"
"Dashing, huh?"
"What? N-no, that's just a title. If we called you the Jellyfish-Brain nobody would get excited." Despite this pretext her face flushed a bit as she dragged him away. Gourry must have said something else that vexed her, because she made a show of stepping hard on his foot that he just laughed off.
The rest of the grenades were left in their pile, forgotten forever. Naturally the only thing that could interrupt Lina from making money was the potential to make more money. Zelgadis looked at the pile, the beasts circling in the sky, the families torn between watching a duel and watching explosions, and back at the pile again.
"Let's go, Filia," he said. "I'll throw, you bat."
Filia had retreated nearly all the way back into town, but came slowly creeping back once she saw the patently offensive blade-eared faux animal had been recognized by her other friends. "Huh? Why me?"
"We might as well...I trust your swing."
After a fumbling start with her mace Filia proved to be a more reliable hitter than Gourry, launching grenades and striking monsters out of the sky with incredible precision. She could even adjust her hits to catch targets as they tried to evade, which Zelgadis assumed had come from a lot of experience with shifty monsters.
They slowly made their way through the pile, lobbing bombs well into the mid-afternoon. It would have been more bearable without Filia's self-satisfied "ha!"s and the impatient tap of her mace on the ground, but it was also the kind of asinine odd job he was used to doing in search of his cure, so he tolerated it as best he could.
"Filia...I was thinking about the shrine you mentioned, and that stone," he said, mostly in the hopes that she might stop criticizing his pitch.
"Oh, yes!" she exclaimed, ecstatic that someone had been listening to her. "You know, I've been concerned about it too. We've got to convince Lina-san to give us the stone and return it to the shrine. I'm just distraught thinking of all the terrible things that could happen without it!"
"And you think it can reverse curses…like mine?"
"Of course it can," Filia held her upturned nose high in the air. "It can restore anything changed by unnatural magic, that's why it was built. I'm sure it could cure you!"
This assurance didn't mean much given Filia's history of boundless confidence regarding things she knew nothing about. But creating gold was supposed to be at the very outer limits of forbidden magic, yet the sorcerers in Calliope had only needed the stone to set it in motion. If a single stone had that power, then maybe its source really could cure him.
Still, Zelgadis knew anything of real value didn't stay hidden for long. People like him had probably robbed the living daylights out of it centuries ago. But maybe he didn't need the shrine at all. With enough magical energy…
Not that he would consider something so dark. He did have something resembling a moral code, but it was somewhat indistinct and would probably appall anyone who considered themselves a good person. One tenet, if you could call it that, was that wanting something was not sufficient reason to kill someone. Long before the quest to resurrect Shabranigdu sent them all down a much darker path, the good priest Rezo had preached that everyone has value and every living soul is a child of the gods. Counterpoint: Pokota, Zelgadis thought. Pokota's magical power almost equals Lina's...and he already stores things in his chest…Did his ambiguous moral code allow for inflicting monstrous harm on Pokota? There was one way to find out.
"Zelgadis-san," Filia said urgently, "do you see that?!"
He turned back right as something pointy and blazingly fast surged towards them. It veered and tilted as it cut through the air. Filia stepped ahead to knock it from orbit, but it blasted past her before she could take a swing, leaving a trail of vapor that smelled like cold, astral fear. The blow demon part of him was roused awake and hungry.
Sylphiel had already thrown up a forceful Defense barrier, shielding the screaming spectators. "Get them out of here," Zelgadis ordered, both to her and Filia; Filia's offensive capabilities were no help when trying to limit collateral damage. He took off after it with a Raywing and cursed under his breath.
"Bam Rod!" He lashed at it as they hurtled into a cramped back alley, and almost struck it, but it swung out of the way just inches from the end of his whip. His second try knocked it upwards, and as it spun Zelgadis got a better look. It had a slender, cylindrical body with two long hooked arms like an anchor. Zelgadis landed to reserve energy and whipped at it again, then maneuvered it out of the ally towards an open square with fewer flammable targets.
The creature at last acknowledged his presence. You can't beat me, it thought at him from the astral plane, and Zelgadis found himself agreeing although he knew this was objectively false. He almost dropped his sword in defeat, compelled by an impulse neither spiritual nor human but somehow both. That hesitation gave the monster space for an attack, a sonic vibration that sent him spiraling hard into the stone ground. The shock of pain against his long scar jolted him and Zelgadis started as though he'd been asleep.
What the hell was that?
Footsteps sounded from all directions: phalanxes of guards, royals and nobles led by someone in white, and thrill-seeking tourists who couldn't tell the difference between a great show and actual danger. The fear of looking stupid in public gave Zelgadis new determination. He cast a quick Diem Wind to keep the monster in place as he scrambled to his feet.
"Astral Vine!" he shouted, spinning the blade pommel around in his hand for a firmer grip, then thrust straight at the monster where its arms were joined. The blow split it in half, and the beast faded into the ether.
It was a moderate inconvenience all things considered, maybe a three or a four on the fighting scale, but something about it was much more disquieting. Zelgadis an inexplicable sensation that this monster, a bizarre demon he'd certainly never seen before in his entire life, was something he knew. The notion was nauseating.
"Zelgadis-san!"
He turned around and realized that the person in white was Amelia, followed by Phil, a nonplussed Wizer, and the rest of the princely throng. She was watching him with an expression he knew all too well, eyes shining and heart-shaped mouth partially open. The pupils of her deep blue eyes wobbled with awe, as though he'd done something tremendous and not banal. Slaying monsters was sort of their thing, after all. Yet she was always impressed.
A long time ago he'd relished that look for the sheer novelty it represented, that anyone might be able to find anything about his wretched form admirable or-or-he was so ashamed to so much as think the word, even with the most innocent possible meaning-desirable. But that had been when she was a naive teenage girl, not a capable adult who'd punched a Dark Lord. It didn't help that she was decked out in fineries befitting a fairy tale, bold and resplendent and shimmering with each glance of her circlets, like a classical painting of a short and annoyingly chipper goddess. Whatever it had been back then, now it was…
He ran through a number of options and settled on "her fault" as he sheathed his sword. A lingering sense of helplessness still pricked at his senses.
"Hey, Wizer," he said, feeling more at a loss for words than usual and actively resenting her for it, "give my cut to Lina and Gourry. I already have a salary."
xOxOxO
According to Maximarchus's Complete Archive of the Known World, all the centuries of Calliope's history could be covered in just six hundred forty pages. In five days Amelia and the others had produced more than that just about their working group metrics. In a mission that was half-trial of the century, half-nation building, they'd generated thousands of speeches, documents, new governments, new guild assignments, and, yes, punishments. With the approval of Calliope's remaining leaders, they had at least outlined the way forward. It was a start Calliope could be proud of. And they would be proud, as long as the official record didn't mention how many people had voted for throwing the king of Calliope off a cliff.
Amelia was reflecting on this about fifteen minutes before midnight, taking in the night from the rooftop above Ruvinagald's mammoth bell tower. All of the coast unfolded at her feet amidst darkness and torches that dotted the countryside. She could make out the faraway mountains of Ralteague and, behind her, the familiar mountains and rolling hills that she knew marked the border of Seyruun.
There were two loud taps on the roof beneath her. Puzzled, Amelia crept to the edge and lay flat, then carefully lowered herself so that her whole torso bent over the side.
"Zelgadis-san!" He was so close she could've given him an upside-down headbutt. She was glad she kept her tunic tucked in under a belt. "How did you know I was up here?"
Zelgadis stared, and she could tell he took the question as an insult to his intelligence. "It's the highest point in town."
"It is...and isn't it just the most amazing view?"
"I can't tell," he replied. Chagrined, Amelia pulled back up. She crossed her fingers and rested her chin on top, looking back at the sea.
In any event there was nothing for two people to do on a secluded rooftop late at night, so it was a good thing when he spoke up. "Lina and Gourry are doing a night patrol around the capital's border." Because he was Zelgadis, he didn't ask if she wanted to join them; because she was Amelia, she wouldn't have needed to say yes. They set off for the edge of town and its tall border walls.
It was the first time in almost a week that they'd had the opportunity to exchange more than a couple passing words, but Zelgadis was in no hurry to talk. When Amelia tried to ask what he'd been up to he just grunted something about star charts. "You're the one who's been busy," he said, which Amelia took as a cue to fill the air until he was ready. Early reports indicated the situation in Calliope was spiraling fast, with wild price fluctuations triggering violent clashes and arson. One major priority was ensuring that the flow of basic necessities remained stable. Zelgadis showed renewed interest when she mentioned her recommendation that Martina oversee the food and fuel supply chains.
"Martina?" he repeated in disbelief. "You suggested putting Martina in charge of something so important?"
"She's a very hard worker with lots of valuable experience in starting over," Amelia said. "The others agreed, too."
"She kidnapped you and held you hostage."
"That was a long time ago."
"Not that long. Some things…"
"Some things what? Are worth holding a grudge?" Amelia turned to him, and his lips were pursed in a way that made her think he didn't fully disagree. "And who did she hire to hold me hostage, again?"
He crossed his arms and scowled. "I was going to say she's got a track record of poor judgment."
"I believe in Martina-san! She's serious about becoming a respected leader. I think this is a good way for her and Zangulus-san to help, and they'll have the chance to build Zoana's reputation on the world stage. And now…" Amelia waggled her finger, "she knows, and the whole Alliance knows, that she owes a debt to Seyruun."
Zelgadis tilted his head at her. "You'll be a good queen."
Amelia stopped and choked off a small gasp. A passing breeze unexpectedly felt very cold.
A good queen... The words made her stomach twist. "That's very nice of you, Zelgadis-san, but I'm never going to be queen," she said, giving each of those last five words the heft of lead weights. "That's my sister's responsibility, not mine."
For a long time he didn't say anything at all.
"S-sorry."
"No, it's fine! Really! I'm, um, I'm sorry too." Amelia felt guilty but didn't know what else to do. She wished she could be more gracious about his compliment. It had been a vote of confidence from someone who was so sparing with his kind words. She should have been thrilled, and Zelgadis couldn't know why it hurt. He didn't know that her being queen meant being abandoned by someone she loved more than anything. Meanwhile, she didn't know what to say or how she might say it, and so they trod along uncomfortably beneath the vast and silent stars.
Just as she was ready to try another line of conversation to show there was no harm done, Zelgadis just said "They're up ahead". They quickened their pace to catch up with Lina and Gourry, snickering to each other over a small iron lantern. "Lina-san!" Amelia exclaimed.
"Hey, you two!" Lina waved the lantern at them. Her hair shone with autumnal red and gold in the meager light. "Way to be strangers, huh? I was beginning to think you were avoiding us!"
"What? I've been working sixteen-hour days all week!"
They set off as a group, Lina leading the way. The relative quiet of night patrol gave them ample time to catch up. No one was eager to get into the finer points of bureaucratic machinery, but dead sorcerers and mysterious magic were always of interest. Amelia was most unhappy to learn she'd missed a grand swordfighting match between Zangulus and Gourry, the latter of whom had won even without his legendary blade. Lina and Gourry both were entertained by the story of Amelia's father versus the noodle mazoku, while Zelgadis was put off.
"So let's see," Lina started, ticking off her fingers, "we've got a gem from the Outer World…a mysterious missing person who brought it to Calliope and told them what to do…mazoku that make people cry...a bunch of monsters acting sick…"
"That also seem to be originating from the Outer World," Zelgadis added. "They're all coming in from the sea out west."
"...maybe a cure for Zel…"
"The shrine! Filia-san says that's in the Outer World, too!" Amelia said.
"...plus whatever Xellos said he's up to around here, which means we may as well get out. Whaddya say, Gourry? Wanna explore the great beyond for a while?"
Gourry considered it, tilting his head far to one side and letting his eyes drift up. No matter the outcome he would go along with what Lina decided, but Lina still always asked him. Amelia thought it was sweet. "Could be nice. Maybe we can see some new things and actually get some rest. We were supposed to be on vacation here, but we've been working the whole time."
"That's because we lost all our money!"
"About that-" Zelgadis began.
"Say, I saw Miwan here too," Lina said hastily. "Looking good, huh? Still rocking those dresses!"
"Who's Miwan again?" Gourry asked.
"You know, the one in the kingdom with all the ladies that weren't ladies, that we thought was a princess. The one with the…" Lina gestured flowing, back-length hair and drew a hand across her forehead, muttering something that rhymed with surf hangs. "Anyhow, I figured Zel would wanna say hi, huh? Did you see him?" She shot Zelgadis a warning look, a glare in miniature that he returned. It reminded Amelia of two passing dogs growling at each other.
"Go to the Outer World if you want," Zelgadis said. "I have things to take care of in Seyruun. You can keep losing your money without me."
"Geez, what's gotten into you?" Lina asked, in that reality-eliding way she did when she conveniently forgot any responsibility for whatever disagreeable situation she was in. Accountability was not one of her strong points.
"Maybe it's spleen pain," Gourry prompted, defusing the tension as glares turned into giggles.
Years ago, somewhere between Atlas City and Seyruun, they'd come across a grisly scene of bandits disemboweled by roving monsters. It was one of the first times Amelia had seen true demonic bloodshed, the sort that old men in sorcerers' guilds described in low, awed voices. She had exclaimed aloud at what she thought were their mangled spleens. Zelgadis, less attuned to the emotional impact of such a horrific scene, had chided her for mixing up spleens and livers. "How does a healer not know the difference?" he'd demanded. Despite or maybe because of the sheer awfulness of it all, Lina had made a flippant crack about how they should be more careful with Amelia's healing spells, and for whatever reason it had turned into one of those perpetual inside jokes inevitable in any long-term relationship. Every time anyone had a pain in their side they chalked it up to a wandering spleen that Amelia had let loose. If someone got too drunk it was because Amelia had made a liver mixup.
Of course none of them doubted her abilities, least of all Zelgadis, who owed her his life multiple times over. In the aftermath of one tough battle she'd been scanning the rest of him as she worked her magic, only to discover a terrible case of kidney stones that she'd dissolved without asking. (Since then, Amelia took care of it whenever the opportunity arose without saying a word, a weird little intimacy that was much less of a big deal after fusion magic.) She knew he trusted her completely.
"Yeah, that's it," Zelgadis agreed. "Spleen pain."
Amelia harrumphed and made a great show of being offended, because teasing feels better when you play along. "If your spleen hurts, it's because you're so gloomy and negative all the time. All that bile in your spleen is making you sick."
"The spleen doesn't contain bile," he said flatly.
Amelia's cheeks went hot and she sputtered with embarrassment.
"It does when Amelia's done with it!" Lina cut in, thumbs and forefingers pointed at her, and everyone laughed again. Zelgadis's grin made it impossible for Amelia to be annoyed even when the joke was at her expense.
"Zelgadis-san, there's bile in your spleen because you have so much that it goes everywhere," she insisted.
"I have to make more because you don't have any," he replied in his usual impassive, matter-of-fact tone. No matter how comfortable he was, Zelgadis seemed reluctant to present himself as less than completely serious. Unless you paid close attention to his words you would never guess he might be joking at all.
He lagged behind somewhat and she slowed her pace to match his. Ahead of them, Gourry and Lina were commenting on the quality of graffiti on the border wall.
"You should tell someone," Zelgadis said abruptly. He stared straight ahead, a clear sign that he was back to his usual grave demeanor. Amelia braced herself. She knew the more he cared about what he was saying, the less likely he was to attempt eye contact. On the other hand, the more he cared about something, the harder the conversation got. "About mazoku, or fighting, or...Xellos, it doesn't matter. Just don't keep things to yourself."
Or about my family? "You're right," Amelia said. "Say, who do you talk to?"
"This isn't about me," he replied, his voice rising, and even at midnight she could see him blush. "I'm not a princess being targeted by assassins. You should..."
He trailed off and Amelia could all but hear his brain bumping up against his internal filter, like someone trying to elbow their way out a locked door. There was no way to force it out of him; you just had to wait.
"You should talk to Sylphiel."
She didn't know what she had been expecting, but it hadn't been that. "Sylphiel-san?" she said, doing her best to pretend she wanted to look elsewhere too. They were now at the edges of the woods, and the road under their feet was strewn with sticky conifer needles. Doves high above in the trees cooed a contented song.
"Sure. She's...easy to talk to."
"But Sylphiel-san doesn't like to talk about fighting," Amelia pointed out. Then, more quietly, "I would tell you, if you wouldn't make fun of me."
"I wouldn't," he mumbled.
"Fine, I'll tell you. After all..." She felt emboldened to attempt the most miniscule of flirtations, a little eyelash bat so small that a mosquito would miss it, "it's your job, right?"
Zelgadis just sighed. Amelia was left to her mild disappointment. Why is he mad? He said it first. "All right, but you might have to hear a lot about paperwork, too."
"Mmm."
She gave him a little nudge, more of a meaningful bump than a nudge, leaning into him with her left shoulder. He nudged her back. Everything in the world was fine for about twenty wonderful minutes until they were approached by a herald in the gilded robes of Seyruun. He was breathless and red-faced, maybe Amelia's age or younger, and he looked as though he'd been running for days.
"Princess!" he gasped, both hands on his knees. "Princess...emergency...you must…" He had no further information, only orders to bring her back at once. Amelia already knew what had happened.
She felt herself slip outside of her body as she followed him back, accompanied by her friends, as Lina had no compunctions about ditching a job. She could see herself Raywinging all the way through forests and fields back into town to where her father was waiting. She watched them both go into the castle and up to a private room at the top of a long, winding flight of stairs, surrounded by soldiers and courtiers. Her ears rang so loudly that she heard nothing else.
Later, when it was finished, Amelia came outside and down the stairs again, past the guards and their shining pikes. There was only one person she needed to see at the moment. That person stood at the foot of the stairs, watching her with nervous brown eyes.
"Lina-san," Amelia said, "we need to talk."