Slayers belongs to Kadokawa Shoten and Central Park Media.
AMELIA: Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun, champion of justice, here! As we approach Atlas
City, it's become obvious that something's bothering Mister Zelgadis…
GOURRY: Maybe it's athlete's foot…
AMELIA: Um…I'm reasonably sure it's not that, Mister Gourry… Anyway, not only that,
but it appears to me that Mister Zelgadis and Miss Sylphiel have been spending an awful
lot of time together… But…It's nothing…right?…..RIGHT?!
LINA: *SIGH* I'm going to have to tell her eventually…
Faces: After!
Part 3
Heartbreak!
The Price of a Homecoming.
The sign in the fork in the road was nothing special, a marker and nothing more.
One arrow pointing to Atlas City, the other pointing to a small town called Borden. To
most, it was nothing more than two pieces of wood nailed to a post, keeping travelers
who've never been to this area from getting mixed up. It was nothing important at all.
Unless your name was Zelgadis Greywords.
Lina was already ten steps down the path marked "Atlas City," before she noticed
that Zelgadis was still staring at the sign. "Zel? Something wrong?"
Gourry, Amelia, and Sylphiel noticed that he had stopped and turned as well.
He continued to stare at the signboard.
"Zelgadis?" Sylphiel called out, consciously dropping the 'dear' at the end.
The chimera turned back to them. "No, nothing." He started walking again, right
past them.
The rest of the group watched him go.
"Is there something wrong with Mister Zelgadis today?" Amelia asked the rest of
the group in a hushed whisper. "He's been so…I don't know…antsy…the closer we've
gotten to Atlas City."
Sylphiel watched Zelgadis' receding back. She had a feeling she knew what it
was.
"Why didn't you go?" she asked him, trotting up alongside him.
Zelgadis didn't answer right away. "I decided against it."
Sylphiel blinked at him. "But why?"
"She's spent the last several years thinking I'm dead. What right do I have to turn
her life upside down by popping into it again?"
"Zelgadis dear," she whispered sympathetically. "Just say it. You're frightened."
He looked at her for a moment. "Some truth there, I suppose," he said in
resignation.
She took his arm and squeezed it. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. Maybe on our
way back…"
"Maybe," he said quickly.
Walking not far behind, Amelia watched Zelgadis and Sylphiel converse. She
wasn't sure what to make of it. It seemed that ever since they had rejoined after their trip
to Krenek, Mister Zelgadis had seemed…more at ease with himself. Now it seemed that
he was shrinking back into his shell.
She was glad that Zelgadis and Sylphiel were friends. The chimera wasn't very
good with personal relationships, and it had always seemed that the priestess rubbed him
the wrong way. However, now they seemed as close as friends as Lina and Gourry were.
The princess blinked as a new thought popped into her head.
(No,) she thought. (I mean…They wouldn't… They have nothing at all in common
and…)
She shook her head. It was a stupid thought. Zelgadis and Sylphiel were friends.
And that was it.
Right?
Lina looked up and saw Amelia watching Zelgadis and Sylphiel. She felt a pang of
sympathy for the young girl. She knew the princess was hung up on the chimera. She was
going to be crushed when she finally realized it.
"I suppose I better tell her," she murmured.
"Tell who what?" Gourry asked, walking beside her.
The sorceress sighed. "Nothing Gourry." She thought for a minute, then turned
back to him. "Hey, Gourry…Have you and Sylphiel…talked…in the last few weeks?"
"Well, yeah. We always talk."
"You do?"
"Oh sure!" the blonde said with a smile. "We talk over breakfast, and at lunch, not
to mention dinner…"
"I meant…have you sat down and had a serious talk with her
lately…about…well… Anything?"
"Not really…" Gourry replied, searching his mind for an answer. "She did say
that she was glad we could be friends… And I think she said something about how you and
I will be happy some day…"
Lina sighed. Sylphiel had handled what she thought of as the only romantic snag for
her, and Gourry didn't even realize she was giving him the 'let's just be friends' line.
It was going to be harder for Amelia.
Amelia looked across the main room of the inn and saw Zelgadis sitting at a table
near the fire. He appeared to be writing in a small, leather-bound book. She bit her lip
and came to a decision. She grabbed a slice of cherry pie she had ordered and asked the
waitress for a second one. Once she had returned with the second dessert, Amelia stood
up and walked over to the chimera.
"Mister Zelgadis," she greeted with a bright smile.
Zelgadis looked up and saw her. "Oi, Amelia."
"I brought you a piece of pie," she told him, offering the pastry to him.
"Thank you."
"Is it okay if I sit here?" she asked.
He nodded and continued writing in his book.
"What's that?" she asked.
"A log."
"A log?"
"Like a diary. Rezo used to insist that I write things down in my travels. Said that
something that might seem unimportant at the time might be useful later. It became habit."
"Wow," Amelia breathed. "How long have you had it?"
"Six years."
"You must have a lot of cool stuff in there about your travels, huh?!" Amelia asked.
"I suppose."
"So whatcha writing now?"
Zelgadis gave up and put the pen down. "Trying to solve a PERSONAL dilemma,"
he told her.
"What kind of dilemma?"
"The personal kind," he replied evenly.
"Maybe I could help," she offered with a smile.
"I'm not sure anyone can," he told her honestly.
"Try me." She spooned up some pie and shoved it into her mouth, chewing
happily.
He looked at her, into her eyes. He seemed to make a decision and began.
"There's something I've been meaning to do in the area for a long time, and I'm trying to
decide whether or not to do it now."
"What kind of something?"
"A personal something."
"Is it a really important personal something?" she asked, undeterred.
He paused. "Yes," he answered finally.
"Then you should do it," she told him. "Papa always told me, never put off til
tomorrow what you can do today, for tomorrow may never come."
Zelgadis looked unconvinced.
"Well, think about it," she said. "I mean…how many times have we been faced
with exactly that situation? We could walk out of here tomorrow, and some icky Mazoku
could drop a piano on us. So why would anyone want to put anything off if it's important?"
The chimera actually blinked in shock. "Thank you, Amelia. That actually makes
sense."
The princess beamed, happy that she could help him out. Her smile, however,
flipped when Zelgadis closed his book and stood up. "Where are you going, Mister
Zelgadis?"
"My room. There's some things I have to do."
"Oh…well…Good night," she said dejectedly. She had been hoping to talk to him
more.
He looked down at her. "Thank you, Amelia," he said, and he meant it.
She mustered a smile. "You're welcome, Mister Zelgadis."
The chimera walked out. He had to prepare. Amelia looked down at the
unfinished cherry pie.
Suddenly, she wasn't in the mood for sweets.
Zelgadis tightened the straps on his shoulder pack and nodded, satisfied that they
were tight enough. He walked down the hall as quietly as possible. It was well past
midnight, and he didn't want to wake any of the others.
Stopping by Lina's room, he slipped a letter under the door, saying that he had
found a lead on his curse from an old friend and would catch up with them at Dorosland.
Then, he tiptoed across the hall and slipped a more truthful letter under Sylphiel's door.
He appreciated Sylphiel's help, but this was something he'd have to do alone.
Turning, he started down the hallway towards the exit. He opened the door quietly
and stepped outside into the moonlight. He then turned back to the door and slowly closed
it, listening for any creak of old metal. The lock clicked shut, and he turned….
"Zelgadis dear,"
He jumped. Sylphiel was standing right there, a pack on her back. "Sylphiel?!" he
whispered in shock. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm coming with you," she told him.
"How did you know I was leaving?" he asked, puzzled.
"Well, when I was in your room earlier, I noticed that you hadn't bothered to
unpack anything. Then later, I noticed that you seemed to be very excited about
something."
"That could've been anything," he told her.
"But I really knew you were planning something when you didn't come to my room
after everyone was asleep." She blushed.
The chimera matched her shade of red and cleared his throat nervously.
"So, I thought I'd come along!" she told him. She held up a sack. "I even made
breakfast for later!"
"Sylphiel," he said softly. "I…"
"Zelgadis dear," she began, "Someone has to come with you to make sure you don't
change your mind again. Who knows when we'll be back this way again?"
The chimera thought about it. She did have a point, and if his mother WAS still
around…he'd like her to meet Sylphiel.
He nodded. "All right. Let's get going. I told Lina I'd meet her in Dorosland in a
few days."
"Right." Together, the two started down the road towards Borden.
Amelia sighed as she stared up at the ceiling. Lying in the bed next to her own,
Lina snored, splayed out all over the bed, but this isn't what was keeping her awake.
She was thinking about him again.
They had been through so much together, and he still only saw her as a
rambunctious girl. She couldn't help it if she loved justice. She had dedicated her life to
it, but every time she made a speech, she could see him rolling his eyes. She could almost
hear his thoughts at that precise moment.
("Foolish little girl.")
She wished she looked more like her sister. She had only been a little girl at the
time, but she remembered that Gracia oneechan was a tall, raven-haired beauty. Almost
goddess-like. Not only that, but intelligent, graceful, and very lady-like…
*BEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLCCCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!*
Naga looked across the table at her companions, who were all staring at her in
frank disgust.
"What?" she asked. "Huh? What?"
"Miss Naga…" Shadow Lina began, trying to find the right words to chastise her
boss for her rudeness.
Filia only sighed and shook her head. "The more things change, the more they stay
the same…"
She wished she had that. She wished she was tall and beautiful. Maybe if she
grew her hair longer, she'd look older, more sophisticated, more…
Like Sylphiel.
Amelia blinked. Why would that make a difference? They're not together.
They're not! She's just been seeing things.
Like sidelong glances…
And the way they always seem to be talking…
And…
(Stop it!) she ordered her brain. (It's nothing.)
She turned her head as she heard footsteps outside. There was a faint scratching
noise, and an envelope appeared under the door. The footsteps began to recede. She
hopped out of bed and picked up the envelope. It wasn't addressed to anyone in particular,
which meant it was either for her or Miss Lina.
She opened it.
("Lina,") she read silently, ("I have a lead on my curse from an old associate I
knew in my days with Rezo. The rest of you go on ahead, and I'll catch up with you in
Dorosland. Zelgadis.")
An old associate from his days with Rezo? Alone?
What if it was a trap?
She thought about Eris, Vruumguun, and Zangulus. Sure, Zangulus later became a
friend, but before that, they all had done all they could to kill them.
Zelgadis could be walking right into a trap!
She grabbed a pen and scribbled at the bottom of the letter.
("Dear Miss Lina. Went with Zelgadis. See you in Dorosland. Amelia.")
That taken care of, the princess began to dress.
"So what's Borden like?" Sylphiel asked.
"It's a hole in the Earth," Zelgadis told her, not pausing in his walk for even a
second. "Nothing in it of any value. Pig farmers, a tavern, and a temple."
"Just your average village then?"
"Below average," he replied. "I've seen dungeons that were more appealing than
what I remember of Borden."
"What made it so horrible?" she asked, genuinely confused. She had never heard
Zelgadis speak so detestably about ANY place like he was speaking now.
He paused now. "It wasn't the place that was horrible, I guess. It was growing up
there."
"You didn't like it?"
"I was the runt," he told her without batting an eye. "The smallest,
youngest…weakest… I was an easy target."
Sylphiel nodded in understanding.
"I guess you could say it led to this," he went on, gesturing to his face. "I said I
wanted to be strong…so I could go back there and treat them like they treated me…I guess
Rezo heard me and granted my wish…in his own sick, twisted way."
The shrine maiden sighed. Looking up, she saw the sun beginning to rise. "Let's
stop for breakfast," she suggested. "We have some time."
They stopped and built a tiny fire. Zelgadis bit into a pastry Sylphiel had made.
He wondered how it was that every inn they came across, she was allowed into the kitchen
to cook her own meals. Gourry had always said she was a great cook. Maybe she had a
reputation that preceded her.
"How far is Borden from here?" Sylphiel asked him.
"Three or four miles," he said. "Not too far."
"Good, because I'm already getting tired."
They both blinked and turned to the owner of the comment. Amelia was sitting on
the other side of the fire, munching on a pastry of her own.
"Miss Amelia?" Sylphiel asked in shock.
She swallowed down a mouthful and smiled. "I saw Mister Zelgadis' note and
thought I should come along." Her smile drooped a second later as she said, "I didn't
know you were coming along, Miss Sylphiel."
"Oh…Yes. I saw Z…Mister Zelgadis leaving the inn and thought I'd join him."
"Oh," Amelia said with a nod. "So where are we going? Do you think this man
will really have the cure to your curse?"
Zelgadis and Sylphiel looked at one another. "Actually, Amelia," he began.
"There is no associate."
Amelia put it together. (They're…they're…they're eloping,) she thought. (They're
running away together and this whole thing was just a ploy to…)
"My family is in Borden," he confessed quietly. "I'm going to see them."
"OH THANK CEPHEID!" Amelia cried. Zelgadis and Sylphiel blinked. "I
mean…That's wonderful, Mister Zelgadis! I can't wait to meet them! What are they
like?!" she asked, suddenly enthralled.
"Er…" the chimera began, unsure. "You're…still coming along?"
Amelia grinned and nodded enthusiastically. "Miss Lina and Mister Gourry have
probably gotten the letter by now and are probably already gone. It'd take too long to catch
up to them, and I think I'd like to meet your parents, Mister Zelgadis!"
He sighed. He had slinked out of the inn hoping to do this alone. Now he had two
women tagging along with him.
(Well…What's the worst that could happen?)
(Amelia could detail every instance where I was forced to crossdress…)
(….Fine, you win. But you still can't do anything about it.)
He looked up at Amelia's smiling face and sighed again. "Well…we should get
going if we want to get there."
It was raining by the time they finally arrived at the village of Borden. The three
had donned hoods to try to keep the precipitation out, but were still soaked as they walked
through the muddy main road of the town.
There wasn't much at all. Zelgadis had been right. A tavern, a church, a village
hall…It wasn't much of a village.
Zelgadis walked ahead of them, trying to remember exactly where everything was.
Sylphiel and Amelia walked behind him, alongside one another.
"Um…Miss Sylphiel?" Amelia began.
"Yes, Miss Amelia?"
Amelia looked ahead to see if Zelgadis was listening. "I was just
wondering…Why did Zelgadis make up a story like that? If he just wanted to visit his
family, why didn't we all just come together?"
Sylphiel paused and likewise checked to see if Zelgadis could hear. Content that
he wasn't paying attention, she dropped her voice to a whisper. "Ze…Mister Zelgadis
is…self conscious about seeing his mother," she told her. "He's afraid that…that his curse
will…well…He's just not sure how his mother will take it."
"But Mister Zelgadis looks cool!" Amelia countered. "And he's a hero of
justice!"
"I know that, and you know that," Sylphiel whispered, "But Zelgadis doesn't see it
that way."
"Oh," Amelia breathed. She looked to her right and saw a group of men standing
near the door of the tavern across the street. "I wonder who those guys are."
Sylphiel followed her gaze. The men were looking right at them. "Probably just
farmers or something," she replied. She felt a chill run up her back and a creepy feeling
move into the pit of her stomach. She didn't like the way those men were looking at them
at all.
Despite what they thought, Zelgadis HAD heard their hushed conversation. He
didn't really care. They could believe whatever they wanted. He knew that reality
wouldn't so easily give way to their optimism.
He still had to show his mother her son's face.
Now if only he could find her. They had passed where his small childhood home
had once stood, but found it gone, either torn down or burnt down. His mother must have
moved.
He wasn't sure if he hoped she was still in town or not.
The chimera looked up to see a man in priest's robes walk out of the temple in front
of him. He marched up to the elderly man.
"Excuse me, Father," he began.
The priest saw him and jumped a little in surprise at the sight of his face.
"Er..Yes…Can I help you, my son?"
"I'm looking for a woman who lived hear seven years ago," Zelgadis explained.
"A woman and her daughter. Ayla Greywords. The girl's name was Stevanya."
"The daughter left four years ago," the priest told him, remembering the names. "I
can take you to the mother."
Zelgadis felt relief in his heart. It was at that exact moment that he knew he had
made the right decision. (Thank you, Sylphiel, Amelia,) he thought.
"Please," he begged the priest. "Take me to her."
He dropped to his knees, into the mud before it, in total shock. He shook his head,
unwilling to accept it.
Standing thirty feet behind him, Sylphiel and Amelia looked on in pity. The priest
stood beside the chimera and took a breath.
"There was nothing anyone could have done," he told Zelgadis quietly.
Zelgadis swallowed back the lump in his throat as he looked at it. A three-foot
high stone with a single word inscribed on it.
GREYWORDS.
He reached out and touched it, shutting his eyes. "There's no date," he commented
quietly. "No epitaph."
"The plague struck this area hard that year," the priest explained. "Only the very
lucky were even buried at all. Most were burned to stop the contagion as soon as possible.
In a time like that, dates were unimportant." Zelgadis continued to stare at it as the man
continued. "She was lucky. It took her early on. Soon after, this place was almost nothing
but a graveyard, a breeding ground of nightmarish despair and death."
He said nothing for a moment. "I wish I had been here."
"It was her wish that if you or your sister ever returned, that you…would be
allowed to have her things." The priest put a key into his hand. "Those who made similar
wishes had their belongings placed into a room in a house set aside for such things. The
owner was the first to go, and had no children to inherit the house anyway."
The chimera's hand closed around the key. "Thank you," he said dully. "My
sister," he started again, "Do you know where she went?"
The priest shook his head. "One morning, she walked past the temple. I waved to
her, and she waved back. Then she continued down the road. She wasn't seen here again."
"I see."
"Your mother…thought that she was trying to escape this town the same as you
did…"
Zelgadis turned to the priest, anger all over his face. The priest actually took a step
back, but the chimera said nothing. "Where is this house?" he asked instead.
The priest sighed in relief. "Come. I'll take you there."
(Oh, Cepheid, I'm so sorry, Zelgadis dear,) Sylphiel thought as she walked after
Zelgadis and the priest. (I should never have pressed you to come.)
"Poor Mister Zelgadis," Amelia mumbled next to her. "I know how he must feel. I
remember when we arrived at Seyruun and they told me Papa was dead." She looked
down at the ground. "He must feel so alone right now."
The rest of the walk was done in silence. The priest led them to a large, two story
house on the edge of town. He let them inside and led them to a room at the end of the hall.
"This was your mother's," he told Zelgadis.
The chimera took the key and opened the door. The room wasn't too large. It
appeared to have at one time been a bedroom. There was a table in the center with a few
boxes on top of it. More boxes lined the walls, making a small, square path around the
table the only walking space.
Zelgadis entered the room, Sylphiel and Amelia just behind him. The priest was
content to stand outside and wait for them. The chimera ran his fingers along the tops of a
few boxes, not quite willing to open them yet.
Amelia passed one crate and stopped. There was a small, brass box sitting on top
of it. She reached out curiously and opened the lid. Music began to play, a soft melody.
Zelgadis stopped in his tracks. He didn't turn.
Amelia saw him and quickly shut the lid. "I…I'm sorry…"
He didn't answer.
"It…um…was a nice tune," she told him lamely.
"Keep it," he told her.
"Huh?"
"I said you can have it," he told her quietly. He still wouldn't turn.
"Mister Zelgadis," Amelia breathed, "I couldn't…I…"
"If you don't, it's going to be sold somewhere for three gold pennies," he growled.
"She'd rather you have it, I think."
Amelia swallowed and picked up the box, cradling it gently. "Thank you, Mister
Zelgadis," she whispered. "I'll always treasure it."
He ignored her, walking to the other side of the table. He blinked as he saw
something sitting behind the boxes. Two envelopes, yellowing with age. One of them had
his sister's name on it. The other had his own.
Zelgadis reached out slowly and picked up the envelope. He gently opened it and
found a folded letter inside.
Sylphiel watched as he unfolded the paper and began to read, his eyes traveling the
scrolling characters meant for his eyes only. She watched he slowly began to shake.
"Zelgadis dear," she whispered.
The shaking got worse. A drop of moisture struck the paper, then another. She
could hear him choke. He slowly balled up the letter and let it fall, still trying to will the
tears back.
Then it happened.
He screamed and threw the table over, spilling the contents of the boxes that sat
atop it! He screamed again in frustration and fell to his knees, his hands covering his eyes.
"Zelgadis dear," Sylphiel whispered, laying a hand on his shoulder. She felt a
sliver of fear run through her. She trusted Zelgadis with her life, but how would he act in
this kind of distress? "Zelgadis dear?"
Amelia watched from the side, tears of her own coursing down her cheeks, feeling
Zelgadis' pain.
"Leave me alone," he whispered finally. Sylphiel gasped. "Just…just for a little
while," he mumbled. "Just leave me alone."
Sylphiel swallowed back tears of her own and turned. "Miss Amelia, let's…let's
give Zelgadis dear some time alone."
Amelia quickly nodded and followed the shrine maiden out.
Sylphiel counted out a few gold pennies and placed them on the counter while the
elderly store owner behind the counter placed the supplies she had bought into a crate for
her to carry. She stared down at the countertop, still ashamed of herself. She had been so
sure that she was doing the right thing by hounding on Zelgadis to come here, now he was
in even more pain than before, and she was the cause of it.
"Excuse me, young lady."
She looked up and found the clerk looking at her. "Um…Hope this ain't rude or
nuth'n," he told her, "But that…um…rock guy you came into town with….That really the
Greywords kid?"
The shrine maiden nodded.
He nodded in response. "Wonder'n about that. Rumors fly'n 'round town, ya
know."
"Well…we won't be here for much longer," Sylphiel assured him quietly.
"He um…He really a Mazoku?" he asked.
"NO!" Sylphiel cried angrily. "He is most certainly not!" She picked up the crate
and stormed out. She shook her head bitterly. After all Zelgadis dear had done, after all he
had endured, for people to call him THAT….
She shouldn't have been surprised. She, more than anyone except Zelgadis, knew
that that's how the world worked. Appearance was everything. If you LOOKED like a
monster, you must be a monster. Simple…yeah…Simple-MINDED.
"Hey, cupcake, wait up," she heard as she passed the tavern. She stopped as three
of the men she saw before stepped into her path. They smiled at her.
"Um…Hello," she said a little nervously. "Can I help you?"
The man in front, a dark-haired man who looked about twenty-five, stepped closer.
"Yeah, we were wondering something. We saw you in town earlier. Wanted to say
hello." He leered at the shrine maiden.
"Hello," Sylphiel said, then started past them.
"Woah, just a second!" the man said, stepping back in her path. "Where you go'in
in such hurry?"
"Back to my room," she told them, trying to get through again.
"Sounds like a good idea," the man said with a grin. "Whatcha got in there?" he
looked into the crate.
"Dinner. Excuse me." Once again she tried to push past them.
"Hey, that guy you were with this morning," the man began again. "Is that really
Zel Greywords back from the dead?" He laughed.
Sylphiel stopped. "Yes. It is."
"Well where's he been all this time?" the man asked with a smile. Sylphiel could
smell the raw alcohol on his breath.
"Saving the world," she told him seriously. "What have YOU done lately?" She
stepped past them and continued walking.
The men laughed and caught up to her again. "Saving the world, huh?" he asked,
stepping in her path again. "So what are you? His pet human?" His friends laughed at
this.
Sylphiel grit her teeth. "Excuse me," she growled. She started forward again, but
the man wouldn't move.
"That's it, ain't it?" he asked with a leer. "You got a thing for monsters,
cupcake?" he queried.
Sylphiel turned red in angry embarrassment. "Let me by," she said.
"Now, come on! Don't go yet!" he begged. "Let's talk some more. Maybe we can
help you."
"Help me what?!" she asked angrily.
He leered down at her. "Help you figure out that you don't got to be a rock to be
hard."
His friends went hysterical with laughter. Sylphiel turned bright red. The man
continued to laugh.
*CRACK!*
The left side of the man's face turned red from the slap. She started past him again,
but he grabbed her arm and turned her around, causing her to drop the carton.
"Now come on, cupcake, no reason to make this ugly," he growled at her, squeezing
her arm.
"HALT!!"
They all looked up to see a woman standing on the roof of the temple, her cape
flapping in the breeze. She pointed down at the men.
"TO DRUNKENLY INSULT SOMEONE CAN BE BLAMED ON MERE
ALCOHOL! BUT TO THEN ASSAULT THEM IS A SLAP IN THE FACE OF
JUSTICE!!!" she cried.
"You gett'n any of this?" one man asked another.
"Miss Amelia!" Sylphiel cried, recognizing the woman instantly.
Amelia leapt from the roof and did a back flip, landing before the three men. She
posed and pointed at them. "IN THE NAME OF JUSTICE ETERNAL, I ORDER YOU
TO GO TO YOUR HOMES, SLEEP OFF YOUR INEBRIATION, AND COME BACK
HERE AND BEG MISS SYLPHIEL FOR FORGIVENESS FOR WHAT YOU'VE
DONE!!!"
"Take off, girlie," the man told her with a sneer. "Or we'll call your mommy."
Amelia's eye twitched. "Very well," she bit out. "You were warned." She raised
her hands.
Sylphiel squeaked and ducked. The men blinked at her.
"BURST RONDO!!!"
Amelia wiped some of the soot off her face as she walked. Walking beside her, the
charred remnants of the crate she had been carrying in her arms, Sylphiel was still blinking
in shock.
"I think…" Amelia began haltingly, "I might have gone just a bit too far," she
admitted.
Sylphiel took a breath and looked back over her shoulder at the craters and
pockmarked walls where Amelia had cut loose. The perverts had all run off, scared out of
their minds by Amelia's attack. One of the wooden beams supporting the tavern's overhang
was still smoking.
The princess sighed.
"Miss Amelia."
She turned and found Sylphiel smiling at her.
"Thank you," the shrine maiden said with a short bow.
Amelia smiled. "It was all in the name of justice," she said with a wave,
dismissing Sylphiel's thanks. They continued walking down the road towards the small inn
where they were staying.
The princess glanced over at Sylphiel and frowned slightly. How could she
compete with her? Miss Sylphiel was tall, elegant, graceful, and kind. She could cook,
use magic better than she could, and could walk ten steps without tripping over her own
feet.
(Dammit,) she thought. She thought about what had happened earlier that day.
Zelgadis, on his knees in tears, and Sylphiel reaching out to comfort him.
("Zelgadis dear." She had called him, "Zelgadis dear.")
(Okay, it still doesn't mean anything!) she thought in response. (She used to call
Gourry, "Gourry dear," but that didn't mean they were an item!)
She glanced at the priestess again.
(But it does mean she has her sights on him.)
"Miss Amelia," Sylphiel began again. "Let's…let's not tell Zelgadis about this,
okay?"
Amelia only nodded. The last thing Zelgadis needed was to have something else to
worry about.
They continued to walk in silence.
Zelgadis walked dully down the road, not in any particular hurry or having any
particular destination in mind. He just wanted to walk, to do SOMETHING that didn't
involve too much thinking.
He had enough to think about.
At least now he knew. He didn't have to wonder anymore. He knew how his
mother felt about him.
(Cepheid damn you, Rezo,) he thought angrily. Of all things Rezo had taken away
from him; his face, his life, his free will; now he got to add his mother to that list.
And his sister… Where was she? Why would she leave? Where would she go?
He had been tempted to open her letter as well and see if there were any clues there, but
decided against it. If her letter was anything like his, he knew it was very private;
something between his mother and his sister alone.
So what was he supposed to do now? He still didn't have his cure. His mother
was dead and buried. His sister was missing. Perhaps things would have been better if he
hadn't come back.
(No, not better. Just easier. Ignorance is bliss,) he thought. No, it was right of him
to come here, if for no other reason than to be done with it. And if his sister WAS out
there, there was still a chance of seeing her again. After all, there's no reason he couldn't
search for his cure AND his sister, right?
"Too many new priorities," he mumbled to himself. He remembered 'the good o'l
days' when all he had to worry about was finding his cure. Those days were over.
Sylphiel.
She was the biggest priority in his life now. Even if he found his cure, it wouldn't
change her opinion of him, and that was precious…and he knew it. He still hated being a
chimera. He still hated the stares, the looks, the comments…
But it wasn't such a horrible thing as long as she could smile at him.
And he'd do just about anything to make sure that didn't change.
She was his family now. She and Lina and Gourry and Amelia.
Xellos could be the creepy uncle they kept locked in the basement…
He actually smiled at that thought. He wasn't alone, no matter how lonely things
might seem.
He looked up as he noticed that he was reentering the village. He must have turned
around at some point and started back without realizing it. The chimera started for the inn.
There was nothing for him here now, and it was time to get going.
He WOULD search for his sister. If for no other reason than to deliver his mother's
letter to her.
Passing the tavern, he noticed that parts of it were burnt or demolished. He blinked
and walked into the general store. They'd need supplies for the three-day hike to
Dorosland.
The elderly shopkeeper looked up as he entered and took a step back. Zelgadis
arched an eyebrow but didn't think anything of it. He was used to that reaction.
"Okay, now, don't want no trouble or nuth'n," the shopkeep, the same man who had
talked to Sylphiel earlier, told him. "I know you're mad as all hell and all, but I ain't done
nuth'n."
Zelgadis ignored him and started searching the shelves.
"Your quarrel's with Darsk, not me!" the shopkeep continued in his rant.
The chimera blinked. Darsk? He remembered him. He had been one of Zelgadis'
'friends' growing up, a boy who had always enjoyed teasing the younger, weaker
Greywords.
"What do you mean?" Zelgadis asked, noncommittally.
"Look, son, I know you're pissed about what happened with your lady friend
earlier, but I ain't had nuth'n to do with it!" the shopkeep went on.
An alarm went off in Zelgadis' head. He grit his teeth and started towards the
merchant. "Tell me," he growled.
"Darsk and his friends. They saw your lady friend walking out of here; the one
with the long hair. I saw it from the porch. Looked like they were giving her a hard time
or something in front of the tavern where they hang out. She slapped him, and he grabbed
her arm. After that this…Hey, where you go'in?"
Zelgadis was storming out the door.
Darsk Landtree tipped back another beer and shifted the pool cue in his hands. He
was still smarting from the burn that little witch gave him earlier. He growled at the
memory and leaned over the pool table for his next shot. Daylight entered the dimly lit
tavern as someone opened the door. It was gone a second later, and Darsk blinked for a
few seconds, waiting for his eyes to readjust to the dimness.
He pulled the cue back and prepared to take his shot.
That's when someone grabbed him by the hair and rammed his face into the pool
table.
He hit the ground, dazed and looked up to find the monster looming over him. He
started to back away, pushing away with his hands and feet. The farmer saw one of his
friends rush up behind the chimera and swing his pool cue over his head, breaking it over
the back of the monster's skull.
Zelgadis didn't even blink. He turned, grabbed the man by the collar, and gave him
a sharp head-butt to the nose. Blood from the drunk's face sprayed out, getting all over the
chimera's clothes, and he screamed. Zelgadis threw him back against the wall.
Darsk's other friend rushed up to the chimera and swung out with his hand. The
knife he held made a sharp clang as the blade broke against Zelgadis' chest. The monster
viciously grabbed the man's wrist with one hand while reaching to his belt with the other.
He bent the man over backwards, pinning his hand to the pool table, and swung with his
other hand, burying his dagger through the man's palm and five inches into the table,
sticking the drunk to the tabletop like a butterfly to a case. The man screamed and tried
pulling the knife out with his other hand, but couldn't get enough leverage.
Zelgadis turned back to Darsk and started toward him again. The farmer gulped
and started backing away again.
"Come on, man," he began in a panic. "We…We were just playing around…"
Zelgadis took another step and drew his sword slowly.
"We weren't gonna hurt her or nuth'n," Darsk whimpered, still backing away. "We
were just teasing!"
The chimera pointed the sword at the man's throat. Darsk whimpered and felt a
warm wetness downstairs. He was shaking in fear that this monster was going to gut him
like a fish, and now, to add to the humiliation, he had just pissed his pants.
"We were just teasing her a little. I swear to Cepheid!" Darsk begged. "I swear!"
Zelgadis looked down at him, then moved his sword to his left hand. He reached
down with his right and offered his hand to the man.
Darsk looked at it suspiciously and back to Zelgadis' face, a face that betrayed no
emotion whatsoever. The chimera said nothing, but kept his hand out, offering the man a
hand up. The farmer reached out tentatively and took his stone hand. Zelgadis began to
pull the man up, and stopped at about six inches.
Then he began to squeeze.
The farmer began to cry out in pain as the bones in his hand began to break. He
reached up with his other hand and tried to pry the chimera's off, but to no avail. He
whimpered pathetically as the bones continued cracking.
Finally, the monster spoke, quietly and in a deadly serious tone, he said, "I don't
care what you do or say to me anymore." He paused for a second. "But if I ever hear
about you harassing Sylphiel Nels Lahda again, I'll come back here and kill you." Darsk
whimpered. "Do you understand?"
The farmer nodded vigorously, tears running down his face. Zelgadis released him,
and Darsk fell onto his back, cradling the broken extremity with his other hand.
The chimera turned and started out, stopping only briefly to pull his dagger out of
the pool table and resheathe it. The man it had been pinning fell to the ground, moaning in
agony.
The other bar patrons watched in awe as the monster left the building.
"I can't believe you did that."
Zelgadis grit his teeth as he sat on the edge of the bed. What did she want from
him? It's not like he made that big a deal out of it. He got his message across to them, and
they knew not to press their luck. Why was SHE taking it so personally?
Sylphiel continued to look out the window, of his room, not facing him. How could
he do something like that? Did he think beating a bunch of immature pigs to just this side of
death would PLEASE her?! What did he expect her to do? Hug him and yell, "My hero!?"
He took a breath and bit back a retort. What was her problem? They were nothing
but drunken gutter trash. From what he had heard, Amelia had given them something to
think about as well. Why wasn't she being raked over hot coals?
(Doesn't he understand? What if he had gone too far and one of them had died?
What if *HE* had been hurt? It's not enough I'm responsible for the pain he's going
through now; I also have to be the cause of someone's death?)
(It's not like I killed any of them. I just gave them a good scare, and they deserved
it, dammit!)
She took a breath and turned to him. "Zelgadis dear, just tell me why," she
demanded. "Did you think I'd relish the thought of those men in pain?"
"It had nothing to do with you," Zelgadis told her. "It had to do with them."
"You know I hate the idea of hurting people," she told him exasperated. "Do you
know how it makes me feel knowing you tortured those men for what amounts to a little bit
of teasing?"
"I think you're making too much out of it," he told her seriously. "I don't care if
they thought they were just having a good time. They harassed you, insulted you, and
grabbed you. Lina would have done the same thing if she were here."
"Lina would have come to ME first and asked me what happened!" Sylphiel cried
in response. "She wouldn't have flown off the handle and…" She broke off when she
realized she was going just a bit too far. She closed her eyes and tried to find the right
thing to say.
She heard him stand up and opened her eyes to find him staring at her, anger and
hurt all over his face. "I'm not Gourry dear," he growled. "I don't have the luxury of
being oblivious when someone does something like that."
Sylphiel grit her teeth. "That was low," she breathed angrily.
He walked to the door and left the room. She balled her hand into a fist and hit the
table, then grabbed some tissues from a box on that same table and dabbed at her eyes.
Sitting on her bed in the next room, Amelia listened to them fight through the thin
hotel walls. She could hear the pain in both their voices. It was then that she truly realized
it. They really did love one another. The argument wouldn't be hurting both of them this
way if they weren't.
She laid back against the pillows and shut her eyes. She felt a core of ice build up
in her chest as she thought about it. Perhaps she should have expected this.
The princess thought about their argument a few minutes ago, and for a brief
second, the idea of exploiting that popped into her head.
She shook her head. How would she live with herself if she TRIED to break them
up further than they were at the moment? She couldn't, and she wouldn't be able to ever
face Zelgadis again if she did something like that.
What could she do, though?
She wanted Zelgadis to be happy. To find his cure and maybe…just maybe…see
her as something other than an overzealous child.
A sob crept up into her throat, and she fought it back. Turning her head, she saw the
music box that he had given her; the one that had belonged to his mother; resting on the
nightstand. She reached out and lifted the lid, listening as the slow melody began to play.
The damn broke, not suddenly, but a piece at a time, and the princess of Seyruun
began to sob quietly, letting tears run down her face. She tried wiping them away with her
hand, but more took their place.
As the gentle melody continued to play, Amelia cried herself to sleep.
To Be Continued…
AMELIA: Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun, champion of justice, here! As we approach Atlas
City, it's become obvious that something's bothering Mister Zelgadis…
GOURRY: Maybe it's athlete's foot…
AMELIA: Um…I'm reasonably sure it's not that, Mister Gourry… Anyway, not only that,
but it appears to me that Mister Zelgadis and Miss Sylphiel have been spending an awful
lot of time together… But…It's nothing…right?…..RIGHT?!
LINA: *SIGH* I'm going to have to tell her eventually…
Faces: After!
Part 3
Heartbreak!
The Price of a Homecoming.
The sign in the fork in the road was nothing special, a marker and nothing more.
One arrow pointing to Atlas City, the other pointing to a small town called Borden. To
most, it was nothing more than two pieces of wood nailed to a post, keeping travelers
who've never been to this area from getting mixed up. It was nothing important at all.
Unless your name was Zelgadis Greywords.
Lina was already ten steps down the path marked "Atlas City," before she noticed
that Zelgadis was still staring at the sign. "Zel? Something wrong?"
Gourry, Amelia, and Sylphiel noticed that he had stopped and turned as well.
He continued to stare at the signboard.
"Zelgadis?" Sylphiel called out, consciously dropping the 'dear' at the end.
The chimera turned back to them. "No, nothing." He started walking again, right
past them.
The rest of the group watched him go.
"Is there something wrong with Mister Zelgadis today?" Amelia asked the rest of
the group in a hushed whisper. "He's been so…I don't know…antsy…the closer we've
gotten to Atlas City."
Sylphiel watched Zelgadis' receding back. She had a feeling she knew what it
was.
"Why didn't you go?" she asked him, trotting up alongside him.
Zelgadis didn't answer right away. "I decided against it."
Sylphiel blinked at him. "But why?"
"She's spent the last several years thinking I'm dead. What right do I have to turn
her life upside down by popping into it again?"
"Zelgadis dear," she whispered sympathetically. "Just say it. You're frightened."
He looked at her for a moment. "Some truth there, I suppose," he said in
resignation.
She took his arm and squeezed it. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. Maybe on our
way back…"
"Maybe," he said quickly.
Walking not far behind, Amelia watched Zelgadis and Sylphiel converse. She
wasn't sure what to make of it. It seemed that ever since they had rejoined after their trip
to Krenek, Mister Zelgadis had seemed…more at ease with himself. Now it seemed that
he was shrinking back into his shell.
She was glad that Zelgadis and Sylphiel were friends. The chimera wasn't very
good with personal relationships, and it had always seemed that the priestess rubbed him
the wrong way. However, now they seemed as close as friends as Lina and Gourry were.
The princess blinked as a new thought popped into her head.
(No,) she thought. (I mean…They wouldn't… They have nothing at all in common
and…)
She shook her head. It was a stupid thought. Zelgadis and Sylphiel were friends.
And that was it.
Right?
Lina looked up and saw Amelia watching Zelgadis and Sylphiel. She felt a pang of
sympathy for the young girl. She knew the princess was hung up on the chimera. She was
going to be crushed when she finally realized it.
"I suppose I better tell her," she murmured.
"Tell who what?" Gourry asked, walking beside her.
The sorceress sighed. "Nothing Gourry." She thought for a minute, then turned
back to him. "Hey, Gourry…Have you and Sylphiel…talked…in the last few weeks?"
"Well, yeah. We always talk."
"You do?"
"Oh sure!" the blonde said with a smile. "We talk over breakfast, and at lunch, not
to mention dinner…"
"I meant…have you sat down and had a serious talk with her
lately…about…well… Anything?"
"Not really…" Gourry replied, searching his mind for an answer. "She did say
that she was glad we could be friends… And I think she said something about how you and
I will be happy some day…"
Lina sighed. Sylphiel had handled what she thought of as the only romantic snag for
her, and Gourry didn't even realize she was giving him the 'let's just be friends' line.
It was going to be harder for Amelia.
Amelia looked across the main room of the inn and saw Zelgadis sitting at a table
near the fire. He appeared to be writing in a small, leather-bound book. She bit her lip
and came to a decision. She grabbed a slice of cherry pie she had ordered and asked the
waitress for a second one. Once she had returned with the second dessert, Amelia stood
up and walked over to the chimera.
"Mister Zelgadis," she greeted with a bright smile.
Zelgadis looked up and saw her. "Oi, Amelia."
"I brought you a piece of pie," she told him, offering the pastry to him.
"Thank you."
"Is it okay if I sit here?" she asked.
He nodded and continued writing in his book.
"What's that?" she asked.
"A log."
"A log?"
"Like a diary. Rezo used to insist that I write things down in my travels. Said that
something that might seem unimportant at the time might be useful later. It became habit."
"Wow," Amelia breathed. "How long have you had it?"
"Six years."
"You must have a lot of cool stuff in there about your travels, huh?!" Amelia asked.
"I suppose."
"So whatcha writing now?"
Zelgadis gave up and put the pen down. "Trying to solve a PERSONAL dilemma,"
he told her.
"What kind of dilemma?"
"The personal kind," he replied evenly.
"Maybe I could help," she offered with a smile.
"I'm not sure anyone can," he told her honestly.
"Try me." She spooned up some pie and shoved it into her mouth, chewing
happily.
He looked at her, into her eyes. He seemed to make a decision and began.
"There's something I've been meaning to do in the area for a long time, and I'm trying to
decide whether or not to do it now."
"What kind of something?"
"A personal something."
"Is it a really important personal something?" she asked, undeterred.
He paused. "Yes," he answered finally.
"Then you should do it," she told him. "Papa always told me, never put off til
tomorrow what you can do today, for tomorrow may never come."
Zelgadis looked unconvinced.
"Well, think about it," she said. "I mean…how many times have we been faced
with exactly that situation? We could walk out of here tomorrow, and some icky Mazoku
could drop a piano on us. So why would anyone want to put anything off if it's important?"
The chimera actually blinked in shock. "Thank you, Amelia. That actually makes
sense."
The princess beamed, happy that she could help him out. Her smile, however,
flipped when Zelgadis closed his book and stood up. "Where are you going, Mister
Zelgadis?"
"My room. There's some things I have to do."
"Oh…well…Good night," she said dejectedly. She had been hoping to talk to him
more.
He looked down at her. "Thank you, Amelia," he said, and he meant it.
She mustered a smile. "You're welcome, Mister Zelgadis."
The chimera walked out. He had to prepare. Amelia looked down at the
unfinished cherry pie.
Suddenly, she wasn't in the mood for sweets.
Zelgadis tightened the straps on his shoulder pack and nodded, satisfied that they
were tight enough. He walked down the hall as quietly as possible. It was well past
midnight, and he didn't want to wake any of the others.
Stopping by Lina's room, he slipped a letter under the door, saying that he had
found a lead on his curse from an old friend and would catch up with them at Dorosland.
Then, he tiptoed across the hall and slipped a more truthful letter under Sylphiel's door.
He appreciated Sylphiel's help, but this was something he'd have to do alone.
Turning, he started down the hallway towards the exit. He opened the door quietly
and stepped outside into the moonlight. He then turned back to the door and slowly closed
it, listening for any creak of old metal. The lock clicked shut, and he turned….
"Zelgadis dear,"
He jumped. Sylphiel was standing right there, a pack on her back. "Sylphiel?!" he
whispered in shock. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm coming with you," she told him.
"How did you know I was leaving?" he asked, puzzled.
"Well, when I was in your room earlier, I noticed that you hadn't bothered to
unpack anything. Then later, I noticed that you seemed to be very excited about
something."
"That could've been anything," he told her.
"But I really knew you were planning something when you didn't come to my room
after everyone was asleep." She blushed.
The chimera matched her shade of red and cleared his throat nervously.
"So, I thought I'd come along!" she told him. She held up a sack. "I even made
breakfast for later!"
"Sylphiel," he said softly. "I…"
"Zelgadis dear," she began, "Someone has to come with you to make sure you don't
change your mind again. Who knows when we'll be back this way again?"
The chimera thought about it. She did have a point, and if his mother WAS still
around…he'd like her to meet Sylphiel.
He nodded. "All right. Let's get going. I told Lina I'd meet her in Dorosland in a
few days."
"Right." Together, the two started down the road towards Borden.
Amelia sighed as she stared up at the ceiling. Lying in the bed next to her own,
Lina snored, splayed out all over the bed, but this isn't what was keeping her awake.
She was thinking about him again.
They had been through so much together, and he still only saw her as a
rambunctious girl. She couldn't help it if she loved justice. She had dedicated her life to
it, but every time she made a speech, she could see him rolling his eyes. She could almost
hear his thoughts at that precise moment.
("Foolish little girl.")
She wished she looked more like her sister. She had only been a little girl at the
time, but she remembered that Gracia oneechan was a tall, raven-haired beauty. Almost
goddess-like. Not only that, but intelligent, graceful, and very lady-like…
*BEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLCCCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!*
Naga looked across the table at her companions, who were all staring at her in
frank disgust.
"What?" she asked. "Huh? What?"
"Miss Naga…" Shadow Lina began, trying to find the right words to chastise her
boss for her rudeness.
Filia only sighed and shook her head. "The more things change, the more they stay
the same…"
She wished she had that. She wished she was tall and beautiful. Maybe if she
grew her hair longer, she'd look older, more sophisticated, more…
Like Sylphiel.
Amelia blinked. Why would that make a difference? They're not together.
They're not! She's just been seeing things.
Like sidelong glances…
And the way they always seem to be talking…
And…
(Stop it!) she ordered her brain. (It's nothing.)
She turned her head as she heard footsteps outside. There was a faint scratching
noise, and an envelope appeared under the door. The footsteps began to recede. She
hopped out of bed and picked up the envelope. It wasn't addressed to anyone in particular,
which meant it was either for her or Miss Lina.
She opened it.
("Lina,") she read silently, ("I have a lead on my curse from an old associate I
knew in my days with Rezo. The rest of you go on ahead, and I'll catch up with you in
Dorosland. Zelgadis.")
An old associate from his days with Rezo? Alone?
What if it was a trap?
She thought about Eris, Vruumguun, and Zangulus. Sure, Zangulus later became a
friend, but before that, they all had done all they could to kill them.
Zelgadis could be walking right into a trap!
She grabbed a pen and scribbled at the bottom of the letter.
("Dear Miss Lina. Went with Zelgadis. See you in Dorosland. Amelia.")
That taken care of, the princess began to dress.
"So what's Borden like?" Sylphiel asked.
"It's a hole in the Earth," Zelgadis told her, not pausing in his walk for even a
second. "Nothing in it of any value. Pig farmers, a tavern, and a temple."
"Just your average village then?"
"Below average," he replied. "I've seen dungeons that were more appealing than
what I remember of Borden."
"What made it so horrible?" she asked, genuinely confused. She had never heard
Zelgadis speak so detestably about ANY place like he was speaking now.
He paused now. "It wasn't the place that was horrible, I guess. It was growing up
there."
"You didn't like it?"
"I was the runt," he told her without batting an eye. "The smallest,
youngest…weakest… I was an easy target."
Sylphiel nodded in understanding.
"I guess you could say it led to this," he went on, gesturing to his face. "I said I
wanted to be strong…so I could go back there and treat them like they treated me…I guess
Rezo heard me and granted my wish…in his own sick, twisted way."
The shrine maiden sighed. Looking up, she saw the sun beginning to rise. "Let's
stop for breakfast," she suggested. "We have some time."
They stopped and built a tiny fire. Zelgadis bit into a pastry Sylphiel had made.
He wondered how it was that every inn they came across, she was allowed into the kitchen
to cook her own meals. Gourry had always said she was a great cook. Maybe she had a
reputation that preceded her.
"How far is Borden from here?" Sylphiel asked him.
"Three or four miles," he said. "Not too far."
"Good, because I'm already getting tired."
They both blinked and turned to the owner of the comment. Amelia was sitting on
the other side of the fire, munching on a pastry of her own.
"Miss Amelia?" Sylphiel asked in shock.
She swallowed down a mouthful and smiled. "I saw Mister Zelgadis' note and
thought I should come along." Her smile drooped a second later as she said, "I didn't
know you were coming along, Miss Sylphiel."
"Oh…Yes. I saw Z…Mister Zelgadis leaving the inn and thought I'd join him."
"Oh," Amelia said with a nod. "So where are we going? Do you think this man
will really have the cure to your curse?"
Zelgadis and Sylphiel looked at one another. "Actually, Amelia," he began.
"There is no associate."
Amelia put it together. (They're…they're…they're eloping,) she thought. (They're
running away together and this whole thing was just a ploy to…)
"My family is in Borden," he confessed quietly. "I'm going to see them."
"OH THANK CEPHEID!" Amelia cried. Zelgadis and Sylphiel blinked. "I
mean…That's wonderful, Mister Zelgadis! I can't wait to meet them! What are they
like?!" she asked, suddenly enthralled.
"Er…" the chimera began, unsure. "You're…still coming along?"
Amelia grinned and nodded enthusiastically. "Miss Lina and Mister Gourry have
probably gotten the letter by now and are probably already gone. It'd take too long to catch
up to them, and I think I'd like to meet your parents, Mister Zelgadis!"
He sighed. He had slinked out of the inn hoping to do this alone. Now he had two
women tagging along with him.
(Well…What's the worst that could happen?)
(Amelia could detail every instance where I was forced to crossdress…)
(….Fine, you win. But you still can't do anything about it.)
He looked up at Amelia's smiling face and sighed again. "Well…we should get
going if we want to get there."
It was raining by the time they finally arrived at the village of Borden. The three
had donned hoods to try to keep the precipitation out, but were still soaked as they walked
through the muddy main road of the town.
There wasn't much at all. Zelgadis had been right. A tavern, a church, a village
hall…It wasn't much of a village.
Zelgadis walked ahead of them, trying to remember exactly where everything was.
Sylphiel and Amelia walked behind him, alongside one another.
"Um…Miss Sylphiel?" Amelia began.
"Yes, Miss Amelia?"
Amelia looked ahead to see if Zelgadis was listening. "I was just
wondering…Why did Zelgadis make up a story like that? If he just wanted to visit his
family, why didn't we all just come together?"
Sylphiel paused and likewise checked to see if Zelgadis could hear. Content that
he wasn't paying attention, she dropped her voice to a whisper. "Ze…Mister Zelgadis
is…self conscious about seeing his mother," she told her. "He's afraid that…that his curse
will…well…He's just not sure how his mother will take it."
"But Mister Zelgadis looks cool!" Amelia countered. "And he's a hero of
justice!"
"I know that, and you know that," Sylphiel whispered, "But Zelgadis doesn't see it
that way."
"Oh," Amelia breathed. She looked to her right and saw a group of men standing
near the door of the tavern across the street. "I wonder who those guys are."
Sylphiel followed her gaze. The men were looking right at them. "Probably just
farmers or something," she replied. She felt a chill run up her back and a creepy feeling
move into the pit of her stomach. She didn't like the way those men were looking at them
at all.
Despite what they thought, Zelgadis HAD heard their hushed conversation. He
didn't really care. They could believe whatever they wanted. He knew that reality
wouldn't so easily give way to their optimism.
He still had to show his mother her son's face.
Now if only he could find her. They had passed where his small childhood home
had once stood, but found it gone, either torn down or burnt down. His mother must have
moved.
He wasn't sure if he hoped she was still in town or not.
The chimera looked up to see a man in priest's robes walk out of the temple in front
of him. He marched up to the elderly man.
"Excuse me, Father," he began.
The priest saw him and jumped a little in surprise at the sight of his face.
"Er..Yes…Can I help you, my son?"
"I'm looking for a woman who lived hear seven years ago," Zelgadis explained.
"A woman and her daughter. Ayla Greywords. The girl's name was Stevanya."
"The daughter left four years ago," the priest told him, remembering the names. "I
can take you to the mother."
Zelgadis felt relief in his heart. It was at that exact moment that he knew he had
made the right decision. (Thank you, Sylphiel, Amelia,) he thought.
"Please," he begged the priest. "Take me to her."
He dropped to his knees, into the mud before it, in total shock. He shook his head,
unwilling to accept it.
Standing thirty feet behind him, Sylphiel and Amelia looked on in pity. The priest
stood beside the chimera and took a breath.
"There was nothing anyone could have done," he told Zelgadis quietly.
Zelgadis swallowed back the lump in his throat as he looked at it. A three-foot
high stone with a single word inscribed on it.
GREYWORDS.
He reached out and touched it, shutting his eyes. "There's no date," he commented
quietly. "No epitaph."
"The plague struck this area hard that year," the priest explained. "Only the very
lucky were even buried at all. Most were burned to stop the contagion as soon as possible.
In a time like that, dates were unimportant." Zelgadis continued to stare at it as the man
continued. "She was lucky. It took her early on. Soon after, this place was almost nothing
but a graveyard, a breeding ground of nightmarish despair and death."
He said nothing for a moment. "I wish I had been here."
"It was her wish that if you or your sister ever returned, that you…would be
allowed to have her things." The priest put a key into his hand. "Those who made similar
wishes had their belongings placed into a room in a house set aside for such things. The
owner was the first to go, and had no children to inherit the house anyway."
The chimera's hand closed around the key. "Thank you," he said dully. "My
sister," he started again, "Do you know where she went?"
The priest shook his head. "One morning, she walked past the temple. I waved to
her, and she waved back. Then she continued down the road. She wasn't seen here again."
"I see."
"Your mother…thought that she was trying to escape this town the same as you
did…"
Zelgadis turned to the priest, anger all over his face. The priest actually took a step
back, but the chimera said nothing. "Where is this house?" he asked instead.
The priest sighed in relief. "Come. I'll take you there."
(Oh, Cepheid, I'm so sorry, Zelgadis dear,) Sylphiel thought as she walked after
Zelgadis and the priest. (I should never have pressed you to come.)
"Poor Mister Zelgadis," Amelia mumbled next to her. "I know how he must feel. I
remember when we arrived at Seyruun and they told me Papa was dead." She looked
down at the ground. "He must feel so alone right now."
The rest of the walk was done in silence. The priest led them to a large, two story
house on the edge of town. He let them inside and led them to a room at the end of the hall.
"This was your mother's," he told Zelgadis.
The chimera took the key and opened the door. The room wasn't too large. It
appeared to have at one time been a bedroom. There was a table in the center with a few
boxes on top of it. More boxes lined the walls, making a small, square path around the
table the only walking space.
Zelgadis entered the room, Sylphiel and Amelia just behind him. The priest was
content to stand outside and wait for them. The chimera ran his fingers along the tops of a
few boxes, not quite willing to open them yet.
Amelia passed one crate and stopped. There was a small, brass box sitting on top
of it. She reached out curiously and opened the lid. Music began to play, a soft melody.
Zelgadis stopped in his tracks. He didn't turn.
Amelia saw him and quickly shut the lid. "I…I'm sorry…"
He didn't answer.
"It…um…was a nice tune," she told him lamely.
"Keep it," he told her.
"Huh?"
"I said you can have it," he told her quietly. He still wouldn't turn.
"Mister Zelgadis," Amelia breathed, "I couldn't…I…"
"If you don't, it's going to be sold somewhere for three gold pennies," he growled.
"She'd rather you have it, I think."
Amelia swallowed and picked up the box, cradling it gently. "Thank you, Mister
Zelgadis," she whispered. "I'll always treasure it."
He ignored her, walking to the other side of the table. He blinked as he saw
something sitting behind the boxes. Two envelopes, yellowing with age. One of them had
his sister's name on it. The other had his own.
Zelgadis reached out slowly and picked up the envelope. He gently opened it and
found a folded letter inside.
Sylphiel watched as he unfolded the paper and began to read, his eyes traveling the
scrolling characters meant for his eyes only. She watched he slowly began to shake.
"Zelgadis dear," she whispered.
The shaking got worse. A drop of moisture struck the paper, then another. She
could hear him choke. He slowly balled up the letter and let it fall, still trying to will the
tears back.
Then it happened.
He screamed and threw the table over, spilling the contents of the boxes that sat
atop it! He screamed again in frustration and fell to his knees, his hands covering his eyes.
"Zelgadis dear," Sylphiel whispered, laying a hand on his shoulder. She felt a
sliver of fear run through her. She trusted Zelgadis with her life, but how would he act in
this kind of distress? "Zelgadis dear?"
Amelia watched from the side, tears of her own coursing down her cheeks, feeling
Zelgadis' pain.
"Leave me alone," he whispered finally. Sylphiel gasped. "Just…just for a little
while," he mumbled. "Just leave me alone."
Sylphiel swallowed back tears of her own and turned. "Miss Amelia, let's…let's
give Zelgadis dear some time alone."
Amelia quickly nodded and followed the shrine maiden out.
Sylphiel counted out a few gold pennies and placed them on the counter while the
elderly store owner behind the counter placed the supplies she had bought into a crate for
her to carry. She stared down at the countertop, still ashamed of herself. She had been so
sure that she was doing the right thing by hounding on Zelgadis to come here, now he was
in even more pain than before, and she was the cause of it.
"Excuse me, young lady."
She looked up and found the clerk looking at her. "Um…Hope this ain't rude or
nuth'n," he told her, "But that…um…rock guy you came into town with….That really the
Greywords kid?"
The shrine maiden nodded.
He nodded in response. "Wonder'n about that. Rumors fly'n 'round town, ya
know."
"Well…we won't be here for much longer," Sylphiel assured him quietly.
"He um…He really a Mazoku?" he asked.
"NO!" Sylphiel cried angrily. "He is most certainly not!" She picked up the crate
and stormed out. She shook her head bitterly. After all Zelgadis dear had done, after all he
had endured, for people to call him THAT….
She shouldn't have been surprised. She, more than anyone except Zelgadis, knew
that that's how the world worked. Appearance was everything. If you LOOKED like a
monster, you must be a monster. Simple…yeah…Simple-MINDED.
"Hey, cupcake, wait up," she heard as she passed the tavern. She stopped as three
of the men she saw before stepped into her path. They smiled at her.
"Um…Hello," she said a little nervously. "Can I help you?"
The man in front, a dark-haired man who looked about twenty-five, stepped closer.
"Yeah, we were wondering something. We saw you in town earlier. Wanted to say
hello." He leered at the shrine maiden.
"Hello," Sylphiel said, then started past them.
"Woah, just a second!" the man said, stepping back in her path. "Where you go'in
in such hurry?"
"Back to my room," she told them, trying to get through again.
"Sounds like a good idea," the man said with a grin. "Whatcha got in there?" he
looked into the crate.
"Dinner. Excuse me." Once again she tried to push past them.
"Hey, that guy you were with this morning," the man began again. "Is that really
Zel Greywords back from the dead?" He laughed.
Sylphiel stopped. "Yes. It is."
"Well where's he been all this time?" the man asked with a smile. Sylphiel could
smell the raw alcohol on his breath.
"Saving the world," she told him seriously. "What have YOU done lately?" She
stepped past them and continued walking.
The men laughed and caught up to her again. "Saving the world, huh?" he asked,
stepping in her path again. "So what are you? His pet human?" His friends laughed at
this.
Sylphiel grit her teeth. "Excuse me," she growled. She started forward again, but
the man wouldn't move.
"That's it, ain't it?" he asked with a leer. "You got a thing for monsters,
cupcake?" he queried.
Sylphiel turned red in angry embarrassment. "Let me by," she said.
"Now, come on! Don't go yet!" he begged. "Let's talk some more. Maybe we can
help you."
"Help me what?!" she asked angrily.
He leered down at her. "Help you figure out that you don't got to be a rock to be
hard."
His friends went hysterical with laughter. Sylphiel turned bright red. The man
continued to laugh.
*CRACK!*
The left side of the man's face turned red from the slap. She started past him again,
but he grabbed her arm and turned her around, causing her to drop the carton.
"Now come on, cupcake, no reason to make this ugly," he growled at her, squeezing
her arm.
"HALT!!"
They all looked up to see a woman standing on the roof of the temple, her cape
flapping in the breeze. She pointed down at the men.
"TO DRUNKENLY INSULT SOMEONE CAN BE BLAMED ON MERE
ALCOHOL! BUT TO THEN ASSAULT THEM IS A SLAP IN THE FACE OF
JUSTICE!!!" she cried.
"You gett'n any of this?" one man asked another.
"Miss Amelia!" Sylphiel cried, recognizing the woman instantly.
Amelia leapt from the roof and did a back flip, landing before the three men. She
posed and pointed at them. "IN THE NAME OF JUSTICE ETERNAL, I ORDER YOU
TO GO TO YOUR HOMES, SLEEP OFF YOUR INEBRIATION, AND COME BACK
HERE AND BEG MISS SYLPHIEL FOR FORGIVENESS FOR WHAT YOU'VE
DONE!!!"
"Take off, girlie," the man told her with a sneer. "Or we'll call your mommy."
Amelia's eye twitched. "Very well," she bit out. "You were warned." She raised
her hands.
Sylphiel squeaked and ducked. The men blinked at her.
"BURST RONDO!!!"
Amelia wiped some of the soot off her face as she walked. Walking beside her, the
charred remnants of the crate she had been carrying in her arms, Sylphiel was still blinking
in shock.
"I think…" Amelia began haltingly, "I might have gone just a bit too far," she
admitted.
Sylphiel took a breath and looked back over her shoulder at the craters and
pockmarked walls where Amelia had cut loose. The perverts had all run off, scared out of
their minds by Amelia's attack. One of the wooden beams supporting the tavern's overhang
was still smoking.
The princess sighed.
"Miss Amelia."
She turned and found Sylphiel smiling at her.
"Thank you," the shrine maiden said with a short bow.
Amelia smiled. "It was all in the name of justice," she said with a wave,
dismissing Sylphiel's thanks. They continued walking down the road towards the small inn
where they were staying.
The princess glanced over at Sylphiel and frowned slightly. How could she
compete with her? Miss Sylphiel was tall, elegant, graceful, and kind. She could cook,
use magic better than she could, and could walk ten steps without tripping over her own
feet.
(Dammit,) she thought. She thought about what had happened earlier that day.
Zelgadis, on his knees in tears, and Sylphiel reaching out to comfort him.
("Zelgadis dear." She had called him, "Zelgadis dear.")
(Okay, it still doesn't mean anything!) she thought in response. (She used to call
Gourry, "Gourry dear," but that didn't mean they were an item!)
She glanced at the priestess again.
(But it does mean she has her sights on him.)
"Miss Amelia," Sylphiel began again. "Let's…let's not tell Zelgadis about this,
okay?"
Amelia only nodded. The last thing Zelgadis needed was to have something else to
worry about.
They continued to walk in silence.
Zelgadis walked dully down the road, not in any particular hurry or having any
particular destination in mind. He just wanted to walk, to do SOMETHING that didn't
involve too much thinking.
He had enough to think about.
At least now he knew. He didn't have to wonder anymore. He knew how his
mother felt about him.
(Cepheid damn you, Rezo,) he thought angrily. Of all things Rezo had taken away
from him; his face, his life, his free will; now he got to add his mother to that list.
And his sister… Where was she? Why would she leave? Where would she go?
He had been tempted to open her letter as well and see if there were any clues there, but
decided against it. If her letter was anything like his, he knew it was very private;
something between his mother and his sister alone.
So what was he supposed to do now? He still didn't have his cure. His mother
was dead and buried. His sister was missing. Perhaps things would have been better if he
hadn't come back.
(No, not better. Just easier. Ignorance is bliss,) he thought. No, it was right of him
to come here, if for no other reason than to be done with it. And if his sister WAS out
there, there was still a chance of seeing her again. After all, there's no reason he couldn't
search for his cure AND his sister, right?
"Too many new priorities," he mumbled to himself. He remembered 'the good o'l
days' when all he had to worry about was finding his cure. Those days were over.
Sylphiel.
She was the biggest priority in his life now. Even if he found his cure, it wouldn't
change her opinion of him, and that was precious…and he knew it. He still hated being a
chimera. He still hated the stares, the looks, the comments…
But it wasn't such a horrible thing as long as she could smile at him.
And he'd do just about anything to make sure that didn't change.
She was his family now. She and Lina and Gourry and Amelia.
Xellos could be the creepy uncle they kept locked in the basement…
He actually smiled at that thought. He wasn't alone, no matter how lonely things
might seem.
He looked up as he noticed that he was reentering the village. He must have turned
around at some point and started back without realizing it. The chimera started for the inn.
There was nothing for him here now, and it was time to get going.
He WOULD search for his sister. If for no other reason than to deliver his mother's
letter to her.
Passing the tavern, he noticed that parts of it were burnt or demolished. He blinked
and walked into the general store. They'd need supplies for the three-day hike to
Dorosland.
The elderly shopkeeper looked up as he entered and took a step back. Zelgadis
arched an eyebrow but didn't think anything of it. He was used to that reaction.
"Okay, now, don't want no trouble or nuth'n," the shopkeep, the same man who had
talked to Sylphiel earlier, told him. "I know you're mad as all hell and all, but I ain't done
nuth'n."
Zelgadis ignored him and started searching the shelves.
"Your quarrel's with Darsk, not me!" the shopkeep continued in his rant.
The chimera blinked. Darsk? He remembered him. He had been one of Zelgadis'
'friends' growing up, a boy who had always enjoyed teasing the younger, weaker
Greywords.
"What do you mean?" Zelgadis asked, noncommittally.
"Look, son, I know you're pissed about what happened with your lady friend
earlier, but I ain't had nuth'n to do with it!" the shopkeep went on.
An alarm went off in Zelgadis' head. He grit his teeth and started towards the
merchant. "Tell me," he growled.
"Darsk and his friends. They saw your lady friend walking out of here; the one
with the long hair. I saw it from the porch. Looked like they were giving her a hard time
or something in front of the tavern where they hang out. She slapped him, and he grabbed
her arm. After that this…Hey, where you go'in?"
Zelgadis was storming out the door.
Darsk Landtree tipped back another beer and shifted the pool cue in his hands. He
was still smarting from the burn that little witch gave him earlier. He growled at the
memory and leaned over the pool table for his next shot. Daylight entered the dimly lit
tavern as someone opened the door. It was gone a second later, and Darsk blinked for a
few seconds, waiting for his eyes to readjust to the dimness.
He pulled the cue back and prepared to take his shot.
That's when someone grabbed him by the hair and rammed his face into the pool
table.
He hit the ground, dazed and looked up to find the monster looming over him. He
started to back away, pushing away with his hands and feet. The farmer saw one of his
friends rush up behind the chimera and swing his pool cue over his head, breaking it over
the back of the monster's skull.
Zelgadis didn't even blink. He turned, grabbed the man by the collar, and gave him
a sharp head-butt to the nose. Blood from the drunk's face sprayed out, getting all over the
chimera's clothes, and he screamed. Zelgadis threw him back against the wall.
Darsk's other friend rushed up to the chimera and swung out with his hand. The
knife he held made a sharp clang as the blade broke against Zelgadis' chest. The monster
viciously grabbed the man's wrist with one hand while reaching to his belt with the other.
He bent the man over backwards, pinning his hand to the pool table, and swung with his
other hand, burying his dagger through the man's palm and five inches into the table,
sticking the drunk to the tabletop like a butterfly to a case. The man screamed and tried
pulling the knife out with his other hand, but couldn't get enough leverage.
Zelgadis turned back to Darsk and started toward him again. The farmer gulped
and started backing away again.
"Come on, man," he began in a panic. "We…We were just playing around…"
Zelgadis took another step and drew his sword slowly.
"We weren't gonna hurt her or nuth'n," Darsk whimpered, still backing away. "We
were just teasing!"
The chimera pointed the sword at the man's throat. Darsk whimpered and felt a
warm wetness downstairs. He was shaking in fear that this monster was going to gut him
like a fish, and now, to add to the humiliation, he had just pissed his pants.
"We were just teasing her a little. I swear to Cepheid!" Darsk begged. "I swear!"
Zelgadis looked down at him, then moved his sword to his left hand. He reached
down with his right and offered his hand to the man.
Darsk looked at it suspiciously and back to Zelgadis' face, a face that betrayed no
emotion whatsoever. The chimera said nothing, but kept his hand out, offering the man a
hand up. The farmer reached out tentatively and took his stone hand. Zelgadis began to
pull the man up, and stopped at about six inches.
Then he began to squeeze.
The farmer began to cry out in pain as the bones in his hand began to break. He
reached up with his other hand and tried to pry the chimera's off, but to no avail. He
whimpered pathetically as the bones continued cracking.
Finally, the monster spoke, quietly and in a deadly serious tone, he said, "I don't
care what you do or say to me anymore." He paused for a second. "But if I ever hear
about you harassing Sylphiel Nels Lahda again, I'll come back here and kill you." Darsk
whimpered. "Do you understand?"
The farmer nodded vigorously, tears running down his face. Zelgadis released him,
and Darsk fell onto his back, cradling the broken extremity with his other hand.
The chimera turned and started out, stopping only briefly to pull his dagger out of
the pool table and resheathe it. The man it had been pinning fell to the ground, moaning in
agony.
The other bar patrons watched in awe as the monster left the building.
"I can't believe you did that."
Zelgadis grit his teeth as he sat on the edge of the bed. What did she want from
him? It's not like he made that big a deal out of it. He got his message across to them, and
they knew not to press their luck. Why was SHE taking it so personally?
Sylphiel continued to look out the window, of his room, not facing him. How could
he do something like that? Did he think beating a bunch of immature pigs to just this side of
death would PLEASE her?! What did he expect her to do? Hug him and yell, "My hero!?"
He took a breath and bit back a retort. What was her problem? They were nothing
but drunken gutter trash. From what he had heard, Amelia had given them something to
think about as well. Why wasn't she being raked over hot coals?
(Doesn't he understand? What if he had gone too far and one of them had died?
What if *HE* had been hurt? It's not enough I'm responsible for the pain he's going
through now; I also have to be the cause of someone's death?)
(It's not like I killed any of them. I just gave them a good scare, and they deserved
it, dammit!)
She took a breath and turned to him. "Zelgadis dear, just tell me why," she
demanded. "Did you think I'd relish the thought of those men in pain?"
"It had nothing to do with you," Zelgadis told her. "It had to do with them."
"You know I hate the idea of hurting people," she told him exasperated. "Do you
know how it makes me feel knowing you tortured those men for what amounts to a little bit
of teasing?"
"I think you're making too much out of it," he told her seriously. "I don't care if
they thought they were just having a good time. They harassed you, insulted you, and
grabbed you. Lina would have done the same thing if she were here."
"Lina would have come to ME first and asked me what happened!" Sylphiel cried
in response. "She wouldn't have flown off the handle and…" She broke off when she
realized she was going just a bit too far. She closed her eyes and tried to find the right
thing to say.
She heard him stand up and opened her eyes to find him staring at her, anger and
hurt all over his face. "I'm not Gourry dear," he growled. "I don't have the luxury of
being oblivious when someone does something like that."
Sylphiel grit her teeth. "That was low," she breathed angrily.
He walked to the door and left the room. She balled her hand into a fist and hit the
table, then grabbed some tissues from a box on that same table and dabbed at her eyes.
Sitting on her bed in the next room, Amelia listened to them fight through the thin
hotel walls. She could hear the pain in both their voices. It was then that she truly realized
it. They really did love one another. The argument wouldn't be hurting both of them this
way if they weren't.
She laid back against the pillows and shut her eyes. She felt a core of ice build up
in her chest as she thought about it. Perhaps she should have expected this.
The princess thought about their argument a few minutes ago, and for a brief
second, the idea of exploiting that popped into her head.
She shook her head. How would she live with herself if she TRIED to break them
up further than they were at the moment? She couldn't, and she wouldn't be able to ever
face Zelgadis again if she did something like that.
What could she do, though?
She wanted Zelgadis to be happy. To find his cure and maybe…just maybe…see
her as something other than an overzealous child.
A sob crept up into her throat, and she fought it back. Turning her head, she saw the
music box that he had given her; the one that had belonged to his mother; resting on the
nightstand. She reached out and lifted the lid, listening as the slow melody began to play.
The damn broke, not suddenly, but a piece at a time, and the princess of Seyruun
began to sob quietly, letting tears run down her face. She tried wiping them away with her
hand, but more took their place.
As the gentle melody continued to play, Amelia cried herself to sleep.
To Be Continued…