Chapter 8:
Xelloss placed an arm round the heaving shoulders of his dark-haired brother, ruffling the latter's hair. "Oh come now, Zel, surely you enjoy the prospect of being one of the great Beastmaster's sons?"
Shrugging the hand off, the former chimera's sapphire eyes flashed wildly at the Trickster. "How would you explain Rezo being my great grandfather?"
"Well…" The Trickster removed his gloves and placed them onto the table. "Rezo is most probably from your father's side of the family." As the dark-haired man was about to give a swift retort, the Trickster held up a hand. "Wait. Perhaps I should make certain clarifications first."
His eyes snapped open abruptly to reveal a pair of bright amethysts, emitting a strange glow. They flickered to the startled Lina, as their owner posed his question to his brother.
"Do you have an idea why you have been chosen as Hellmaster?"
Zell winced as the fiery girl gave vent to a soprano scream which nearly deafened all ears present.
"Hellmaster?!"
* * *
"Phibirizo chan! How many times have I told you to stop bullying poor Hayashi san?!"
The little midnight-haired boy threw an impudent smirk at his elementary teacher, while continuing to grind Hayashi's head further into the dirt with his shoe. His voice, though a little more high-pitched and immatured than usual, still reflected his old self. "Give me a reason why I shouldn't."
"Phibirizo!"
At the stern tone, the boy lifted his foot with a dark scowl, curling his upper lip at his furious teacher. Hayashi released a tiny whimper of pain. Leaning closer to the chocolate-haired boy, Phibirizo's voice drifted gently into the former's ear. "Even now you still irk me…Mokuryuu." Standing up, the boy swaggered off, hands in his pockets.
The elementary teacher watched the boy leave. No one, not even the headmaster could control the little menace. Perhaps troublemaker would be a better term for the child. The bruises the discipline master had received from the rebellious boy had embedded into every teachers' mind. They wisely kept out of the boy's way, lest he decided to attack them.
Hayashi stood up, dusting his grime-covered pants. The teacher smiled. Now here was the very model of a student, high academic results, high IQ, high EQ…in fact, perhaps a little too high. The poor child could never stand up to Phibirizo…now here was the most puzzling question. Why ever did Phibirizo target upon little Hayashi? Jealousy was definitely ruled out…the brute never cared less for his scores. Hayashi might know the answer…
Before the teacher could say anything, the brunette Hayashi gave a quick bow and sped away, as though he has read his teacher's mind.
* * *
"You mean to tell me he never told you?"
"No, he most certainly did not!"
"Oh my…keeping secrets already, Zel?"
"Enough! I'll explain everything!" The ex-chimera thumped his fist onto the table with a thud, silencing both his wife and the Trickster. "Would all of you be happier that way?" Crimson eyes revealed Lina's mixed emotions: fury, disappointment, which bordered to hurt. They burned into the sapphire eyes, now completely devoid with emotion as the familiar stone mask was cast over them.
Zelgadiss took several minutes to explain his brief encounter with Xelloss in the Astral Plane. The Trickster in turn, delivered a logical explanation: with Zellas Metallium as Zelgadiss's mother, it would only stand to reason that he would thus be summoned to receive a rank within the mazokus. "The chimera," Xelloss remarked, "was after all from good fighting stock."
His fiery-haired wife sat in sulky silence, merely acknowledging her understanding with a nod. Reading the symptoms as a signal of oncoming danger, Private Zell hopped off his chair.
"Do you like custard, ma'am? I can make delicious pineapple cus-"
"Sit down, Zell."
"But-"
"I said sit down. That's an order."
"Yes, ma'am."
Silence. Suddenly, a pager beeped in their midst, before a shame-faced Xelloss rubbed his head sheepishly. "Ah well, duty calls. I hope I've cleared certain misunderstandings between us…" he completely ignored the glare his newly found brother threw at him. "Until next time!"
One minute the purple-haired man was there, the next, he was gone.
Feeling rather uncomfortable, the young Private stood up and headed out of the kitchen, murmuring a soft farewell to Zelgadiss and his moody senior.
The only sounds heard in the kitchen was the ticking of the clock. Zelgadiss shifted in his chair, glancing at Lina. He knew that behind the rage, hid another storm of emotions. But what, he could not tell.
On an impulse, he stepped behind his wife and wrapped his arms round her in an embrace, drawing her to him. The girl stiffened for a moment, before relaxing, enjoyed his warmth. That was a good sign…at least she was not that angry. Burying his head into her fiery curls, Zelgadiss sighed deeply; Lina always had a fragance of lavender and jasmine around her, tinged with a slight smell of burning wood, a result from sleeping next to too many campfires.
"I'm sorry, Lina…forgive me?" The husky whisper tinkled Lina's ear.
Lina closed her eyes, her lips curving into a dreamy smile. "All right…but count yourself lucky this time."