Chapter5.html NKSD Normal NKSD 3 3 2001-11-08T04:19:00Z 2001-11-08T04:19:00Z 2 816 4655 North Kitsap School District 38 9 5716 9.3821

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Chapter 5:

A Mazoku Scorned…

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Later after Lina had recovered from severe shock, and the party place had been cleaned up, Xellos re-appeared.

Lina glared at his re-appearance and snapped, "Ok Xellos what do you want now?"

'The best hidden lies are hidden between two truths...' he thought to himself. "There is a concern in the Mazoku hierarchy. We fear that someone in the lower tiers may be attempting to work their way up through the ranks."

"So you're saying some low level muckety muck has gotten too big for his britches, and might be displacing middle management dudes like yourself."

Xellos refrained from sputtering and he opened his eyes momentarily in a somewhat indignant manner. 'Mid-- Middle management?!? Hardly--- but best not to say much. Let her think what she will I suppose...', "I suppose you could say that...." he sweat dropped slightly.

"So what?" said Gourry, "Everybody wants to get ahead, make more money, buy their puppies more treats—"

"Oh, puppies are so CUTE!" exclaimed Filia

'I'm going to get Zellas for this! ' Xellos thought to himself.

"You twit! The monster race doesn't just advance like a salesman making manager, you have to KILL those you replace!" Lina yelled.

"Oh-h!" said Gourry understanding about five minutes later.

"But wait a minute--- for a low level monster, to increase his strength to have his power match his rank would require immense power." Amelia replied.

"Power he would get from absorbing the essence of his boss' energy." Zelgadis noted. "But he would need to become stronger before doing that, maybe through necromantic means."

"Death" said Lina before Gourry got too confused, "He or she might have to kill a lot of people to do that."

Filia's face fell. She knew from tales told to her by Amelia, the evil and terror that high-level monsters could do, what would a lower level one do to obtain the exalted state of being a high level monster? How much negative energy would be required? Would another town like Sairaag be sacrificed?

"In order for a low level monster to be advanced, they would have to cause immense pain and suffering. We're not talking about killing just a town or village, but a very large city in one of the most slow and torturous ways possible. Just to harvest the negative energy required." she argued out, worry laced her tone of anger.

"Oh how altruistic of you Mr. Xellos! Caring about the lives and happiness of so many people! Showing that life is truly wonderful! And people WERE meant to be happy!" said Amelia.

Xellos visibly blanched and inwardly felt his stomach wrench, and would have been thought of as nausea had he been human.

"Amelia I don't think the monster race has suddenly become a bunch of philanthropists. I just think Xellos doesn't want to get run over in some lower level monster's quest to advance. After all Xellos, isn't that the way lower monsters become greater ones? Save you of course..." she grinned 'sweetly' at him.

'I'll get you for that later girl...' he thought darkly. "Of course Miss Lina." he forced out through gritted teeth.

Gourry then spoke, "So uh, do you know who we're looking for?"

"Of course he doesn't know." Zelgadis growled, "If he did, he wouldn't have us doing his dirty work for him. We're the targets aren't we Xellos?" he glared off to the priest who kept his smiling facade up.

'You know you hang around a group too much when they actually begin to figure out the shit you're pulling on them...' Xellos mentally noted to himself.

"Oh I get it!" said Gourry. "We're going to go around with you until somebody tries to kill us so you can figure out who it is!" Gourry's face grimaced as his brain finally caught up to where his mouth was a moment later. "HEY!"

"No way in hell I'm about to be used as bait for his dirty work! The services of a sorcerery genius, such as myself, do not come cheap." Lina held up an abacus that had all the beads on the higher scale. Amelia's kingdom didn't even have that much. Nor had it ever.... Amelia noted.

"Don't you all want to prevent the destruction of mankind?" asked Xellos, sporting a large sweat drop.

"Of course!" said Amelia and Filia. Who immediately pulled out bright pink pom-poms and gave a cheer that would do any High School team proud.

Xellos' head fell. He should have kept his mouth shut.

"Cept one problem Xell, until they reach a certain level, which they aren't at yet, us humans are safe. It's YOUR ass on the line right now. Not OURS. Why should we save humanity when right now it's YOU who needs saving?" Lina grinned.

If looks could kill, she would have been a pile of ashes. "I might.... Be aware, of the location of another sword of light..." he trailed off suggestively to the comment.

"Might?" said Lina, "After all your fake protection items, spells--"

"And Claire Bibbles." Zelgadis added, somewhat nastily.

"I want a GUARANTEE that you actually KNOW." she finished.

"Well..." said Xellos, "I suppose we can always agree on the aforementioned price if we don't find the sword of light..."

Zelgadis grinned for once, remembering the ninety million gold piece statue he once tried to buy from her.

Lina's eyes widened in shock. "Well shoot the horses and milk the cows! What are we staying around here for! Where's this monster supposedly at?"

"As you already have figured out, I don't know. I know the locations of, shall we say, likely suspects who have not been in contact with the monster community in some time but that is all we know."

"Well then on we go for more adventure. We'll pack our things and be off then!" the group then stood and broke off to their rooms to grab their things.