I don't own Slayers. Never will. Wish I did.
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Slayers SILENCE
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Episode Four:
"Sin or Lawful? I Want Tomorrow to Come."
She killed him. He didn't deserve it, but Amelia killed her cousin to save her friends from him. She wanted so badly to bring Justice, and yet she killed him in an unjust matter in the name of good. How was she supposed to take it? What was she supposed to do now?
"Ms. Amelia..."
Amelia turned over in her bed to see Sylphiel holding a tray with food. She had a gentle smile, but even in Amelia's condition she could tell it was forced. The priestess had gone through her own troubles and was still trying to settle, but was trying to be happy for Amelia's sake. A nice attempt, but the princess still felt empty inside.
"I brought your breakfast," Sylphiel mentioned, setting it on a little table next to Amelia's bed. "Eat it when you feel like, okay? You need to stay healthy."
Amelia remained quiet.
"You've been asleep for a couple of days now. We've been worried about you, you know. But, I'm glad to see that you're awake now."
Silence.
Sylphiel laughed uneasily. "I'll see you later, okay?" Slowly, she exited the room. When shutting the door behind her, she barely took three steps before sliding to her knees, shutting her eyes closed as she heard nothing from Amelia. Was it worse to hear her be mute or to expect to hear even the slightest whimpering? The princess did nothing to show her grief.
The priestess knew that the stillness would forever be in her mind of what little power she held in the world. She quietly cursed herself as a shrine maiden; no white magic could ever heal this wound. If she couldn't heal herself anyway, what good was she?
Silence hung in the air, deadly, and even in Sylphiel's mind there were no thoughts. Only the silence.
Zangulus sipped his ale, slouching and leaning his elbows on the table, ignoring his series of bad habits and manners. The Xoana king had been thinking a great deal too much. This was becoming a bad journey, what with the events that occurred to Amelia and Sylphiel. The priestess seemed to be feeling better since her emotional distress, then suddenly this thing about a dead cousin happened to Amelia.
He took a large gulp this time. Similar to his situation. Zangulus received a letter from his mother, who was also supposed to be dead. Unlike Amelia, he hadn't faced her yet, if the letter was real. According to Xellos, it was, but the swordsman didn't trust him one bit. Yet, Alfred was proof enough to show that it was real.
And that made Zangulus feel even more horrible, enough to give a mazoku a feast and get overweight on. What if the same thing happened with his mother? What if he had to kill her, too?
The swordsman facepalmed at an idea. What if the town Alfred had appeared and died in was just like Rahns, and Sylphiel's aunt would be something similar to the children? Zangulus grumbled. This was no longer just dangerous in the midst of battle; this was getting psychological.
Zangulus came to a solution to his problem.
"I need more ale," he decided.
After receiving yet another mug, Zangulus started to think some more on the matter. Just how the hell was Xellos involved with this? And what about Vrumugun? The matter had to be important for the mage to be included with it.
Damn it, why was it up to Zangulus to try to figure this stuff out?
You are kind of our leader and all, Amelia had reminded him a few days ago just shortly before meeting Lina.
"I don't want to be a leader. I just want to get this over with," Zangulus groaned. Yet, it seemed like he didn't have a choice. These people were going with him, and that was that. But Zangulus knew he couldn't keep this responsibility. A leader needed to be there for their team members for support, know what to do all the time, and figure out this sort of adventure.
And if you couldn't do this for two freaking people, what made you think you could be a king? the swordsman realized.
He had to be strong and remain himself. Though he had been noticeably angrier in the beginning of his journey, he started getting used to the company and calm down a little bit. Speaking of company, Zangulus didn't want to get attached to people because then you'd get upset when something happened to them.
You are upset, Stupid, Zangulus reminded himself. The Xoana king liked the company now, and because they were harmed in some way he was thinking about this whole crap and it was getting him upset in a freaky little cycle. He did care.
Damn it all.
Zangulus needed more ale.
"Yum yum yum," Lina yummed as she ate her yummy food. She was happier now that she was eating and not being in the journey Zangulus and the others were taking. They headed toward Zefilia. HAH! She wouldn't take it! Not while she was there. No matter what, Lina would never head toward Zefilia.
She never really thought that Zangulus would have a perfectly good reason to go there. He left it very vague, so it was probably personal. Right. None of her business anyway. Lina Inverse wouldn't get caught up in some of his own business.
Lina did promise to go with him until she figured out what Xellos was up to. So much for that. Oh well.
Gourry swallowed his food noisily, then reached for a chicken leg at the same time as Lina. He looked at it for a moment, then shook his head. "You can have it," the swordsman told her.
Lina's jaw dropped. "You don't want it?!"
"Well, it's just that I've been thinking--"
Lina snickered.
"--about Amelia and the others. Was it really a good idea to leave them alone, Lina?" Gourry asked, looking at her a little more seriously than usual.
The sorceress did not want to talk about that. "Look, what they do with their lives is none of my business," Lina informed the blond.
"That sounds kinda like Zel..."
Lina reddened. Gourry was right. That was exactly what Zelgadis would say. "Well, just where they headed... I don't wanna go there."
The swordsman blinked. "Zefilia? Why not? What's so bad about it? I mean, it's got more magical stuff than weapons, but I wouldn't mind going."
"It's not about you," Lina clarified. "I just don't wanna go, okay? Especially if we had to fight those things again."
"Well, Lina, there's nothing we could do for them, right? Healing goes backwards on them," Gourry tried to point out.
Lina remained stubborn. "It's not just that! There's a reason I don't wanna go, Gourry."
"What's so bad that you didn't wanna go on an adventure with Amelia and the others?"
The sorceress shuddered. "...My sister."
Sylphiel sighed and walked out of Amelia's room, shutting the door quietly behind her. Zangulus looked at her expectantly, raising an eyebrow as if to say "Well?"
"She hasn't eaten all day and went back to sleep. It's really taken energy out of her," Sylphiel replied softly. "I've tried to talk to her, but she's just quiet. Silent."
"Getting sidetracked again," Zangulus sighed. "I hate this." He turned to his room.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Zangulus turned his head to look at the priestess. "Where's it look like?"
Sylphiel looked cross, which nearly frightened the swordsman. "Mr. Zangulus, you can't just walk away from this. Ms. Amelia needs your support!"
"Funny. She said the same thing about you," Zangulus muttered. "Anyway, I'm lousy with words. I thought the morning you woke up from that illness was a clue to that."
"You might not be able to be the best with words, but it's comforting to know that you care. Ms. Amelia will want the same thing," Sylphiel told him, frowning. "I honestly could have used some more words from you, but... that morning really did help. I still don't feel like I could do much more good now. Ms. Amelia got hurt, and you did during that incident, too, Mr. Zangulus."
"It was my choice, Sylphiel," Zangulus reminded. "And we went over this. You're not useless."
Sylphiel glared a little. "And have you shown otherwise?"
Damn it, what does she want from me? Zangulus thought angrily. "Sylphiel, I'm not that heartless."
"What are we to you?" the priestess inquired, her green eyes still focused on him looking far more mad than he was. Now that frightened him.
"What are you..." Zangulus started to repeat, then thought before answering his own question. "Sylphiel, I thought a lot about this today. Don't think I haven't. I've gotten a little used to you and Amelia being around. I guess I'm growing used to it. I feel bad about what happened to Amelia. I wanna help her, but... God, if I mess up, it'd only make things worse, and I don't want that. So I guess the answer to your question is that you two are everything to me now." Aside from Martina, he added silently.
Sylphiel seemed more than mad now. She was touched. The priestess smiled, then hugged the swordsman. Zangulus grew red and waved his arms a bit, letting out a "Whoa hey!" Sylphiel blushed and let go.
"Sorry," she apologized.
"I told you not to apologize all the time," Zangulus reminded, grinning a little.
Sylphiel nodded. "Now... what you told me, tell Ms. Amelia. I think it might help a little bit, at least. I know you're not a wonderful speaker or anything, but at least she'll know that you care."
"Yeah, okay. I'll check up on her later," Zangulus agreed, then scratched the back of his head. "You feeling better?"
"Yes. Thank you, Mr. Zangulus. I know you're not like Gourry dear, but... it helped. Really, it did," Sylphiel answered.
"If you can help it, don't compare me to him," Zangulus said with a sigh of annoyance.
She frowned a little. "Mr. Zangulus, why did you hate Gourry dear?"
"I didn't hate him. I just wanted to kill him."
The priestess laughed uneasily. "That's, ah... not what I meant..."
Zangulus looked around for a moment, unsure if he should say. Why the heck not? Maybe he was a little more sloshed than he figured. "When I first saw Gourry... well, I figured I shouldn't care about the job more than the money at the time. When we fought, I found that he was exactly the way that she would have wanted my life to be. I didn't turn out that way. So I wanted to kill Gourry for it. I was a little mad at him for letting me live, too, but... I guess that shows that she would have liked Gourry better as a son."
"She...? As in..."
"Yeah," Zangulus muttered. "Mother."
Sylphiel looked ashamed. "I'm sorry I made you remember her again... I've just made things worse once more."
"Oh, come on. We just had this talk a minute ago. It's all right, Sylphiel. I think about her all the time now, anyway," Zangulus told the priestess. "It's not your fault."
"Still..."
"And I said not to be sorry."
Sylphiel smiled a little. "All right." She glanced to the room with the resting princess. "Mr. Zangulus... Maybe you should see Amelia now."
"Just come with me. I'll probably mess up, and I'll need back up," Zangulus requested. She agreed with another nod before they went into Amelia's room.
Vrumugun stood at the edge of the roof, looking calm as he always did. However, he felt a little guilty. He hadn't meant for Amelia's cousin to appear. The mage was losing track now. Still, postponing Zangulus and the others wasn't a bad thing, actually. Maybe he could get some of these matters sorted before they continued.
He felt something exit from the Astral Plane, then immediately shivered. Not because he was chilled; Vrumugun never felt cold.
"What brings you up here, Mr. Vrumugun?" Xellos asked, smiling like he always did.
Vrumugun replied as he normally did to anyone. He glared at the mazoku coldly, refusing to answer verbally.
"Yes, very interesting," Xellos agreed. "Now, Mr. Vrumugun, I know you're not very social, but I'm afraid I'll have to ask you a few questions. Don't fret; it's not a survey! I'm just curious about you."
"You have not stopped bothering me since we first met. Why do you continue to insist on these queries?" Vrumugun spoke calmly. "Why do I seem to be so intriguing to you?"
Xellos laughed. "Well, of course you interest me! You should be dead."
Vrumugun's icy blue eyes stared at the mazoku in silence for a moment. "Who told you of such things?"
"Oh, I'm sure you know who," Xellos answered with a smirk. "What I'm wondering is how you remain to exist. Even he won't tell me."
"Of course he would not. He is even less talkative than I am," Vrumugun stated.
Xellos shrugged. He knew that the mage would refuse to answer that question. Sometimes he wondered why he bothered, then he remembered it was because his Mistress ordered him to and if he didn't do what he was told he'd die a horrible, horrible death or even worse. He smiled thoughtfully at that.
"Anyway, then let me ask you this: does Zangulus know?"
Vrumugun continued his stare, then shook his head in reply.
Xellos chuckled. "You aren't afraid of me telling him?"
"I have nothing to fear of you," Vrumugun replied flatly. "And if I did, I would still not fear you."
"Which makes it even so much more interesting to see if I can shatter you," Xellos mused, opening an eye. "And if you don't fear me, I know you are wary of me as you always were with my race, Astral Wanderer. You should fear me; it'd make things so much easier for the both of us. After all, how many of you are left?"
Vrumugun refused to answer again, his gaze back to the town.
"Well, enough eeriness from me!" Xellos immediately became cheery again. "You have such an effect on people, Mr. Vrumugun. I'm sure we'll meet again soon."
"Or you will just come to interrogate me once more," Vrumugun translated.
Xellos shrugged. "Something similar. So long!" With that, he leapt back, teleporting away.
Vrumugun frowned slightly. He was beginning to truly dislike that mazoku.
"Can't we just wake her up?" Zangulus asked, looking bored. He crossed his arms, shifting his weight from foot to foot. Sylphiel and he had been waiting for about half an hour for Amelia to wake up.
"No. It's better for her to wake up on her own," Sylphiel replied. She, too, was impatient though. The priestess wanted the princess to feel better as soon as she could. This just wasn't healthy for Amelia.
The princess stirred, finally awakening, heavy eyes focused on Sylphiel first before looking at Zangulus, as if surprised he'd be there.
"Ms. Amelia, how are you feeling?" Sylphiel tried first. The other cleric did not respond. The priestess gave a light sigh before looking to Zangulus for a moment. "Ms. Amelia... well, just listen, okay?"
Zangulus scratched the back of his head. Where to start? Stop thinking; you're making it all awkward. The swordsman muttered before starting. "I know I really suck at this. You were the one who told me that I should have tried to talk to Sylphiel again. Kinda wish I listened to you, then I would have had more practice at this. Anyway, that's not the point... Amelia, I know that this whole thing has been one of the worst journeys you've ever been on. I'm not great company, we don't even know what we're fighting, then this happens to you. Believe it or not, I know how you feel.
"But you can't let this bring you down. I know it feels awful, but lounging around and feeling bad isn't going to cure it. But you knew I was going to say something crappy like that, didn't you? That's not the whole thing. I've... thought a lot about it today, more than a guy ever wants to think about his feelings and the whole world, and believe me I have one helluva headache. I realized that I've grown used to you and Sylphiel being around. I honestly don't know where I'd be without either of you up to this point. You've both been able to keep this whole thing going. I haven't done much for either of you, have I?
"Getting off track... Amelia, just don't give up on yourself. Sylphiel would hate that, Lina would hate everything about that, and so would everyone else, including me. You and Sylphiel are too important to me now to see you go. I have a promise to keep, and I'm still taking you two to Rahns." The king paused. He hadn't quite crashed and burned yet; he was amazed that he was able to keep this up. "Unless you want us to take you home. We can do that; I wouldn't mind. It's a whole lot safer under that white magic seal than being on this journey, anyway. It's done a lot of harm to us so far. I'm surprised we've been able to go this far, especially with Xellos around."
Amelia sat up, looking at Zangulus. She had a smile on her face as tears welled up in her eyes. "That's the nicest thing I've heard you say to anyone, Mr. Zangulus..." she said weakly, but considerably better than she had been as of late. "Thank you so much..."
Zangulus hoped that the princess wouldn't hug him. He didn't want to be weirded out yet again. "Ah, it's okay. Thank Sylphiel, too. She kind of forced me into it."
Amelia giggled softly as Sylphiel blushed. "Well, I honestly wanted to know your feelings," the priestess murmured.
"So, what'll it be? Seyruun or us?" Zangulus offered.
Amelia wiped her eyes, looking at her friends. "I'll go with you all to Rahns, and beyond, if I must!" she said, although her "speech" was a little forced.
Didn't expect her to be one hundred percent better, Zangulus thought, disappointed. At least she's talking and willing to go on.
"We'll leave tomorrow, if you're ready by then," the swordsman said. "I need to get some supplies, anyway."
Amelia nodded and stood up from her bed slowly. "I'll go eat, then. I'm starving!"
"All right," he agreed.
"Mr. Zangulus... may I go with you to buy supplies? I'll need more cooking material," Sylphiel requested. The swordsman confirmed with a nod of approval. She smiled. "All right. Ms. Amelia, take care, okay? Eat well."
Amelia nodded. "I will! Come back soon!"
Gourry yawned, scratching his head. "I'm beat. What're we gonna do tomorrow, Lina?"
"The same thing we do everyday, Gourry..."
"Try to take over the world?!" he said excitedly.
Lina gave him a strange look. "Nooo... Beat up more bandits for their loot!"
"Ohhhh..."
Lina nodded. "Yeah, anyway... I can't wait to head toward this 'Mei City.' It has the Sai Sanctuary, and supposedly something great is there. You gotta go through this ritual thing, but it shouldn't be too bad as long as it's got nothing to do with a virgin sacrifice or goat's blood or something."
"Oh yeah! That's why we're buying stuff," Gourry remembered. "What do I gotta get again?"
"Nothing. Just hold everything I give you and don't drop it unless I say otherwise," Lina replied, immediately piling traveling supplies onto the blond's arms. "Hm... Hope the place has a sword for ya."
"Me too," is what Lina guessed Gourry said behind all the stuff she piled on him.
Lina paused as she listened for other voices.
"Do you seriously need this much?"
"Well, just in case Mr. Xellos or Mr. Vrumugun show up again..."
"Whatever..."
Lina grumbled, suddenly losing all her enthusiasm she had a moment ago. "C'mon, Gourry."
Then she cursed herself. "Gourry" was the magic word for both Sylphiel and Zangulus. Sylphiel with her love for Gourry and Zangulus with his love for fighting Gourry. Last she knew, the two didn't seem as much enthusiastic about him as before, but now...
"Gourry dear? Oh, Mr. Zangulus! Don't get that out, now!"
The two black haired adventurers had appeared before Lina and Gourry, Zangulus sadly not challenging the blond for the moment. Sylphiel smiled gently to her other friends. "Hello, Ms. Lina. Gourry dear."
"Hi, Sylphiel!" Gourry muffled.
Lina said, deadpan, "Yeah, hi. Look, we gotta be going, so..."
"Hang on a moment," Zangulus spoke up, focused on Lina. "Look, I know you hate me for the argument we had, but this is important. Actually, I hadn't intended on asking you this, but since you're here..."
"Spit it out," Lina told him with an angry tone.
"Come with Sylphiel and me back to the inn. It's really important, Lina. Amelia needs support I can't give. It's not just not my thing, but you know her better than me and you'd be better at it," Zangulus explained briefly.
Lina crossed her arms. She didn't want to be within three feet of Zangulus because she still felt she was right, and because of chances of traveling with him. But if Amelia needed help... "What's the story?"
Amelia appreciated what Sylphiel and Zangulus had done, really she did. Sylphiel had tried all day in getting her to eat, but Amelia just decided to doze off. She felt she betrayed the life she had lived, the way her father brought her up to be. Amelia betrayed Justice.
But if she hadn't killed Alfred, then Zangulus and Sylphiel would both probably be dead and she would have felt unjust then, too.
The princess blinked. That was something new to wonder about. True, Alfred did not deserve to die, but if she hadn't stopped him, he would have killed her friends. Amelia would have felt unjust then.
The Warrior of Justice poked at the remains of her food. She still felt horrible for what she had done. Zangulus speaking to her did make her think more clearly and feel a little better knowing that even he kind of cared for her in some way. Still, the wound was not healed. Words were not enough to help her. Even then, she still didn't have much time to mourn. They would be leaving tomorrow.
Amelia sighed, deciding not to finish her dinner. She ate most of it, but she just didn't have as much of an appetite as previously thought. Pushing the plate away, the princess started to daydream.
She wished for tomorrow to come, and hopefully the pain would be gone.
"So, why's Amelia upset again? Ow, you don't have to hit me, Lina."
Lina sighed. "Forget it, Gourry."
"Already did," the blond replied.
The redheaded sorceress frowned. She swore that she would never head to Zefilia ever again, so Lina wasn't traveling with the party; she'd only visit for a little while. Lina would just help Amelia out a bit, be there for her since this was a lady's job and like hell Zangulus could do it; Lina knew the princess better than Sylphiel, so it was up to the sorceress.
"I'm only going with you guys for a short while," Lina reminded the black haired man, not wanting to risk confusion that she was traveling with them.
"Yeah, everyone says that," he replied. "But fine with me. I can't do this for Amelia."
"Well, you aren't exactly a softie," Lina agreed.
"Neither are you..."
Lina glared at Zangulus, who just realized what he had said. "I mean, ah... er... oh look! We're here!" he stammered.
The four entered the inn. Amelia hadn't left her spot, but had a depressed expression fixed on her face. Lina winced inwardly. So the princess was really harmed by the experience.
"Hey, Amelia," Lina greeted cheerily and took a seat next to the Justice warrior.
Amelia perked up, surprised. "Ms. Lina!" she cried out, immediately hugging her friend. "Why're you here? I thought you went elsewhere!"
"Ah, well, we're heading to Mei City," Lina replied, hugging her sisterly companion. "How about we talk in yer room, okay?" Her eyes told the princess seriously that she was told what happened.
Amelia nodded slowly, standing up and heading upstairs. Lina waved to the others. "Gourry, stay here. Private stuff. I'll back in a bit. For now, just kind of hang around." The blond nodded in confirmation.
Lina might not have been able to cure everything, but she had known that she would play a significant role in healing the princess, even if she did not master white magic. Lina would do it with words.
At the night of his mother's death, Zangulus, at the age of eleven, had run out into the snowing fields in sorrow and disbelief. He remembered how cold it was outside. There was no comfort after her being gone, and she became part of the driving force of his life. The embrace of that strange figure was even colder than the small layer of snow on the grass. The only thing that kept him reasonably warm that night was the figure's cloak.
For some reason, Zangulus hadn't thought much of that night up until now.
The king of Xoana rested his chin on his fists, his elbows on his knees as he looked out of the window. Dawn. And he had such a headache.
The memory that came was odd. Why did he just think of it? Probably because he was worrying so much about Amelia's own problem. Both of theirs were similar enough, anyway.
The swordsman let out a grunt of pain. Damned headache. Maybe he did have too much to drink after all. He rose out of the bed and quickly got ready. Hopefully, Lina was able to talk some sort of sense and whatever else to Amelia that could possibly have helped.
Then immediately, Zangulus mentally hit himself. He just also remembered what he said to Sylphiel and Amelia.
"Thank God I never have much time for ale anymore," Zangulus muttered. He couldn't believe he spouted crap like that. Honest crap, but crap nonetheless.
Unfortunately, both clerics remembered the honest crap and claimed it valuable. Fortunately, they didn't speak much of it.
Amelia was considerably better. She was her cheerful self, ready to go at any moment. Sense told both Sylphiel and Zangulus that the princess was still upset (with good reason), but as time went she would be fine. Eventually.
"Ms. Lina and Mr. Gourry already left early this morning," Amelia announced a little sadly as the group was already on the road after some wholesome breakfast.
"Lina has her own things to do. It's her own choice," Zangulus stated. "She really doesn't like Zefilia for whatever reason, and if she wants to avoid it, fine."
Sylphiel sighed softly. "I wonder what happened to Mr. Xellos and Mr. Vrumugun."
"I don't care about what happened to the mazoku; he left us in the middle of a crisis," the swordsman growled. "Vrumugun, on the other hand... I have no idea. He's a survivor, though. He's fine."
"Even if Mr. Xellos isn't exactly with Justice, he's somewhere out there," Amelia confirmed a little more nicely about the priest.
The group continued on the road for awhile, going onto a bit of a scenic trail. It didn't go uphill or downhill much; it was actually quite a flat road in a manner of speaking. To their left, a canyon, and to their right, a mountainside.
The day by far was uneventful as they traveled the ongoing trail. Around lunchtime, Amelia declared a rest, whether Zangulus liked it or not. His gut screamed for some of Sylphiel's cooking, so he had no choice about the matter.
Amelia hummed merrily as she ate, enjoying her lunch of soup and bread. The group hadn't been very talkative except with Sylphiel and Amelia to each other variously.
Xellos had appeared and was already sitting next to Zangulus, who glared and scooted away. "Hello everyone!" the priest greeted with a wave.
Zangulus was immediately bursting with anger at the mazoku, which is actually almost like a friendly gesture in a way. "What the hell do you think you're doing?! Coming back here like you were invited! You left us in a middle of a battle!"
"Oh, yes. You survived that. Kudos to you all!" Xellos congratulated with an applaud. "I'm surprised, actually. Nicely done, everyone! Now, I have some business to conduct here..." Zangulus gave up; he wasn't getting much anywhere with the mazoku, so he just listened. "Before I continue, first... Ms. Sylphiel?."
"Yes?" Sylphiel replied, looking concerned.
"Can I have some of the lunch you made? It looks so good!" Xellos begged.
"Well, of course, Mr. Xellos!" The priestess went into making a dish for the mazoku.
"Thank you, Ms. Sylphiel," Xellos said gratefully, taking the dish and eating. "Mm-mm good!"
"I know; Ms. Sylphiel makes some of the best food, huh?" Amelia made conversation with the priest.
The swordsman interrupted. "Is that all you came for, Mazoku?" Zangulus asked, half-suspicious and half-hopeful.
Xellos sighed. "Unfortunately, no." He took a few more bites, mm-ing all the way. "I must get the recipe for this, Ms. Sylphiel!"
"Well, it's quite simple, actually..." the priestess began.
"Why are you here?" Zangulus interrupted again.
The mazoku finished his lunch. "Actually, I came here to warn you all. You see--"
A boulder quite close to the group suddenly exploded.
"Oops, too late!" Xellos laughed in fake nervousness. "Forgive me!"
"You...!" Zangulus began, his rage already starting to grow as he stood up and took out his sword.
Xellos tsked. "First, you'd best get rid of the threat, Zangy! I'm the last thing you need to worry about for now."
The other two party members stood. Amelia looked around for whatever it was that was attacking them as Sylphiel tried to keep Zangulus from yelling death threats at the mazoku. The princess made the mistake of jumping onto a boulder for a better view since that immediately exploded under her feet, causing her to land on her rear, going back where she started.
Then they saw what they were up against.
It couldn't be defined to have any shape to be recognized. It was even worse in appearance than the creatures that had attacked Sylphiel and Zangulus the first time around. The monster towered over them, husky and on all fours. It had a deathly gray color to its skin, which clutched tightly over its body. The "face" was remarkably similar to a black dragon's but still remained the gray shade its entire body owned. The creature had no wings, and was actually quite skinny as if it were starved. Even the ribs were visible. The monster had a long tail with a blade at the end of it and long powerful legs with claws at the end.
"What is it?!" Amelia squeaked.
Xellos had looked on seriously, eyes opened lazily. "A former dragon. One who suffered a disease before dying ages ago, and abandoned by his dragon brothers." He cheered up from his ominous mood. "A famous mazoku bedtime story!"
"In other words, I don't wanna hear it!" Zangulus snapped at him.
"A shame. It's one of my favorites," Xellos said in mock-sorrow.
The former dragon gave out a roar, a shockwave not that different from the Howling Sword bursting from the monster's mouth. Sylphiel brought up a shield quickly, barely blocking the blast. The magical barrier immediately went off as the group split up, running/flying past the beast. It snarled and turned to follow them.
"Elmekia Lance!" Amelia yelled, letting loose the spell.
The former dragon growled in mild annoyance, but roared another shockwave. Amelia squealed, getting thrown forward. Quickly, Sylphiel helped her back to her feet.
"Ow..." Amelia groaned. She looked back at the charging monster. "The other monsters couldn't stand up to an Elmekia Lance!"
"I suppose the ringleader of this whole thing must have realized how powerful you all are," Xellos mused.
"Thanks for the perspective," Zangulus said sarcastically. He held out his enchanted blade before throwing his own shockwave at the former dragon.
It seemed barely effected by the blast, but angered as it roared again. The group separated in time to evade the shockwave, then were frozen to death. They would have, anyway, if they were within the ten foot radius of the dragon.
"Jeez!" Zangulus barely even muttered out, wrenching his foot free of the ice. "Okay, who threw that?!"
Sylphiel breathed a sigh of relief. "Mr. Zangulus, are you all right?"
"Fine. Just a cold foot." He looked around angrily, then eyed suspiciously at Xellos.
The mazoku laughed uneasily. "Now now, my Mistress had me specifically make sure I am not to join everyone in battle. I honestly had nothing to do with this matter!"
"Forgive me, Zangulus. I had not intended the Demona Crystal to grow that large." Appearing out of the Astral Plane not far from the group was Vrumugun, who first looked coldly at the mazoku before his attention settled on the others. "I doubt it is powerful enough to contain this monster that long."
Which, coincidentally, meant that the ice began to crack quickly over the beast's body for a nice effect. "A Dragon Slave might be nice!" the swordsman suggested calmly to Sylphiel.
The priestess shook her head. "It would cause an avalanche!" she reasoned. Sylphiel looked to Amelia. "Maybe a Ra Tilt...?"
"It's a lot like the Dragon Slave," Amelia warned. "It might cause an avalanche, too."
"So we're limited?!" Zangulus grumbled. "Damn it!"
The monster broke out of the ice, roaring angrily. The swordsman swore and shouted for the group to split up, everyone going in different directions mostly in flying or teleporting. Zangulus had to opt for running on ahead. The beast ignored Sylphiel's failed Recovery spell and Amelia's Elmekia Lance, roaring a shockwave at them. The clerics were flung back briefly.
"Howling Blast!" the Xoana king shouted, the black attack exploding against the former dragon's side.
The monster was harmed, but certainly not killed. It glared at Zangulus, its tail coming down to stab at him. He attempted to evade, but got his cape stuck under the tail. The swordsman briefly thought about how he should have ditched the whole cape years ago before reminding himself that there was something more serious to worry about. He undid his cape, rolling away from the monster.
"Freeze Brid!" Vrumugun commanded, an orb of ice thrown at the monster's head. It shook off the ice in a matter of a minute, swinging its tail at the mage. The Astral Wanderer disappeared from the attack, reappearing elsewhere. The battle was getting nowhere, and using big attacks was definitely a bad idea at this point.
"Elmekia Flame!"
The attack went through the beast, wounding it greatly. Running up the trail was Lina and Gourry, both looking shocked at the size of the monster. Lina prepared another attack, rolling her eyes with annoyance. "You guys get into so much trouble, with or without me!"
"I'd love to hear your list of complaints, but would you mind doing me a favor and destroying this thing?!" Zangulus shouted from the other side of the battle field.
"Happy to," Lina complied. "Amelia! Cast it with me! Elmekia Lance!"
"Elmekia Lance!" the princess echoed, landing beside Lina at the same time. The attacks exploded against the same wound, causing the monster to shrink away with a snarl, visibly getting weaker "It's working! Ms. Lina!" Amelia cheered. Sylphiel landed beside her friends just as Xellos decided to appear as well.
Vrumugun landed out from the Astral Plane, watching the former dragon. It seemed to realize it was getting weaker. It started to curl up. "Finish it off," the mage advised.
"Hurry up!" Zangulus shouted from his side, waving his arms angrily. He didn't like the looks of this, either.
Lina held out her hands, beginning her spell. "Elmekia--"
Then the monster exploded.
Amelia found herself flying through the air, feeling numb. What was that?! She didn't really think of it much; she looked ready to land on those pointy-looking rocks down the cliff, and she didn't really feel like going through the hassle of putting up a Levitation even though she knew she should; her numbness just made her feel lazy.
Then she was floating anyway, gently settling into a pair of arms. Not exactly soft arms, either.
The princess of Seyruun looked up slowly, starting to wake up as a healing spell was being placed on her. She was shocked with who she was looking at.
"Mr. Zelgadis?!"
The chimera looked down to his companion. "Amelia, I have several questions that I'd like to ask you. This being the most important: what the hell is going on?"
Not exactly answering the question, Amelia looked around wildly. "Ms. Sylphiel?? Ms. Lina!" she began to call for her friends.
It wasn't much of a surprise to Zelgadis that she was traveling with Lina, but Sylphiel as well? The chimera shrugged. He'd learn all about it soon. He landed back onto the trail, just outside of the crater made by the monster. Immediately, Amelia was set down, who murmured gratefully to him before running to Lina and Gourry.
"Ms. Lina! Mr. Gourry!" Amelia cried out. She started to work on using a Recovery on Lina where Zelgadis took on the job of healing the blond.
"Ugh. Thanks," Lina said groggily. "What the hell was that?!"
"So you didn't cause it?" Zelgadis asked, surprised.
"No!" Lina snapped, then looked surprised. "Zel?!"
Zelgadis muttered, "Yes, it's me. Lina, what's going on?"
"I'd love to know," Lina sighed.
"Wow. If Lina doesn't know, then it's pretty bad," Gourry observed.
"It self-destructed." All eyes turned to Vrumugun, who had appeared again, perfectly unharmed with Sylphiel. "Knowing how wounded it was, it took out its last defense and destroyed itself to hopefully destroy us. As far as I know, it has been unsuccessful."
About to ask what he meant by that, Lina noticed that Zangulus wasn't in sight. She was hardly concerned about Xellos because he probably did survive that stupid trick. Or if he died, all the better. "Where the heck is Zang?!" the sorceress demanded, standing up and staring at the mage.
"I have searched. I do not know," Vrumugun admitted.
Zelgadis remained quiet, everything going right over his head. He'd get an explanation soon enough. Sylphiel however was quite devastated, flying over the crater, calling out for the black haired swordsman. Amelia soon came to follow.
"Zang was on the other side of the monster. I have no clue how close he was. Do ya think...?" Lina began with worry.
"It is possible," Vrumugun replied quietly. "I would prefer to think that he is alive, but I have not been able to spot him."
Sylphiel and Amelia arrived with disappointment. The priestess held up a cape sorrowfully. "I could only find this with his hat..." she said sadly. Amelia nodded in agreement, grimly, as she held the hat.
"All right, you have any idea how powerful that explosion was, Vrumugun?" Lina demanded, looking at him suspiciously. He seemed to have an idea of what was going on better than her, which was surprising.
"Not as much as the Dragon Slave, considering we are not buried in stones, but if Zangulus were close enough, then it is possible that he is dead," Vrumugun said truthfully.
Sylphiel fell to her knees, obviously upset as she started to shake with sobs. Amelia knelt beside her, looking more angry than sad now. "Mr. Vrumugun, have more faith!" the princess scolded.
"I am only being honest. But, it is also possible that he is somewhere else by this point. I have not a clue. He is a survivor; I do believe he is alive somewhere," Vrumugun amended.
"Yeah, he's somewhere. Let's keep looking," Lina agreed. "Zel, what's your plan?"
"Whether I join you or not depends. Mind explaining this whole thing?" Zelgadis requested, raising a rocky brow in curiosity.
As the conversation chatted on, Gourry also went to comfort Sylphiel. The priestess, for once, ignored him as she held the cape dearly. As she held it closer, a piece of paper floated out of it. Curiously, she picked it up, then dared to read it.
Sylphiel swore her heart stopped when she finished.
"This is it," she whispered. Everyone stopped to look at her, confused and concerned. The priestess continued. "This is the reason why Mr. Zangulus is going to Zefilia."
"What is it, Sylphiel?" Gourry asked, even though he probably wouldn't quite get it no matter how mapped out it was for him.
"He's going because his mother wrote him this," Sylphiel explained all too vaguely. Vrumugun seemed more surprised than anyone, uncharacteristically.
"So?" Lina was confused.
Sylphiel bit her lip. "His mother is dead."
-=-=-
As any good hearted series, this is to be continued in...
"Crime and Punishment! For the Right Price, Any Sacrifice."
...where Zangulus finds himself in a town he's caused
too much pain for and is taught lessons by it. Silence fills the air when
he is reunited with his companions, as there is no way to comfort him or
anyone else now.
Yay. More mysteries solved and created. Joyeeee. And because I'm lame,
I'm going to advertise for the real main page of Slayers SILENCE:
http://www.angelfire.com/anime3/howlingsword/silence.html
It's like this, only better.
---
Alba Aulbath
berry@adelphia.net
