Chapter one

After Swift had gotten Zelgadis out of the cage, the elderly man took him back to his house. There was a group of men there, playing cards. As soon as the two came in, one of the men, a dignified blond with a sword at his hip, looked up, smiled, and said, "Good. You got him."

"Shoire oi did, sir. Come along, boy."

Swift took Zel up to a bathroom and helped him get cleaned up. After the young boy was clean and dressed in a simple black outfit, they went back downstairs.

"Hey there, freak, watcher name?" said a young boy sitting off to the side.

"Now then, Gavin, don't bother him. He's been through a lot, obviously. Come over here and sit down, boy." The dignified looking man patted the empty chair next to him. "My name is Deigan and I'm the leader of the thieves guild in this town. Swift tells me your name is Zelgadis. So tell me, how did you get in such a predicament?"

"Yea, howd'ya become a freak?" yelled out Gavin, pushing his black hair out of his eyes.

Zel just stood there. "Freak? Why did you call me a freak?" he said, finally, bewilderment plain on his face.

"Just look at yerself, freak!" said Gavin, laughing.

Zel put his hand up to brush his hair out of in front of his eyes. Then he stopped. His hair was not it's usual color of dark purple-blue, but a pale copy of that color. His hand was a shade of blue and there were stones in his skin in random places around his arm. Putting a hand up to his face, Zelgadis felt more stones ringed around his eyes and more jutting out of his chin and cheeks. Zel fainted.

When he came to, he was on a bed, with Swift and Deigan at his side.

"Why'd ya faint, boi?" said Swift. Zel looked at him, eyes fearful.

"They're right those people! I am a monster! Why did you save me, Swift, why?" Tears streamed down his face.

Deigan looked at him. "You looked like you needed saving. That's what Swift does for us, saves people who are down on their luck, then sends them on their way. Of course, it isn't just out of the goodness in my heart. Every so often, someone comes through and joins the guild rather than going back home. Do you wish to join, Zelgadiss?"

Zel thought about it for a few minutes.

"I think I do. I have nowhere else to go."

Deigan smiled.

"I was hoping you'd say that, Zelgadis, I really was. Welcome to the club."

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Author's note

That was a tad shorter than I wanted... Oh well, can't think of anything to add and that's a good place to stop. ^_^ Will write more soon. The Slayers don't belong to me. Please forgive the evil things I do with them.