And all the Walls Came Tumbling Down
Chapter the ThirdHigh walls, all of white marble, surrounded a tiered meeting hall. Sitting in the tiers where were many well dressed men and women. On this fine day in Saillune, they all listened intently to a single speaker. The speakers stood by a podium in the center of the hall.
Standing on a small block, to raise her to a height above the podium, a black haired lady in regal clothing addressed the collected nobles. Her lustrous black hair was kept short, to just above for shoulders. She was dressed in a white robe that was adorned with pink highlights. Her bright blue eyes held the attention of the gathered government body.
Amelia was in quite a pique over the noble latest actions. Some of the more influential landowners had seen fit to increase the taxes of the people on their land. She simply could not allow this to continue. Not only did it undermine the authority of the ruling family, it was thoroughly unjust! So she had gathered a majority of the ruling houses together, including the offending houses, so that they could resolve this matter.
Consequently, the princess found herself trying to hold off a tirade as she addressed the noble. Things had been going smoothly until one noble, Lord Artax, had voiced his objections to the crowns "meddling" in the private affairs of the landowners.
"But how can you not see the injustice of increasing the taxes?" Amelia asked incredulously. "I thought it had been agreed I both the houses and the crown that taxes were not to be increased and create further hardships with common man?"
The arrogant noble was not swayed. He sneered, "that agreement was made long ago princess. Our lands have become more prosperous, and the ruling housing should reap that prosperity."
Blue eyes widened in outrage. "So you would take the prosperity of your people and give it to yourself?" She said in a deceptively calm voice. "You would deny your people, the very people that make you land wealthy, happiness that their hard work has granted them?
"This kind of injustice cannot be allowed to continue!" Amelia leapt to the top of the podium. "I, Amelia Wil Tesla Saillune, cannot stand by and watch this evil undermine the faith and trust the commoners have both in the nobles and in the Crown!"
The collected nobles sighed tiredly. Most recognized a justice speech when one began. This was all too common an occurrence where Prince Philionel, Amelia's father, was concerned.
Failing to notice the hardening stares, the princess continued, "as such, my father has asked me to give you the following announcement." Unfurling a hitherto unseen document, she began to read.
"The crown hereby decrees that all lands controlled by the country of Saillune shall have a uniform tax placed upon it. The tax shall be increased by two percent from the previously agreed upon figures. No More, No Less. Any in violation of this shall have their personal holdings taxed an additional third by the crown. Compliance shall be made in a fortnight."
A collective gasp was uttered by those gathered. The nobles looked at each other in shock. It had been nearly five years since the Prince had issued in edicts regarding how the nobles governed their land.
The raven-haired princess jumped off of the podium, and left the hall. Her smile was a smile of the righteous as she felt her good work had been done.
A few hours later found Princess Amelia sitting at a desk in her room. Her room was what you would expect of both a young girl and a princess. The large opulent room had walls of white marble, with furniture to match. The covers on her bed and the highlights in the room were of light pink and purple.
One wall was adorned with a painting of her family. A beautiful woman that could only be Amelia's mother sat in a chair. Held in the ladies arms was a young girl of five or six years old. Standing next to them was prince Phil. In his strong arms was a bouncing baby girl who could be no more than a year or two old.
The princess was seated at the desk, writing on a piece of small parchment. She wrote for a minute more and then stopped. She set her pen down and picked up the paper she had been writing on.
Dearest Zelgadiss,
I pray that you are doing well my friend. As I have not heard from you in more than a week, I must presume that you are currently involved in something that will not allow you the time to send me word of your progress. I hope this is so.
During the last week, I have heard from Lina and Gourry, Mister Zelgadiss. You are right, neither of them seems willing to alter the friendship and familiarity that they currently have by admitting their feelings to each other. It is both amusing and saddening, Mister Zelgadiss. I only wish they could be more honest with each other. It has been years since they went and saw Zephilia together, but still they are afraid of the path the truth will lead them down.
Amelia stopped writing, setting her pen down with a sigh. She looked around before standing and walking to the window of her room. Opening the glass, she looked out over Saillune with a bittersweet smile.
"How can you talk about the two of them needing to be truthful when you can't even be honest yourself, Princess?" She asked, lowering her head to stare at the street below. "You can't bring yourself to tell Mister Zelgadiss how you feel, so how can it be just for you to try and make Lina and Gourry admit anything?"
The black haired princess slammed a fist into her open palm. "That's it! A warrior of Justice must be truthful and honest. I will just tell Mister Zelgadiss how I feel! Then the flowery passion of True Love and Justice will shed light onto his gloomy world!" With a smile, Amelia returned to her table to continue her letter. Sitting down, she began to write again. Her hand moved slowly at first, but began to pick up speed almost as fast as the blush that rose on her face.
Speaking of paths, Mister Zelgadiss, the path of Truth has called me to confess something to you. You see, dear friend, we have been good friends over the years. In fact, I have not been as close to many people as I am with you. Only my lost sister Gracia and my father are as important to me as you are. For you see, Mister Zelgadiss, I love both big sister and father dearly. As I lo…
A knock at the door stayed the princess's hand. When she looked up, she saw one of the maids looking in on her.
"Yes?"
The maid looked over at the princess and smiled. "Your father wished you to know that the delegation from Zoana was here princess. He requests your presence if you are not busy."
Amelia looked down at the letter she was writing, a slight blush still on her face. I'll finish this later; after all I have plenty of time. Setting down her pen, she stood and made for the door. "I shall join him immediately then." Following the maid, the princess left the room. The unfinished letter lay on the desk, quivering slightly with a light breeze from the window. It was as if the naked emotions in its words were shaking in nervous anticipation of being read.
Prince Philionel De Saillune was in a good mood. The current king and queen of Zoana were much easier to deal with than the previous king. In fact, the two kingdoms had a very close relationship, especially since his lovely daughter had traveled with both of them. Under his daughters recommendation, he had elected to support Zoana and help the battered country return to its former glory. Now if he could just get them to stop worshipping their patron deity…
Fanfare interrupted the prince from his musings. Sitting more upright on the throne, he watched as the delegation arrived. Two armed guards led the way in the black and yellow colors of Zoana. Phil's eyes widened when he noted the pair behind the honor guard.
Dressed in a flowing black dress with golden trimming, Martina, the very queen herself, entered the room. Laced through her curly green hair was a silver crown lined with emeralds. She wore a cyan shawl that highlighted her hair. On her left hand was a very large, and very gaudy, diamond and emerald wedding band. She looked over at the man that held her arm and smiled.
Zangulus, her husband and king, looked mostly unchanged from his traveling days. He now wore black pants and a black jacket with a yellow shirt to provide color. His long black hair still hid one of his eyes as his wide brimmed hat cast a shadow over the rest of his face. His signature hat was now black, with a yellow band; like his pants and jacket, it was made of black velvet. Other than a simple gold band on his left hand and the sword at his side, he wore no other adornments. Arm in arm with his wife, Zangulus walked toward the throne.
In short order, the procession was over and the two rulers were standing at the base of the stairs leading to the throne. To not insult his guests, Prince Philionel De Saillune stood and descended the short flight of stairs to stand level with the visiting dignitaries. He smiled over at them as he nodded his head in recognition.
"Greetings, Queen and King of Zoana. It is a pleasure to have the both of you grace our humble kingdom with your presence." He let out a small bark of laughter. "It is good to see such valiant believers in justice doing well with their people and their land." The prince of justice missed the look that passed between the two standing before him.
He motioned towards a door leading to an antechamber. "Come, let us go and seat ourselves so we may talk of the success that both our kingdoms enjoy under the light of Justice and Truth!" With Martina and Zangulus following behind, Prince Phil headed out of the greeting hall.
Inside the smaller room he led the couple to, the dark haired prince and his companions were seated at a round table laden with reams of paper. After sitting, servants brought in refreshments before exiting as quietly as they had arrived. Once everyone was comfortable, Prince Phil grasped the first paper he saw.
"As you know, our two kingdoms have many trade regulations that, at your request, we are supposed to look over. This first one is about Zoanian textiles…"
Amelia stood outside the meeting room, listening for an appropriate time to enter. She had arrived only a few minutes ago, and she could hear the discussion even through the door. She sighed. Why would Daddy want me to meet with the delegates from Zoana? It sounds like he has everything under control. Hearing a lull in the conversation, the raven-haired princess knocked on the door before entering.
Expecting to find her father discussing policy with ambassadors, Amelia was pleasantly surprised to see Martina and Zangulus rising to greet her. Smiling broadly, the self appointed champion of justice rushed across the room to embrace the green haired princess.
"Princess Amelia!"
"Queen Martina! And King Zangulus! It's so good to see you!"
Prince Phil cleared his throat during the introductions. "Daughter, you have chosen a fine moment to join us! I was just about to suggest, if there is no more pressing business, that we recess. It is a fine time to enjoy a pleasant countryside horse ride, so I shall leave our esteemed guests in your capable hands." With a bow to the visiting dignitaries, the ruler of Saillune left.
The aqua haired princess looked Amelia up and down before remarking with a laugh, "Look at you, Amelia! You've grown up splendidly." With a nudge at her husband, she continued, " I daresay you could even compete with me for most beautiful royalty now princess!"
Amelia blushed under Martina's compliments. "N-no, not really. Daddy says that I got too much of his height even if I got all of mothers looks," she stammered out. Her blush deepened when the former swordsman smiled and shook his head.
"You do your family proud, Amelia." If he would have said more, he wisely closed his mouth after his queen shot him a disapproving glare.
Martina huffed at her husband before smiling at the princess. "So, anyway, like, how are the rest of our friends. Other than you and Sylphiel, none of our traveling companions have even written. If I didn't know better, I'd say that they had forgotten me!" She crossed her arms and turned her face upward, the look on her face clear she could not understand how anyone could forget her.
Amelia gulped before replying, "Well, I am sure that they would contact your if they had the chance." But then again, I don't think Lina wants you to try and curse her again, and Gourry probably doesn't want to take on Zangulus without a decent weapon. She sighed inwardly when she saw her reply mollify Martina.
"That must be it. So," the visiting royalty began, "have you been in contact with any of them lately?" She snickered while asking, "especially your friend Zelgadiss?"
Amelia missed the implied undertones and replied truthfully, "Yes I did. In fact, he should be on his way back into the inner world soon." She smiled, thinking about seeing the chimera again. "I think he'll stop by too."
"Oh really," Martina drawled. Amelia cast a nervous glance at her friend. "Is he gonna come to Saillune for a little R & R, eh Amelia?"
Finally the princess caught the hidden meaning of her friend's overtones. She blushed madly, most of her face turning red. After a moment, she recovered enough to jump up on the table and point a finger into the sky.
"That is a totally unjust and not nice thing for you to say, Queen Martina. Implying such things about the honorable Mister Zelgadiss is unkind!"
"So you don't want him to spend some quality time with you?"
"Of course I d… I mean No…I mean," she blushed even more hotly than before when Martina burst out laughing. "It's not just to say such things when Mister Zelgadiss isn't even here," the blue-eyed princess muttered while she waited for her 'friend' to finish laughing.
A cloaked figure sneezed as he walked out from the shadows of the main gate, a tall blonde gentleman following him. Hmmm, Zelgadiss thought to himself. Maybe somebody's talking about me? With a shrug he turned to his companion. "Thank you for taking me this far. Tell lady Aqua that I appreciate her help greatly."
Milgasia, frowning as he looked around at all of the humans walking past the pair, nodded his head in affirmation. Wow, he must like people even less than I did all those years ago. Zelgadiss smiled. I guess the princess finally rubbed off on me.
Finally resting his steely eyes on the chimera, Milgasia spoke. "Good luck Zelgadiss. If you truly plan on challenging that Mazoku general-priest, I suggest you fortify yourself."
The rocky skinned sorcerer nodded, the smile falling from his face. "Don't worry, I will." He turned to leave, but stopped and turned back to the golden dragon. "How long do I have before what I saw takes place? I know that the Xelloss hasn't confronted me yet so there is time, but how long will I have to get there?"
Milgasia nodded, finally smiling. "Lady Aqua was right, you are as smart as the stories say. Give or take a day, you have a week to get there. By then, your friends will already be to far into their fates to save them."
Zelgadiss nodded and shook the dragon's hand. "Well met, Milgasia." With that he turned and walked away.
The blue-eyed being watched the chimera walk off. Then he shouted out, "Zelgadiss!"
Stopping, the gray eyed young man looked over his shoulder at Milgasia.
"Lady Aqua wished for me to give you one final message: 'When the Darkness comes for us all, the only things we can take with us is what binds us to this world, and to each other. Trust your feelings, Zelgadiss, for only they can save you when your world turns to night.'" With a final nod toward the cursed shaman, Milgasia faded from sight.
Zelgadiss looked for a moment longer at the spot the golden dragon had vacated. With a shrug of his cloaked shoulders, he walked into the city. At any point in the day, Saillune was bustling with activity. And why should it not? As the white magic capital of the world, there was little the populace feared within its walls. Its citizens, more so than in any other city, uphold the law with a passion and a sense of duty. Consequently, it was one of the liveliest cities in the world.
The stony skinned sorcerer's path took him almost half an hour, as the city was quite busy. He just had to finish with Aqua at noon, didn't he? He looked up at the burning disk of the sun, and after a moment scowled. For a second, he thought he had seen a dark shape in the sky, but after blinking it was gone. Must be the heat getting to him. There was far too much sunshine and warmth for his liking. Grumbling, the chimera walked on until he reached the gates to the castle.
Finally reaching the gates, the cloaked sorcerer was not terribly surprised to be stopped at the gates by the soldiers. With a long used sigh, he produced a well-worn pink bracelet with a round blue gem on it. He grinned inwardly when he saw the guards eyes widen.
"I would like to see the Princess please."
The guards immediately snapped to attention. One saluted smartly and ran in to the castle to alert the princess of her guest. The other turned a respectful gaze to the visitor. "Please sir, this way. I shall take you to the sitting room while the princess is summoned. The princess will be overjoyed to see you, sir."
Shaking his head, Zelgadiss replied, "I'm sure she will." With nothing further, the guard and the chimera walked into the castle.
A dark shadow reappeared in the sky, nearly a mile up from the city. Trusting in the city's guards and its magic, the populace had little cause to worry that one of the most powerful Mazoku in existence hovered overhead. Xelloss was rubbing its chin in concentration and thought. Snapping gloved fingers the general-priest smiled clearly solving whatever dilemma it pondered. Fading from existence, the monster in the shape of a man was never detected by the citizens of Saillune.
From a small dining hall in the private wing of the palace, the sounds of a terrible battle resounded, frightening some of the newer staff. Most of the servants that had worked for the royalty were confused, though. Lina and Gourry, known throughout the castle as a servant's worst nightmare, were not in attendance. So who could be causing such a ruckus?
Princess Amelia was wondering this herself as she watched her friends Martina and Zangulus perform a gustatory massacre usually reserved for the Dra-Mata and the former Swordsman of Light. But there was a difference, especially to the raven-haired beauty's trained eye. Whereas the fight between Lina and Gourry was to see which could eat the most, fastest, the swordsman feasting now seemed more concerned with fending off his wife's advances on his meal than trying to hoard everything.
Finally the king of Zoana could stand no more. Physically removing his plate from the table, he cried out, "Martina! What in Zoamel Gustav's name are you doing?! There's plenty of food for everyone!"
In response, the gray-eyed queen paused and looked over at her husband. "I'm sorry, Zangy, darling. I'm just soooooo hungry!" She returned to her feasting, but ate with slightly more decorum. Everyone sighed when they saw that the worst was past.
Amelia was just starting on her tea (she never could get used to coffee, though she did try) when a servant entered the room and tapped her on the shoulder.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, princess," the young man began, "but you have a visitor in the royal sitting room that requests your immediate attention."
She nodded her head. "I'll be along as soon as I finish my tea."
"Very well. I shall inform your guest that you shall meet him shortly."
Just as the servant left the room, Martina let out a very large, very contented, sigh. "Ahh, much better." She smiled at her husband, who had a distinctly green hue to his face, before looking over at her fellow royalty. "So, you have a visitor? I'd like to join you, if you don't mind. I need to walk off some of this food to make room for dinner."
Amelia shook her head in amusement as she rose. "As long as it isn't state business, I don't see why not." After a moment's thought, she added, "If it is state business, it will be good to see the two of us getting along anyway." All three got up and left, following a servant to the correct sitting room.
A short walk later, Amelia, Martina, and Zangulus arrived at the sitting room. The servant bowed to his princess, and then to the visiting royalty. He straightened and left. With a deep breath, the blue-eyed princess of Saillune opened the door.
Standing by a cloak rack was a person in a light gray cloak, the design totally unfamiliar to her. His or her back was to the princess. Pausing for only a moment, having heard the door open, the person reached over and undid a clasp on the cloak. With a swift tug, the cloak was removed in a flourish, revealing a man dressed in unfamiliar gray clothes; the only color on the outfit was a midnight blue tunic that bore emerald writing down one sleeve. Ironically enough, the shirt was only a few shades off from the young man's rocky skin. Eyes widening, Amelia finally recognized the man standing before her.
"ZELGADISS?!?!"
With a smile and a nod, he replied, "It's good to see you too Princess." Zelgadiss watched as the sapphire eyed young sorceress stared at him for a moment. He haphazardly noticed that two other people standing in the hall, but his eyes were focused on the princess before him.
As if fired out of a canon, Amelia shot toward her friend to tackle him in a bear hug. In her haste and excitement, she forgot one very important thing about the chimera; his stone body was not very giving.
**WHUD**
"Owwwww…"The princess muttered as she slid off of Zelgadiss and on to the floor. Then she bounced up and shook her head to clear away the stars circling like a halo. With an embarrassed grin, she stood next to the blushing chimera. Looking him over, her smile faded.
"You haven't found your cure, Mister Zelgadiss?" She queried sadly. Surprising her, the well-traveled sorcerer smiled, though there was pain in his eyes.
"I did find my cure Amelia," he began, though there was sadness in his voice that surprised her even as she unleashed a beaming smile.
Martina cleared her throat. "Aren't you at least going to say hello Zelgadiss?" here eyes welled up as she gasped, "You can't say you've forgotten me?"
The chimera gulped as he turned to the lady of the light green tresses and her companion. "I tried to," he muttered under his breath so only Amelia, who was standing a step away from him, heard clearly. Then he coughed and said loudly, "Of course not, princess…I mean, Queen Martina. How could I forget either you or Zangulus?"
Grinning from ear to ear, Martina looked Zelgadiss up and down. "So Zel, are ye going to pray to Zoamel Gustav for your cure now?" Behind his wife, Zangulus shot the chimera an apologetic look.
Stepping away from Amelia, the gray-eyed sorcerer cleared his throat. "No, I know where, or more specifically, who has my cure." Everyone smiled supportively at him. Waiting for him to continue. "But there's something more important that I need Amelia's help with."
"But your cure is so important Mister Zelgadiss! What could be more important than finding it?" Amelia asked, shock plain on her features. It was inconceivable that anything could sway him from his cure, especially with it so close. In all the time she had known the wiry haired chimera, the only time he wasn't looking for his cure was when he was forced to help Lina and Gourry save the world. But she would have heard if Shabranigdo was going to be resurrected.
"If we don't hurry, Lina and Gourry are going to die."
In the silence following his declaration, you could hear a pin drop. Onto soft mud…one hundred miles away. Suddenly, as if time itself had finally snapped back from its shock, all three of members of Zelgadiss's audience began talking at once.
"Nobody can beat Miss Lina…"
"But I haven't gotten Zoamel Gustav's revenge!"
"I haven't beaten Gourry yet!"
The cursed sorcerer shook his head in derisive amusement. They haven't changed any, he thought of the king and queen of Zoana. Zelgadiss cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.
Amelia raised her hand tentatively, as if she wanted to ask a question. So the Chimera looked her way and said, "You don't have to raise your hand to ask a question Amelia."
Blushing a light pink, she asked, "But Mister Zelgadiss, who or what is strong enough to beat up Miss Lina and Gourry?" It was a good question, and Zelgadiss nodded in her direction. But he knew that if his reason for not getting his cure caused such uproar, the answer to his friend's question would cause chaos. But the question was out there, and he did not make a habit of lying, especially to Amelia.
So the chimera sighed and replied, "Xelloss." The reaction was immediate.
"WHAT?!?!?"
Both the swordsman turned king and the blue skinned sorcerer were nearly knocked down by the volume of the cries from the two young royals. Martina was the first to speak after the initial outbreak.
"But Xelloss always helped us, even if he was an icky Mazoku." She sniffed once, then stood straight and declared, "It can't be him. He was such a cutie, and he was a hero in my series, so there!"
Zelgadiss crossed his arms and glared at the pouting queen. "Well, this time he's the Villain, got it? You weren't in the series dealing with Valgaav and Darkstar, so you don't know him as well."
"But Mister Zelgadiss, Xelloss was mostly nice to us," Amelia pointed out. "He even helped defeat Darkstar." She jumped up on a couch and struck a pose. "It is unjust to called Mister Xelloss a villain." The stone-skinned young man she was pointing at, his only reaction was the twitching in his right eye.
Zangulus tried to calm things down by asking, "How do you know Zelgadiss?"
Mollified by a reasonable question, he answered, "When I went and saw Aqua and the Clair Bible, it showed me how I was made and what would happen if I got my cure immediately." Amelia and Martina calmed down reluctantly. Both knew that their friend did not lie if he could help it, and that the Clair Bible couldn't lie. Further, Amelia could see the pain in Zelgadiss's eyes as he talked. She reached over and placed her small pink hand over his rocky, gloved one.
"I'm sorry, Mister Zelgadiss. I just can't believe that Xelloss would try and kill Miss Lina. He always helped us when we needed it."
The chimera, if he noticed Amelia's hand, made no indication of it. He slowly continued, "I would not have believed it either if I hadn't seen everything I saw." He shuddered once.
"I've always assumed that Rezo did this to me because he was testing a theory or because he wanted a slave. But Aqua showed me the truth. He did this to me because he thought it was the only way to return his sight. Someone offered him his cure, and all it would cost was the damnation of one willing soul." Amelia and Martina gasped, but remained silent. The king and queen of Zoana held each other as the tale continued
"Rezo did this to me to gain the information he needed for his cure. And it turned out that the Mazoku he dealt with wanted him to perform the experiment just for fun. The irony of it all, Rezo didn't want to. He wouldn't have done this to me had it not been for the Mazoku that tempted him with his cure."
From her place at his side, Amelia said softly, "Did Xelloss make the pact with Rezo?" Zelgadiss nodded. Amelia hung her head for a moment before standing.
She pulled herself up to her full height, placed a hand on the chimera's shoulder, and declared, "This wrong cannot go unpunished! I, Amelia Wil Tesla Saillune shall bring down the hammer of Justice on the foul Mazoku Mr. Xelloss. We shall not rest until he has atoned for all of his evil!"
Everyone in the room fainted.
In the aftermath of Amelia's justice tirade, and everyone's recovery, the raven-haired princess prepared to leave. It feels good to go adventuring again, she thought to herself as she packed her traveling pack before placing the whole thing inside her cloak. After admiring Lina's cloak for all of its magical tricks, the crimson haired sorceress had enchanted one for Amelia for the girl's fifteenth birthday. It was still one of her favorite gifts. And this time I get to help Miss Lina!
Glancing around the room with large sapphire eyes, the princess saw her unfinished letter on her desk. She blushed while she considered taking it with her. After all, she ruminated as she grabbed the letter and some writing materials, if I finish it I might even give it to Zelgadiss after we help Miss Lina and Gourry. The first thing both of them will want to do is eat. Maybe then. With a smile, she opened the door to her room and walked to the entrance of the castle and to Zelgadiss.
Much to the princess's surprise, she found Martina and Zangulus there as well. The swordsman had returned to his former tan clothing and very well worn hat. His wife was dressed a little differently than before. Instead of her black and yellow bikini, she had opted for a form fitting black one piece. Accenting it was a yellow sash that started at her right shoulder guard and crossed over her left breast, ending as a wrapped belt around her waist. The green haired queen had traded in her wedding ring for a simple gold band that matched a gold bracelet on her left arm, opting to wear her black glove over her right hand.
Martina saw Amelia giver her a once over and smiled. "We decided to come along and my old outfit is a bit much for a married woman," she said archly. "And Zelgadiss said it was alright, didn't you Zel?"
Shrugging his shoulders, the chimera replied, "Could I talk either of you out of it?" Both shook their heads. "Then I might as well accept it. Ready Princess?"
Amelia smiled warmly and nodded. "Ready whenever you are, Mister Zelgadiss. Let's deliver the hammer of Justice to the bad Mister Xelloss!"
"Right," he grumbled. The group started walking, Zelgadiss in the lead. Just before they reached the exit to the city, he stopped suddenly.
Paying more attention to the bright, sunny day and the sounds of the city, the dark haired princess walked right into the unforgiving stone body of the man in front of her. "Owwww…Mister Zelgadiss, why did you stop?"
The cursed sorcerer turned to her and produced a book from within his cloak. He gave it to her, saying, "take this, Amelia. There are a lot of white magic spells in there I think you could cast. Maybe not all of them, but enough."
She smiled and accepted the book. "Thank you, Mister Zelgadiss. These will make my quests for Justice easier." He nodded to her and resumed his path out of the city.
The four travelers journeyed for nearly an hour in the rolling countryside of Saillune. A cold wind had picked up, but the travel remained easy. Finally they stopped at a crossroad. Zelgadiss had called a stop.
"I need to think for a minute and try and figure out which direction I need us to go in before we continue," he said to the unspoken questions. Glad for even a momentary rest, Martina, Zangulus, and Amelia sat down in the swaying grass.
Meanwhile, the chimera stood in the center of the road thinking. His arms were crossed over his chest, with one hand holding the bridge of his nose. I really need a sign right about now, he thought glumly. As he stood and thought, he suddenly felt a chill go through him. Whirling, he saw someone standing on the sign at the crossroad. His friends had jumped up and gathered around him, having seen the visitor.
Standing on the sign while the wind whipped his cloak around him was the trickster priest himself. Most of his face was not visible beneath his dark hair. The only part visible was his wide, toothy grin. His staff was held in his right hand. Its glowing red orb drew Zelgadiss's eyes like a magnet. It pulsed once, as if in recognition.
"Well, well, well! What a lively group we've got here!" With a laugh, Xelloss leapt off of the signpost and landed in front of Zelgadiss. "It's good to see all of you again. Although I must admit, I did not expect to see you in this neck of the woods, Zelgi-poo. I figured you were still searching the outlands for your cure"
The chimera growled, but kept a hold of his temper. Taking a few calming breaths he replied, "Sorry to disappoint, but I have pressing business with some close friends."
"Well, since all of your friends but the Dragon – Spooker are here, then your business would be with our little fireball Lina, yes?" Though phrased as a question, it was obvious to all concerned that it was a statement of fact. "In that case, I have a proposal for you my friend."
Zelgadiss's eyes narrowed. "What kind of 'proposal'?"
"Ooooh, Zel, was that a trait of hostility? Now, now, I happen to have in my possession a way for you to be cured. Now wouldn't you like that?"
Amelia looked at Zelgadiss fearfully. Though he had said previously that he wanted to save Lina and Gourry, would he be able to turn down his cure? If he didn't, then what would she do? Looking skyward, she saw that clouds had gathered, gradually darkening the sky.
The stone-skinned sorcerer's smirked, though his eyes did not widen. "I already know that you have my cure Xelloss. You've had it the whole time."
The Mazoku's slit eyes snapped open in surprise. Zelgadiss's smirk widened. It was not often that he had seen Xelloss at a loss when his word games failed. Even if it was short lived, a victory against the Mazoku trickster was one to be savored.
As for Xelloss, it was indeed genuinely surprised. The trickster had, of course, known that the chimera had returned to the inner lands. The Mazoku that was supposed to be watching him apparently had failed in its job. Xelloss had been going to visit Amelia to ensure that the princess was not a factor. It had been more than a little unsettled when Zelgadiss was seen in the city. When Beastmaster's second had 'questioned' the Mazoku that was following Zelgadiss, discovering that the lesser Mazoku had its senses deceived was cause for alarm. Somehow the chimera had evaded the spies. Closing its eyes, Xelloss decided to make the best of it.
"Well then my friend, let us dispense with the pleasantries, eh?" Xelloss smiled an altogether unfriendly smile. "I shall give you your cure, my misshapen human. In return, all I ask is that you and your friends return to Saillune and go back to your hum-drum lives. No? Well then let me add to the kitty then." Unseen eyes turned to the trio behind the chimera. "How about this? I promise the neither I nor my brethren will bother either kingdom for their lifetimes."
"You're lying."
Xelloss opened one eye, fixing all four of them with its gaze. "I am many things, my friends. But I am most assuredly not a liar.
"Well, Zelgi-poo, its all up to you. A simple yes will suffice and all I have stated will be granted."
Zelgadiss closed his eyes in thought. "So you're saying, I get peace for Zoana and Saillune for the lifetimes of Martina and Amelia, and I get my cure." Xelloss nodded. "And all I have to do is turn my back on two of my best friends."
The purple haired Mazoku was smiling. "Mmhmm," it murmured. "Not so much to ask for everything you get in return now is it. After all, you've sacrificed everything in your life. First for power, then for you cure. Two more lives added to everything else you've done shouldn't trouble you at all."
Standing as still and silent as the statue his body portrayed him to be, the tormented young man's eyes remained closed. Even the wind and the animals had stopped their sounds. It was as if the whole world waited on Zelgadiss. And then they had it, the only sound to break the silence of a world hanging on the balance of the answer to a singular question. Opening his eyes, Zelgadiss looked directly to where Xelloss's closed pupils would be.
"No Deal."
Amelia let out a ragged breath she was not aware she had been holding. He had made the right choice! The just choice, but also the hard choice. As badly as she wanted to hold him and congratulate him, she did not. Instead, she watched for the reaction from her former traveling companion.
Crooking its staff at the elbow, Xelloss clapped a few times as a smile fixed itself on its face. "I can't say I'm surprised, Zelgadiss. I will say I am a bit disappointed. After all, I had high hopes that you would take after your grandfather." Shrugging its shoulders, the Mazoku general-priest grasped its staff and opened its eyes. "Looks like the game is truly afoot now, my friends. Take care," Laughter rang out as the creature faded from view. "We'll meet again before our journey reaches its conclusion." And then Xelloss was gone.
Once the Mazoku was gone, Zelgadiss fell to his knees, his arms falling limply to his sides as he stared unseeing into the cloudy sky. Wind howled across the plain, but all else was silent. It was as if the world was acknowledging his sacrifice.
All she could do was look at the devastated wiry haired sorcerer before her. She had seen Zelgadiss in many lights, but never like this. He was both broken and lost, but also powerful and triumphant. At that moment, no one was more beautiful to Amelia than the man before her. Tears of pride in her sapphire eyes, she moved to go to him. But there was a hand on her shoulder. Turning, she saw Zangulus. He was holding his wife tightly, but he stared at the princess intently.
"Leave him, Amelia. We should not be present on such an occasion; we dishonor his sacrifice." The swordsman's eyes were clear and glittery. There was pride in his voice for the man before him. "Come, let us set camp and wait for him to return to us."
Nodding, Amelia turned away from Zelgadiss. Even as she did, she thought of the letter she had started writing that morning. I'll finish the letter. And maybe, when he's better, I can give it to him.
As was usual with every failure in his long quest, the beleaguered shaman's life had again shattered. Only this time, it was because he had succeeded. He had done what he knew was right. By turning down his cure, the chimera knew that he had a chance to save his friends. It was amazing; when had his friends become more important than his cure. There was no clear answer to that. What was important was that it had happened.
It finally hit him. By the simple act of choosing his friends over his cure, he had avoided his grandfather's fate. A shudder ran through him. Without knowing it he had, even after every thing he said to Eris, nearly failed the same way Rezo had. Now he knew the truth. Before his maddened desperation had gripped him, the red priest, in a moment of weakness, fallen from his path. His weakness had done cursed his grandson, not his hate. While it did not excuse what his grandfather had done, Zelgadiss found his heart softening towards Rezo.
Can forgive him? The thought rose, unbidden, from his heart. If he could forgive Rezo for his curse, that meant he could forgive himself. But was he ready for that? Zelgadiss knew in his hear that he was close, but not ready to forgive his grandfather. It was still to raw, to new, for his forgiveness to be granted. But at least he knew now that he could. And that meant the world to him.
Gray eyes slowly focused as a ray of sunlight peaked from the clouds to caress the kneeling Zelgadiss. If we get to Lina and Gourry in time, then we can stop Xelloss. And my cure is not gone or out of my reach. I have only to believe; as Lina would say, I make my own fate. Finally Zelgadiss smiled. It was a genuine smile that reached his eyes, and his heart. Nothing was written yet, but he had to get moving, or his friends would be lost.
Standing, Zelgadiss looked around and saw a small whips of smoke from further down one of the roads. How did they know to take the right road? He quickly jogged over to his companions.
When he arrived where his fellow travelers were waiting, all three looked his direction. Amelia scrambled to her feet and walked haltingly toward the chimera, stopping just out of arms length. She looked up at him with glistening blue eyes.
"Are you going to be alright, Mister Zelgadiss?"
Placing a hand gently on her shoulder, Zelgadiss smiled at the princess. "Yeah, Amelia. I'm going to be just fine." He looked over and nodded at the Queen and King of Zoana. "But if we don't get a move on, Lina and Gourry might bite of more than even they can chew." Everyone laughed.
"Let's go!"
END, Chapter the Third.
Well, thanks for tuning into the third installment of And the Walls…. I hope it meets with your approval. Things are getting interesting now, aren't they? Many, many thanks goes out to Frrobbins for the excellent proofreading on this, and the previous, chapters. Thanks so much Fritha! As always, any and all comments can either be made below or to Unholydragoon@excite.com. Thanks for taking the time to read this.