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ZELGADISS TORN

___________________ Part 3 _________________

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Zel felt a tingle up his spine. A hiss escaped his lips, "Xellosss!"

Gourry put his hand to his hilt and withdrew his sword slightly. Lina and Amelia, hands on hips, stood on the other side of Zelgadiss and waited the few seconds it took for the Mazouku Lord to appear.

SHIMMER

"Hello, everyone. My, my… Mr. Zelgadiss… You ARE still alive! Good!" Xelloss beamed not hiding the fact that he was genuinely pleased to find Zelgadiss the winner. "So tell me, is that demon part performing well? Behaving its self too? Not too strong, is it?" Xelloss waited for Zel's silent nod. "Good. I DID command it to obey you as its Master. It's quite fearful of me, but…not too bright, so you never know with demon garbage…If it becomes disobedient, call me. You DO know how to call me?"

Zel shook his head, "No. I know when you're coming though…"

Xelloss answered as he walked closer to the younger man slowly removing one of his blue-toned gloves. "It's similar…try this…" He whispered a string of chant-like words and simultaneously touched Zel's flesh-toned forehead with the bare hand. A dark aura flowed out from the hand and over Zelgadiss in an instant.

The shaman jumped back a few inches and shouted, "What was that for?"

Xelloss smiled benignly and answered, "My, my, so jumpy! I was just setting up a stronger mindlink between you and me, not solely the demon portion, as it was before."

"I didn't ask for that!" Zel gasped. "I don't want you calling on me…listening in on my private thoughts! I'm trying to free myself from a demon, not subjugate myself to you! Do you understand! I hate you! I will die someday fighting you before I let you control me! DO YOU HEAR WHAT I AM SAYING? I don't want a closer connection with you or any Mazouku!" Zelgadiss was livid as he screamed out in anger.

So was Xelloss, now.

Xelloss frowned. "My hearing is well within the range of yours, Mr. Zelgadiss, so there's no need to raise your voice. You may not wish for a closer communication with me now… Not right now, but should you be hurt or weakened and the demon part sense that… it might choose to rebel. You might feel differently then. You might sorely miss my succor. Be sure… Mr. Zelgadiss… human… I won't be bothering you!"

SHIMMER

And Xelloss was gone.

Amelia clutched Zelgadiss' arm, "Oh, Mr. Zelgadiss! I think he was very mad. Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," the shaman sighed with a release of tension. "I wish that he would leave me alone. At least he could warn me before he does something I can't undo! Every time I think I'm taking a step forward, he jumps in and I fall back under his sway…I don't know…"

Zel collapsed on the ground as he grew more and more despondent, "I'm afraid of becoming dependent on him…so that little by little he gains control until…I can't fight it any more. Even now, you heard him, he directs the demon portion of me, what…1/3 or is it ½ or even 2/3 of me? AND he has a mind-link, whatever that entails, with all of me! So what's next? Someday he commands me to fall on my own sword, I die and he owns me forever as his slave! Gods! What have I done? I was so close, and now…I'm lost…"

Lina placed her hand on his shoulder, "Not yet, you're not! And we won't let anything destroy the Zel we know, because…I'm Lina Inverse the Sorceress Supreme who has killed Mazouku stronger than him!"

"That's right! Justice will prevail and the righteous shall overcome evil in the end! By all I stand for, I, Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun, shall fight for your humanity with all my strength!"

"Ahhh, same goes for me, you know. I'll do what I can. You can count on Gourry Gabriev!"

"So…let's get back to that inn and eat, drink and be merry, OKAY?" Lina asked winking at her friends.

"Why not?" sighed Zelgadiss, slowly standing and regaining his balance. "I think I need something to eat. I'm pretty weak."

"Here, you can rest an arm on my shoulders and I help you back," offered Amelia as she draped his arm around her and curled hers around his waist. "See? Much better. Now you can walk."

He was too exhausted to fight her, so he simply accepted the help graciously and limped back to the inn. Luckily he couldn't see her happily, glowing eyes.

After a bite to eat the four friends gathered in front of the inn's roaring fireplace and sipped tea. "So what's up for tomorrow? Shall we scour the countryside for bandits? Search high and low for a mysterious puzzle to solve?" Lina asked energetically.

"We could visit Miss Filia and see how little Val is doing?" suggested Amelia.

"That's a great idea. She hasn't seen the new Zel either! Let's do that!" agreed Lina.

Zel jumped. The new…oh yeah…no rocks…real hair. "I suppose it couldn't hurt."

Gourry smiled and nodded. "I'd like her to see this new sword too."

"Then it's settled! In the morning we go pay a visit to our favorite dragons," Lina sighed, then yawned. "But now, I'm tired…I'm going to bed. Amelia? You've got the key, coming?"

"Yes, Miss Lina! Good night Mr. Gourry, Mr. Zelgadiss…"

"I guess we should turn in, too…" sighed Zel resigned to following Lina to the ends of the earth until he could think of something better to do with his life.

"Yep." Agreed Gourry, for the same reason.

That night Zel dreamed. Not very nice dreams. Nasty dragons, burning flames and flesh, howls and screams blending into one voice…his.

"Aaaaahrg!" Zel cried and sat up in the darkness.

Gourry, sword drawn was at his side staring intently into his face. "Hmm, ah….Zel? Do you see something in here I don't?"

Zel stopped panting as his heart beat returned to normal. "No…sorry, it was a nightmare…"

"Uhh, you're looking a bit smoky around the edges, Zel. What's that about?" Gourry asked concernedly.

"My demon aura. The nightmare must have triggered a panic attack. Damn! My fangs and claws too. This won't do. I need to calm down."

"Why don't ya tell me 'bout the dream?" Gourry suggested.

"All right…actually there isn't much to tell. It was mostly crazy images and strong emotions…fear, pain, horror…dragons were tearing me apart, I think, or I was watching dragons attack something…doesn't matter now, but thanks, I'm feeling fine now."

"Ya look okay. Though I'm not used to you looking like, um… no rocks and all. How does it feel?"

"Feel? Funny how easily I've compensated for the dramatic change in weight. It's like the golem was never a part of me. It feels great! Did you see the way people looked at me when we walked into the inn?"

"Er, no…"

"That's what I mean! I was just another guy! Not some freak having to hide his face. I felt great! Tired and hungry, but … speaking of tired, we'd better try and get some sleep, right?"

snore

The next two days were spent travelling and were uneventful. Zelgadiss was a changed man; like a weight was lifted from him. He no longer plodded along, angry at the world, but walked and shared in the conversation, telling tales from a past he'd kept hidden all those years. His smiles, once a rarity, were more frequent and sincere. Happiness which had always somehow evaded him was now a recurrent visitor, and its warmth spread to his companions. It was all Amelia could do to keep her own emotions in check and not confess her longings to him.

On the third day they reached the tiny village where Filia had opened her shop 'The Mace and Vase'.

"So should we all just bound on in? Or just one of us sneak in and surprise her?" Lina grinned. "Okay! We'll all go together! Fine! Hey, I didn't say that one person had to be me, did I?"

She did lead the way in, however. "Filia? Hello? Jillas?"

"L-Lina I-Inverse! Oh, my! I'll go get Miss Filia. Stay right there!" squeaked a small male kitsune.

"Miss Filllllia! Come quickly! It's Lina Inverse with the princess and the swordsman, and some other man…I don't know. In the shop…yes, right now!"

"LINA? What a surprise! Oh look at you! Amelia! You've grown taller! Gourry, handsome as ever…And who is this gorgeous guy you have in …oh!"

Zel's body suddenly felt on fire. He was nauseous, dizzy, and burning up.

Filia's fangs grew and tail popped out; she was going into combat mode.

"A DEMON! You brought another piece of demon filth into my home?!?" Filia screamed while her arm darted beneath her dress to pull out her mace.

"Filia! Stop it!" Lina screamed back. "It's Zelgadiss! Will you get a grip and look at him! There that's better…everyone, calm down."

Gourry had pushed Zel to the side, away from the wrath of Filia. Zel was unable to stand and sat crouching against the wall, gasping for breath. "Control…control…stop panicking…stupid demon…go back into hiding…breathe in and out, in and out…that's it…heart beat? No racing… slow down…nice and easy…friend…she's a friend…okay…better…now stand up and act like a man, not some craven demon slave…" Zelgadiss took control back, and rose to face his enemy; that is, friend.

He realized now why Xelloss and Filia disliked one another from the start. There was a natural negative response, physiological, bad body chemistry at work, and his demon part, unshielded by the stoic golem part felt the dragon lady's presence with a vengeance. Now that he understood what was happening, he shut down the demon shielding, and smiled as best he could, "Ahh, hello Filia. Sorry about that, I'm new at this…"

"Zelgadiss? Tell me that you are not a Mazouku, please. I'm getting mixed…feelings from you… But, I'm so sorry! How rude of me, come in all of you. Jillas? Would you bring my guests tea, please. I can see, Zelgadiss, that you have a story to tell. I must say, you scared the wits out of me when you came in, but now that I know it's you…you've become quite handsome…in a human way, haven't you?" Filia jabbered anxiously until the tea arrived.

The tea and plates of food steadied her nerves, and that of her friends as they told Zelgadiss' story.

"So, Xelloss is a demon lord of nightmares, oh dear," Filia said at last with distress in her voice. "And you have a mind link with him?" That brought on a shudder of disgust and fear. "And your golem part was overcome and died, perhaps, leaving the demon and human parts to battle for control over your whole being. And he can control the demon part of you, which is in some subjugated position to the human part of you? Oh, dear Zelgadiss, this is not good," Filia warned him.

"You are telling ME? He invited me to be his general! Of course I turned him down. Our last encounter did not end on a happy note. Here I am, so close to having my dream of being human again and with my power and skills intact…only to be equally close to becoming a slave to a Mazouku lord…for all eternity!" He groaned and let his head sink onto his arms which were folded on the table. Death was looking like his only alternative.

End Part 3 Zelgadiss torn.