(((.-) Zel ||~.^|| Xelloss {{$.$}} Lina ((.^)|| Gourry ((^.^))Amelia


Seyruun High Jinx

Chapter 19

THE SLAYERS

Zelgadiss' Journal:

Xelloss was sound asleep. Thank the gods for small favors… My dreams were interrupted by the phone. Sun was pouring in through the window, probably the last I'd see of it for a few days.  Rain was predicted until June, or July.  Xelloss picked it up and said a few words then hung up.

"Doctor Adams is coming up the walk. We should go meet him."

"Is it that late? The band will be here in an hour and..." I garbled frantically trying to get my bearings into reality.  The events of the evening before flooded my brain, which threatened to overload and shut down.

"Oh, dear, are you feeling all right, Zelgadiss?  I'm doing, oh…fine as long as I sit down."

"Oh, joy.  Just stay put. I'll bring the good doctor up to see you here."

I came back a few minutes later, Doctor Adams in tow.  I let the doctor so all the talking.  At first...

"Xelloss, this is a great place your mother built for you. What I wouldn't have given to have had a place like this when I was your age!"

"No shit…" I muttered.

"Oh hello, doctor. Don't mind Zelgadiss, he hasn't had his morning shot of caffeine and is a grouchy…elf!" Xelloss grinned triumphantly.

"Well, I am glad to see you in better spirits. Sit up a bit would you? I want to check the swelling and look for signs of infection.  I'm unpeeling the bandage now.  Sorry it sticks to your hair…ah, yes nasty bump, but it's healing fast."

"Can I wash my hair?" Xelloss was meticulous about his appearance and his hair was sticky with dried blood in back.

"Not today. I'll put on a clean dressing for now. Is your mother coming back today?"


"Noooo, I'm entrusted to Zelgadiss' care until sometime...?"

"Saturday afternoon."  I realized that he wasn't just faking it; he really didn't seem to keep very good track of time.  The doctor was looking at me.  Studying me.   Measuring me, I guess.


"Zelgadiss, can you change the dressing each night and again in each morning?"

"Yeah, blood doesn't bother me. Just show me what to do."

"While I'm doing that, I'll give you more instructions. Use this salve, it stops infection, wash your hands first. The only way his hair's going to get washed is if you can do it over the sink and keep the water away from the wound. I'd do it, but I have to leave for another appointment. I love being on call over Thanksgiving holiday!"

I stared at Xelloss.  Well?  He smiled benignly.  I just wanted to punch him.  What was his problem?  A crazy person was leaving him scary pictures and hanging around.  Oh, I hadn't told him about that part last night.  He'd fallen asleep. I had to say something, since Xelloss was acting like nothing untoward had happened and he didn't know the recent news.

"There's something else I need to tell you, although Xelloss may have other opinions... Last night, there was a person looking in at the front window of the main house. I don't know what's going on but I have two ideas. First, Val's step-father Gaav could be lurking about searching for him. And second..."

The doctor's face went pale. "Xelloss, I don't know if you've been informed, but your Jacques Dubois was released from prison two weeks ago. Looks like news to you. There's a restraining order to keep him out of town but..."

"Xelloss, tell him about the picture! All right, I will then. Someone slipped a picture taken from a…that video made with him in it...last Friday."

"And you haven't told your mother? Xelloss, I must report this to the police. How about that officer..."

"McGywn."  I offered.  "He told me the story last night and I'm good with names."

"Yes."

The doctor dialed a number on his cell phone and spoke for a few minutes.  Xelloss just bored a hole through my face, and then said, "I shouldn't have told you.  I trusted you…"

"Officer McGywn said that he's on his way. Looks like he's on call over the holiday too. You're both planning on staying here today?"

"Yes."  I said.

"No."   Xelloss frowned at me then smiled.   "I forgot to tell you about... a call from Amelia. She got hold of a bunch of cool sound equipment from some past campaign and wants everyone to come to her house and look it over. She's tossed in dinner as a Lina lure."

It occurred to me that this was my birthday. Of course no one knew it but me, but going to Amelia's after all this...I probably didn't look too happy, because Xelloss got that hurt look for a second.  I backed down. If I could play beautician and nurse, I supposed I could take dinner at Amelia's.

"Looks like we'll be here for a few hours doing band practice. Amelia is the Mayor's daughter and a friend."

"Well, you can work that out with Officer McGywn. I'm sure you'll be safe at the Mayor's, but coming back here, alone for another night…sounds risky."

"Sounds like company," Xelloss chirped when the doorbell rang, "I'll get it!"

"Is this his normal behavior?"


"Yes, he's pretty weird and goofy, but is less annoying these days than at the beginning of the school year. His friends at the dojo say he's more serious and quiet. But then I shouldn't judge him, I'm not exactly your typical teen either."


"Hmm, depressed kids hide behind smiles…"


Xelloss lead the officer from the main house to his retreat and introduced him to me and Doctor Adams. The doctor and he were acquaintances by profession and the officer remembered my tragic accident. I repeated all I knew and Xelloss confirmed the photo's identity, pulling it out of the drawer again. The officer wanted the envelope and picture, to check for finger prints, and placed both in a plastic bag.

"I dunno, kids. Gaav's a possibility so's Dubois, though I really dunna think it's him. But see'n as you're gonna be here alone tonight, I'm gonna have an undercover officer watch out fer ya. Here's my card. Jes' call that number if yer ever have any trouble or see anythin'. Can I trust yer kids to do this fer me?" smiled the tall, sandy haired man.

"How are you doing, boy? Ya know I wasn't sure you'd survive...or you either. "   He shot that last statement my way.

Xelloss grinned. "I almost didn't, but I've got some really great friends now...so I'll be fine. Just…if he's back...I'll kill him."

"No yer won't. Ye'll call me.and I'll take care of him. That's me job. Yer's is to take care of yerrself and yer family and yer friends. Got that?" he demanded, jabbing a finger into Xelloss' face.

"Yes, Sir."

"That's better. Now I'll be goin'. Later.  And call me if anything changes."

"Me too, I'll be late!" And the doctor hurried on his way to his car.


"Well that gives us next to no time to get ready for the band. I'm taking a shower.  I'll help you with your hair, when I get out."

"Thanks…I think I'll go to the house, then and take a bath. I'll make coffee for you and…wash my hair in the kitchen sink…when you're ready, that is."

"It's all right, Xelloss. I know it's uncomfortable for you to ask for help, so I offered. I know you'd do the same for me. I'll meet you in the kitchen."  


Xelloss climbed to the loft, picked out some clothes 'button-down-the- front' style, and left to take a bath. In the house he decided to use the guest bath, never having been able to look inside the other one since the attack. He filled the tub, adding some shampoo for bubbles, and then sank back into blissful warmth.  He probably would have drowned, had I not banged on the door.

"Xelloss! Are you okay in there?"  

"Yelp! Sorry! I'll be out in a sec."  

"I might have stayed there all day if you hadn't come by.  I'm pretty sore and the water was soooo warm."

"Yeah, yeah… We have less that fifteen minutes before the others arrive, so if you want your hair washed…"

"O-kay, do-kay! Ready!"  

"Why do I smell strawberry candy?"

"I took a bubble bath with this shampoo."

"Gaah...I'm going to be sick.  Now what's your problem?"

"I-I have never let anyone touch my hair."

"Do you think I want to? Fine. Do it yourself, but if you get water on the bandage..."  All right.  I was harsh, but my patience was wearing thin. I still hadn't had my morning coffee and it was almost noon.  I thought I was doing pretty good there, although with the opportunity I just might have strangled him.

"Nooo, sorry, Zel I know you aren't keen on doing this either. I need your help...so what do you want me to do?"

"Lean over and shut up. Don't squirm! If soap's in your eyes, keep them shut too. I've had to do this before.  When?  Oh, for my wretched grandfather...so I'm not the one who's inept here.  Stop moving, I'm almost done. Gods, Xelloss, you are such a wimp…there done.  Now I need a blow drier. Yes, that's what I said.  No, they are not just for girls.  It will dry your hair and not rub the bump and it'll be fast."

"Yeah, we only have how many seconds?????" Xelloss groused some as he stomped back to the guest bath to find a hair drier. He plugged it in and dried it himself. "Ahhhhhhh! Now it's all fluffy! I look like..."

"An Idiot? A Dog? A MOP?"

"I was thinking of YOU! See how it sticks out?"

I touched my hair protectively. "Shit, you're right." I am sure that my eyes darkened and an eyebrow twitched. "I'm going to make coffee…do something about your hair."

"But now I like it...How embarrassing if we showed up at band practice with the same hair-style?" He giggled and ducked the sponge I threw at him, and proceeded to brush the bush down into his usual slick helmet.  Fruitcake…then he came back out looking uncomfortable again.

"Now what?"

"Can you help me with the bandage?"

"Sure. But all the material is back at your place."

We trudged over to the little House of Xelloss, where I sat him down on his drum throne and yet again tried to get him to sit still.

"You know, this would go a lot faster and I wouldn't pull your hair as much if you'd JUST STOP MOVING!"

"But it huur-urts!"

Suddenly, we heard the familiar sound of a van pulling up on the gravel driveway. We both blanched. The band was here.

"OW! Now you're really hurting me!"

"Shut up! I'm trying to do this quickly before they all-"

"Yo, Xelloss! You in there? Open up! We've got a problem!" Lina's voice hollered at us from behind the door. Before we could react, Lina let herself-and everybody else-in.

"What the hell is going on here?!"

She had entered onto a grisly scene. There I was, with my hands in Xelloss' hair, gauze streaming around the room. We both looked like death warmed over. Well, not so much warmed as microwaved for a few seconds to thaw.

"Ow ow ow Zel you're pulling my hair!" Xelloss whined, truly in pain.

"Hey Lina, Zel's already here…See everything's fine." Gourry smiled and waved at us.


"Mr. Zelgadiss! You're here!" Amelia had tears streaming from her eyes. "We've been looking all over for you!"

"Yeah, heh, heh. We're late, but it looks like not TOO late to catch this act." Val seemed to find our predicament amusing anyway. "Looks like we missed either the party… or the fight."

I had blushed crimson, but continued tying off Xelloss' bandage, like the responsible person I was. As a reward, Lina stalked over and slapped me hard on the back. "You can at least say something! We've been to hell and back searching for you. You could have phoned someone and told them you were coming over on your own! Your grandfather didn't even open the door, so I kinda broke in, heh, heh, and he's not there and you're not there and the place looks deserted and…Gods, Zel, what IS YOUR PROBLEM!"

Lina halted her tirade to observe the fallen body of her comrade, me.  She had managed to pound me on my extremely bruised and tender shoulder causing me to simply collapse in a moaning heap on the floor.

"Mr. Zelgadiss must be really hurt too!" Amelia, oh gods... Now I had her hovering over me, managing to prop me up painfully and embarrass me further with her ministrations.

"I'm fine, just bruised from a fall on that shoulder," I groused as I managed to shrug off Amelia's hands.

"A fall?" Amelia's eyes roved to the loft, catching a glimpse of blood- soaked towel draped over one of the stair steps. She screamed and pointed at the offending cloth. "Oh! Mr. Zelgadiss, did you two… get in a fight?"

How did I manage to drop that? Shit, there are my sweats and towels on the floor of the bathroom…the mugs…Xelloss didn't have a chance to clean up and it was a mess.  I didn't want everyone…anyone more to know that I was spending the night with…Xelloss.  With lightening speed, I flashed into the bathroom and picked up my stuff, then tore out grabbed my overnight bag and bloody towel, on my way up, and stashed everything in the loft. That's when I saw the gun, Zelas' gun, which I had never put back last night. That did it.  With a moan, I just gave up and sank onto the rumpled, purple blanket on the daybed.

"THAT'S IT! I want answers, and I want them now!"  Lina  turned her deadly gaze onto Xelloss. "And you are going to tell me everything, got it!"

"My, my, Lina, relax...everything's okay. Zelgadiss is staying with me while his grandfather and my mother are…at a conference. He probably forgot to tell you and is very sorry to have troubled you."


Val started to laugh.  It was a good thing I was too far away to commit a double murder…and too spent.

Then, too add to the trouble at hand, Filia and Sylphiel, who had kindly driven to the settlement and back so Filia could come, opened the door.

"We're here!" sang Sylphiel. "Have we missed anything?"  Nothing…

"Oh by the way, Xelloss, why is there a police car parked in front of your house?" I heard Filia ask breezily.

"Today just gets better and better. Happy birthday to me." I murmured to myself still hidden away safely up in the loft.

"Mr. Zelgadiss? You can come down now."   Amelia called to me softly as she climbed the stairs to the loft.  I should have moved…done something, but… "Eeeeeeeeeeeekk! Don't do it Mr. Zelgadiss! Stop and think! You have so much to live for! Put the gun down!"

Her screamed nearly splintered my brain in two and I nearly jumped out of his scared skin—I did, however, drop the gun while frantically looking for a hole to crawl into.

"Amelia, stop screaming. You are giving me a headache.  Thank you. Now go back down before Lina and everyone else comes running to see what you're all excited about…oh joy."


"So this is where you disappeared to!"   Lina looking appreciatively at the loft setup. "Lots of purple, Xelloss! So what's with the gun, boys?"

Xelloss finished giving everyone a little tour of his loft, while I composed himself and, gun in hand, slunk back down the stairs and out the door with Xelloss' keys. I entered the main house and was greeted by the wolf-dog.

"Yeah, hi doggie, lonely? I'll get you some treats. Where's your food and water, or… are you a demon's pet and neither eat nor drink? Ah, of course, automatic both… Well, so you're just an old deaf dog after all. I have something of your master's to return. Want to come with me for a little excitement? Sure you do...See, I'm the good guy, returning what I took. I'll replace the gun so she won't suspect a thing…Up for more exercise? I'm going down stairs now, so you can follow me. Well… that deserves a snack, don't you think? Yes it does! Here you go, doggie."

"His name is Beast." Xelloss announced from his seat on the kitchen table. "Thanks for returning that.  Oh and I put the clothes in the dryer. Stains are gone. I threw the one up in the loft out in the garbage. Come on back, unless you want me to tell the whole story by myself."

"For all the good it's going to do."  I gave Beast one more pat, then obediently followed Xelloss back to his lair.



Lina et al were sipping sodas waiting patiently, mostly, for Xelloss and me to begin. I did. "After dinner, we walked over to the park, where we...had a little accident."

"Hold it right there," Val interrupted. "Dinner, without the rest of us? Sounds like a date."

I turned to Lina. "You're closer, you do the honors."

Lina nodded and punched Val in the gut. "We promised Not to interrupt."

"I was doing homework and lost track of time, so Xelloss suggested we walk to a place nearby and eat. It was Thanksgiving and we hadn't bought anything to eat and you guys had already gone…so I'm not going to defend my decision to go out to eat anymore."

I stared everyone to silence, everyone but Xelloss, who was ready to take over.

"We ate at that Family-owned Italian restaurant at the strip mall…what, Zelgadiss? Okaaaaay, moving on...we walked to the park and ran around…until I tackled Zel into a pile of leaves and then over the side of a cliff we rolled. I was unconscious but like the true hero…what? Well you were! You could have left me lying in a puddle of blood to die but instead you practically carried me back home, called a doctor, stayed with me at the hospital and…it's true! I wasn't that out of it! He listen to me rant on and on to keep me from falling asleep, a sleep mind you that I would never have awoken from…what was that? I don't think you mean that either. "

Val was laughing again.  So nice of us to keep him in good humor. "You bet he's a hero…he's spent the last 20+ hours with you…make that a mar-tyr."

Everyone laughed.

"Anyway…to make a long story short…I survived the night. And we haven't had anything to eat but toast and tea, coffee for Zelgadiss of course, so I wouldn't mind going out for something."

"Aren't you skipping some details? What happened to your head and why do you smell like fruity candy?" Lina asked poking around his head to look at the bandage.

"And what about the gun?"   Amelia just wouldn't let that little factoid go.

"And the police car?"   Filia wouldn't either.

I opened the tiny refrigerator and searched cupboards too hungry to care what damage Xelloss might do. Success! Canned chili and crackers.

Xelloss took the stand. "Hey, don't touch the hair, Lina! When the wrap comes off you can see the scar.  It's about 50 stitches, but no permanent damage.  Val stop laughing. Even if a moron like you can't tell, the x-rays and tests done at the hospital prove I'm fine. Next question, strawberry shampoo and I…no that part's a secret. What else? Oh yes, the gun belongs to my…mother. Zelgadiss was soaking the HUNDREDS of BLOOD SOAKED TOWELS over at the main house, when he noticed a suspicious person around outside the window."

"Old Tim!" Sylphiel shrieked.  No one could let go of any stinking thing and just go home…

"Gaav." Lina suggested.

I returned carrying two bowls of steaming chili and the box of crackers. "There's another possibility, but it's not my place to say. Here, Xelloss, my treat."

Then I started to feel a horrible giddiness rise up from my guts.  I started to laugh.  That annoyed Lina who would feel left out of some joke.  "Zel? Did you get brain damage or are you laughing about something I don't get?  

Gourry grabbed the food from my hands- just in time- as I sank, shaking with laughter into a beanbag chair. "He must be tired. My little brother gets laughing fits when he hasn't had enough sleep. Hey this smells pretty good. Oh, right...here ya go."

Xelloss took a bite, and then didn't stop until the bowl was empty.

"So, why are your mother and grandfather both at a conference? Is your mother with the university too? What's her name, I might know her?" Amelia asked innocently.

"Yes, the university. Thanks for the food Zel. Say are we going to play music?" Xelloss asked evasively.

"Good idea. Enough yak." Val said agreeably, thank the gods...

"Just a minute. There are enough holes in your story to make a sieve look like it can carry water. You're telling me the police are hanging out HERE because maybe Gaav or some OTHER person is being a peeping Tom or Tim or whatever? Wouldn't the police be checking with Val here if there was any danger? So if it isn't Gaav, then who's the mystery person?" Lina persisted. "You are both acting weird, weirder than usual, so spit it out…all of it!"

Xelloss sighed. I felt sorry for the guy, but what could I say? It was up to him to decide what secrets to tell about himself.  Dropping the smiling act, Xelloss became his more serious persona. "It could be my step-father, recently released from jail. He -he.made a…videotape while…torturing me...and he was jailed…and the tape was stolen from the police or court. He could be coming back for the tape or…me."

Silence.

"Show them...your chest." I said pulling off my own shirt.  Maybe if we got this over once and for all, we could move on... "We have a lot in common."

Xelloss slowly unbuttoned his shirt. Audible gasps could be heard as he dropped his shirt and exposed his scars. Rows of systematically placed burns and knife slits ran from his collarbone to his pants line. His back was criss-crossed with long wide scars that made me ill. I was the only one capable of speaking. "I had a friend, Lina here, to help me.  He didn't."

Filia turned to Val and demanded, "You too, show them. I remember from the dance, when you took off the wolf top."

Val jumped, but understood and removed his shirt as well. Knife wounds, and long white lines marked a life riddled with hate and fury.

"Gaav…hit me a lot...once he broke my arm…another time, a couple ribs."  He looked at the Xelloss and me with a gentleness I'd had never seen in his arrogant eyes. "Guess we do have more in common than music and Lina, huh?"

Lina blushed when she noticed Gourry ripping off his shirt. "For God's sake Gourry, what are you doing?"

"Hey I've got scars too!  Here's where Alfie bit me the other day and this..." He pointed to an especially long, jagged line running across his lower abdomen and disappearing into his pants. "...is from my appendicitis operation, remember last summer? I was skating easy like for awhile. Hey, Lina! Why don't you show 'em YOUR scars?"

"Gourry!" Lina whacked him over the head with my shirt, which was handy at the moment. She closed her arms protectively around her chest. "I'm not taking off my shirt!"

Xelloss and Val laughed, followed by everyone else. They laughed for quite a while, a release from the severe tension of the day.

Filia cleared her throat, "Well as much as I like the view."

Both Val and I blushed as her eyes brushed over their bodies. Gourry simply smiled and shrugged his shoulders. Xelloss giggled and grabbed his shirt.  He was not body-conscious at all like you'd expect from a guy who looked like that.

"Yeah, get dressed while we figure out how we're going to stop these guys, both the shadow-guy and Gaav," Lina glared. "No one's gonna do that kind of shit to you guys again."

Lina decided that, as it was band practice time the whole day would be meaningless if they didn't play at least one song. Amelia whispered an idea into Lina's ear while the others plugged in and switched on amps, but it was quickly nixed.

"Later…" Lina whispered, but since she knew I could hear, that was all she said.  Something was up.

"That sucked," Val evaluated that rendition of GET ALONG. "And if we're playin' at Amelia's, the drum kit'll have to be packed up."

Lina took one look at the wilted Xelloss and shook her head, "I don't think so.we'll just do without percussion."

"I have an old electric drum machine at Sano's. Ever try one of those?"

Val grinned hopefully, but Xelloss shook his head.

"Fine. First time for everything, eh? I hear the van. Let's go!" shouted Lina.

This was a complicated endeavor. All of the equipment had to be loaded into the back-thank the gods for Gourry's muscles, and they, too, had to squeeze in. The itinerary was: Polly's to pick up Kiki, Sano's to pick up the drum machine, and then, finally, Amelia's. If there had been a single moment of silence, Zel might have made a terse speech and happily opted out of the whole scary business, but they seemed to be conspiring against his sanity.

"Okay, you guys told us about YOUR day, now let me tell you about OURS!"   And when Lina talked, everyone listened-or suffered the consequences.



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End Seyruun High Jinx Chapter 19