It was a bitterly cold winter day. The howling winds whipped through the peaks of the Kataart mountains, dropping a never-ending deluge of snow and ice onto the icy tomb of Ruby Eyed Shabranigdo. No sane person would ever travel to such a place.
Zelgadis stood knee deep in snow, staring defiantly at the sky while the snowstorm raged around him. "Is this it?" He snorted. "I really expected more." Nature held no danger for the chimera and he continued up the path. He found himself slipping into the past again. Not his personal history this time, but into legend itself.
The last man who had come this far up, according to legend anyway, was King Gailia. He had led a small army in an assault on the frozen throne of Shabranigdo, arrogantly thinking that he had the power to change the world. His pride earned him a fate far worse than death. Even now, the people living in the area still whispered about the monstrosity that had come out of the mountains that day.
Proud King Gailia had been changed by the dark magic that he sought to destroy. His humanity had been stripped away leaving a pitiful creature that was constantly devouring and regenerating its own body. He had been blessed with a horrible union of death and immortality.
Needless to say, no one since then had tried to kill Shabranigdo.
Zelgadis had no desire to do battle with the dark lord either. He had power, but he wasn't deluded enough to think himself a match for Lord Ruby Eyes. He was here to investigate another story that he had heard in the village below.
The tale Zelgadis had heard involved a priest clad in crimson robes who had traveled through the area over a century ago. A plague had tormented the villages of the area for several years and no amount of medicine or magic could halt it. But when the red priest appeared the illness disappeared. In gratitude to the priest, the people of the villages took it upon themselves to construct a lavish mansion in the mountains for the priest. He resided there from time to time over the years. However, the last time anyone had seen him was over sixty years ago.
Zelgadis had a fairly good idea of who the nameless priest was As Rezo's last living descendant; whatever was in that mansion was rightfully his. He hoped that it contained the answers that he had been seeking for so long. Over the years, the question had changed. At first, he struggled to find out how his body was created so that he could reverse the transformation. Now, he wanted to know why it had been done.
"Hey, are you listening?!"
Zelgadis blinked, as he was startled out of his thoughts. "Excuse me?" He effortlessly ducked a swing of a sword. Looking around, he groaned in frustration. Fate must have a pretty big grudge against him.
Surrounding him were a dozen half starved, dirty, and unsavory looking men. Bandits.
"Are you people idiots?!" Zelgadis threw up his arms in exasperation. "What kind of moron runs a bandit gang in the middle of nowhere?" His voice echoed emphasizing the vast emptiness of the canyon he was in.
The man that had taken a swing at Zelgadis looked angry and a little hurt. "Well…"
Zelgadis sighed and held up his hands in a placating manner. Time to make the token effort to avoid needless bloodshed. "Look, I'm very sorry. I've had a pretty rough time lately. Anyway, I'm sure that you probably have a very good reason for setting up an ambush out here." He looked around at the field of whiteness that surrounded them as far as the eye could see. "At least, I think that you probably have a good reason. Anyway, I just want to get to the old priest's house and get what's mine." He flicked his cape back to reveal the hilt of his sword. "So, just step out of the way and none of you will have to die, alright?" He flashed them what he hoped was a charming smile.
The bandit growled. "I don't give a damn what you want. Pickings have been pretty slim lately and me and the boys need food."
Zelgadis's smile faded. "So get a real job, you parasite." He back flipped quicker than any of the bandits could react and drew his sword in midair. He gracefully landed in a defensive stance as the wind whipped his cloak around him dramatically. It was an entrance worthy of Amelia. He glared at the bandits coldly as he beckoned the first of them forward. "Let's be quick about this."
The bandits yelled as they charged the chimera. They had no idea of what a dangerous creature they were attacking that day.
Zelgadis prepared to gut the first of the men, when he noticed something on the blade of his sword. His eyes widened in shock. "Is that rust?" Momentarily forgetting the approaching bandits, he dropped his stance and took a closer look at his blade. "Damn it, it is rust! Zel, you idiot!" While he was berating himself for letting his blade fall into such disrepair, the first of the bandits reached him.
Yelling enthusiastically, the bandit swung his sword at Zelgadis's neck… and made contact with nothing. Overbalanced, the bandit fell face first into the snow. He looked up at the chimera, who hadn't moved at all. He muttered, "What the hell?" Thinking as quickly as his slow brain would allow, he came to the only logical conclusion. "It's a ghost!"
Zelgadis looked up from his sword at the man. "I'm sorry?"
The bandits were already running away from him as fast as they could, screaming about ghosts and curses.
Zelgadis watched the bandits flee with an incredulous expression on his face. "A ghost?" He shrugged. "Well, that's a new one." He had been called many things over the years, but this was the first time anyone had accused him of being a specter. He thought back. What had happened? The bandit swung at him. He ducked the swing and… "They didn't see me move?" He looked down at his body and wondered, not for the first time, how powerful he had actually become.
A smile spread across the chimera's face. He had to admit that he was pleased. How fast was he now? He was tempted to find out, but that was a test that could wait for another day. He had work to do now.
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An hour later, he stood atop a small hill overlooking Rezo's dilapidated mansion. It was a fairly impressive bit of engineering. The two-story house had been built right into the face of the cliff. Hardly the work of a bunch of unskilled villagers. Rezo must have had a large part in the design. If that was true, than there was almost certainly a magical laboratory built into the cliff. It was what he would have done. Smiling hopefully, he made his way down the hill.
The front door was made of stout oak, reinforced with bands of iron. Concentrating for a moment Zelgadis sensed the magical energies of a locking spell holding the portal shut. His smile widened. "What are you hiding Rezo?" He placed his palm on the door and muttered a small spell. The door flew inwards and hit the wall with a loud crash.
Stepping through the doorway, Zelgadis took in the interior of Rezo's home. Thin sheets of ice covered the walls and the minimal amount of furniture that decorated the foyer. At the far end of the room, he could make out a grand staircase leading up to the second floor. There was a faint musty smell in the air. He didn't think that anyone had been here for a very long time.
"Lighting!" An orb of light sprang into existence over Zelgadis's head, cutting through the gloom of the hall. Shadows danced across the walls as he moved further into the house. Climbing the staircase, he marveled at some of the works of art lining the walls. Even someone like him, who had little interest in art, recognized some of the signatures adorning the paintings. Why a blind man would have paintings in his home was a mystery that had perplexed Zelgadis since childhood.
Zelgadis grinned as he stepped onto the second floor. "Ah, this looks promising." He quickly moved over to a huge painting of Rezo that occupied most of a wall. He started to feel along the frame, searching for a switch. "Let's see if you're as predictable as I expect." He found a slight deformity in the ornate frame and pressed it. He was rewarded with a click. "Rezo you disappoint me."
As if in answer to his derogatory statements, something behind the painting exploded flinging the chimera backwards over the railing and to the floor. His vision went black and he felt something shatter when he landed on the marble floor.
Zelgadis screamed and clutched at his eyes. He was alive, but for a moment, he wished that he wasn't. He was blind and fairly sure that his back was broken as well. He couldn't feel his legs, which might have actually been a blessing. His panicked mind raced. Nobody knew he was here. He would lay here forever, crippled and blind.
The chimera forced himself to take a few deep, calming breaths. He wasn't going to die and he wasn't crippled. Already, he could see light again where his damaged eyes were regenerating. His back was taking a little longer, but he could feel pain in his legs and that meant that it was healing as well. He muttered, "Very nice, Rezo. You almost got me with that one."
Moments later, Zelgadis climbed to his feet and dusted himself off. He twisted a couple times popping the kinks out of his newly healed spine. He laughed. He was as good as new, aside from being somewhat indecent. The blast had shredded his clothes leaving little to the imagination. No matter. A house as large as this one surely had a spare set of clothes lying around somewhere.
Suddenly Zelgadis had a horrifying thought. Emily's locket. He glanced down at the place that his pocket had been. Nothing but smoldering rags remained. It was gone. He moaned. "No." It had been destroyed in the blast. He snarled. "Damn you Rezo!" He sighed shakily and shook his head. "Get a grip, Zel!" He quickly scanned the floor. Something glinted in the dark. He dashed over and snatched the locket off the ground. Opening it, he was relieved to see that the pictures were still intact. He sighed in relief and kissed the picture of Amelia. Now there was the small matter of finding some clothes.
Minutes later, Zelgadis was staring at himself in a full-length mirror with a mixture of horror and fascination on his face. Aside from a slight difference in facial features and height, it may as well have been Rezo the Red Priest staring back at him. Rezo's crimson robes wouldn't have been his first choice for clothing, but pickings in the house were pretty slim. He had to admit that despite their looseness on his small frame, the robes were surprisingly comfortable. Taking one last look in the mirror, he left the bedroom.
Carefully approaching the smoking remains of Rezo's portrait, Zelgadis concentrated. There it was. A spell had been carefully concealed in the portrait. No wonder he had missed it the first time. He nodded. "Live and learn." He dispersed the magical energies and flipped the switch again. This time the frame swung forward to reveal a dark passage leading into the mountain. He eagerly entered the blackness. It wouldn't be long now.
Zelgadis sighed. He had been walking for what felt like hours in total darkness. His lighting spell illuminated the stone passage well enough for him to see where he was walking, but beyond a certain point the darkness eagerly swallowed the light. Even though it had been below freezing in the house, he found that the temperature dropped further as he continued on. Every time he exhaled, the moisture in his breath crystallized almost instantly. There was a thin layer of frost covering his face.
The dim light at the end of the tunnel was visible long before Zelgadis realized what he was seeing. When he stepped out of the passage and into the cavern, he was momentarily surprised. "Wow."
The cavern looked as if it could have easily contained a small village within its walls. Looking up, Zelgadis found that his light was far too faint to reach the ceiling. But what impressed him most were the books. Shelves and shelves of books stretched the length of the cavern and reached so far up that he had to strain his chimera eyes to see the tops in the gloom. This was a library that put Rezo's old library in Sairaag to shame.
Zelgadis felt a wave of magic wash over him and he immediately assumed a defensive stance. Some sort of detection spell, he assumed. As he watched, thousands of candles floated down from the ceiling. They ignited in unison throwing light brighter than a cloudless day upon the chamber.
Zelgadis wandered down a random row of shelves and stared in awe. The works of some truly legendary sorcerers resided on the shelves. Turning a corner, he gasped in surprise. Chimeras. An entire shelf of books on the study of chimeras lay before him.
With an eager glint in his eyes, Zelgadis began to pull books from the shelf. "Read it. Read it. Useless." He carefully read each title before casually tossing the books over his shoulder. He did that for several hours until he found his patience wearing somewhat thin. He tore through the books with hardly a glance. "No. No. No! NO! Rezo!" He flung one particularly useless tome against the wall so hard that it exploded in a cloud of parchment.
Collapsing on the pile of books, Zelgadis realized that the library might as well have been empty. There were no answers here. "Why?!" He shouted as if the long dead priest could answer. "Why did you do this to me?!"
Silence was his only answer.
Zelgadis sighed and stood. Nothing. There was nothing here. He stood and began to leave when something caught his eye. Apparently, he had overlooked the small leather bound book with no markings on the cover. Curious, he picked it up and opened it.
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February 12
Three months of research with no results. I am beginning to think that my eyes will never be opened. It's really quite ironic. Fate allows me to heal the blind, but my own traitorous eyes refuse to answer the call of the light.
Eris tries to offer me encouragement and what help she can. But I can hear the despair in her voice. She's starting to doubt me. My closest companion is starting to lose faith in me and it wounds me deeply. Some days her support is all that keeps me from giving up.
The more that I think about it, the more I think that my cure might not lie in the realm of white magic. There are other methods of healing besides spell craft. More unsavory to be sure, but I am growing desperate. I only pray that I have the courage to pursue them.
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Zelgadis looked up from the page. This was Rezo's journal! Even if he hadn't known the story being told, he recognized the flowing handwriting on the page. He was surprised to note that he and Rezo had something in common. They both wanted to be normal. He quickly squashed any sympathy that he might have for his grandfather. "Nobody cursed him with his condition." He flipped forward a few pages and began to read again.
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May 9
The first subject was a failure. The combination of a troll and a human proved to be most unstable. Although for the first few days there was enhanced regeneration in the subject, eventually the troll portion rejected the human killing the subject. It doesn't matter though. I have just begun my research and still believe that it has potential.
On another track, the demons that I have captured have shown remarkable magical capabilities. Perhaps they have the power to heal my eyes?"
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Zelgadis was surprised to see Rezo write so callously about the loss of human life. Even the handwriting seemed different. Neater, but harsher at the same time. He looked up. "How very cruel, Rezo."
"Oh, you're one to talk." Xellos's voice hissed at Zelgadis out of a dark corner.
Zelgadis didn't even look up. "Shut up. You're not real." He quickly flipped a couple more pages and began to read before the voice could respond. He gasped. "Is this it?"
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August 14
I believe I have isolated the problem with the troll and human combination. Since the troll has a defined form, its regenerative capabilities try to return it to that default form. That's why it rejects the human portion.
I believe that if I were able to somehow combine a demon with a human than the results would be different. Since a demon has no predetermined form, I believe that its regenerative capabilities would adapt more easily to a human.
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"Well I guess you found a way to do it Rezo." Zelgadis scanned the next couple of pages. They were pretty technical but fascinating nonetheless. He muttered, "Excessive chaotic energy drove subjects to madness and eventually death… Rock golem used to dilute chaotic energy…" He gripped the book tightly as he read the next entry.
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November 1
Zelgadis is a failure. Aside from a substantial increase in physical and magical capabilities, he has shown no increased regenerative capabilities.
I'm patient though. With Shabranigdo's help I will be able to…
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The journal fell from Zelgadis's numb fingers. He whispered, "I'm a failure?" He buried his face in his hands. "Amelia, I'm sorry. I tried to find a purpose, but I'm all out of ideas." He heard Xellos's mocking laughter ring out in the room. He muttered, "Let me be."
But the apparition would not be so easily dissuaded. It floated down and sat on a shelf just out of the chimera's reach. "No purpose, Zelgadis? That's not true. I told you what your purpose was. You're here to spread misery."
Zelgadis looked at the spidery nightmare that was Xellos the bum. "Leave me alone Xellos." His voice had a dangerous sound to it.
Xellos's features seemed to blur momentarily. When he came back into focus he was Xellos, trickster priest. He shook his head and grinned. "My, my. Aren't you an ingrate? You go out of your way to find your answers in a moldy old library." He looked at his surroundings in disgust. "And when I try to hand you the answers you seek, you snub me."
"I'm not listening to you. You're not real."
Xellos looked somewhat annoyed. "Oh, I suppose you think that makes some kind of difference? The truth doesn't change because of whom you hear it from."
Another voice rang out. "Don't listen to him, Mr. Zelgadis!"
Zelgadis massaged his temples in frustration. "By Ceiphied, not another one." He looked up to see Amelia standing atop the mountain of books glaring at Xellos. "Amelia?"
Amelia looked as she had before age and disease had claimed her. Appearing to be about sixteen years old, she was full of life and health. "Xellos, for too long you've tried to manipulate poor Mr. Zelgadis into abandoning the path of justice! Just because he has skin harder than stone and hair like wire doesn't make him any less human!" She smiled at Zelgadis warmly. "At least, I don't think so."
"Amelia…" Zelgadis felt a dull ache in his soul at seeing Amelia again. The logical part of his mind knew that he was alone in the library, but at this point he didn't care. He was finally seeing Amelia again.
Xellos smirked at Amelia. "Thank you very much little miss sunshine, but the truth is that Zelgadis isn't human. He hasn't been for most of his life. He's a monster and the sooner he accepts that fact, the happier he'll be." He looked down at Zelgadis with an expression of mock sympathy on his face. "And you want to be happy, don't you Zelgadis?"
Zelgadis nodded mutely. Maybe Xellos had been right. He could see the demon's logic. Nothing else had made Zelgadis happy so maybe…
Xellos grinned wickedly sensing his impending victory.
Amelia looked back and forth between Zelgadis and Xellos nervously. "But…"
"Uh, well I don't really understand what you guys are talking about, but…" Gourry had materialized leaning against the bookcase. He scratched his head as he looked at Zelgadis. "…Zel is Zel, you know? Who cares if he's not entirely human? That doesn't make him a monster."
Amelia beamed happily at Gourry. "Yeah, that's right Mr. Gourry!"
Xellos looked a little sick. He glanced down at something beside Zelgadis and groaned. "Oh, not you too!"
"Wow, surprisingly deep there, Gourry! Nice job!" Lina had materialized next to Zelgadis on the pile of books. She was giving Gourry the thumbs up. She winked at Zelgadis. "You know Zel, the truth is that you should do what you want to do." She shot Xellos a dirty look. "Don't let anyone else try to change who you are."
Xellos clapped politely. "A fine speech Lina, but as usual you're missing the point. I'm not trying to change Zelgadis. I'm trying to help him accept what he is."
Amelia struck a pose and pointed at Xellos. "What you are trying to do, is drag Mr. Zelgadis onto the path of darkness! I cannot forgive that!"
Gourry spoke up. "Amelia, it's not polite to point."
Amelia turned to Gourry angrily. "That's not important right now Mr. Gourry!"
"Yeah, I guess, but…"
"Zelgadis needs to…"
"You know, I'm getting kinda hungry…"
"What does that have to do with anything?!"
Zelgadis watched the argument with a dreamy look on his face. Maybe this was real. It certainly felt real. He shook his head and sighed. No, he was alone in a cavern listening to the voices in his head. An incredible wave of self-pity washed over him. He looked to his left when he heard an annoyed growl.
Lina was looking at the arguing figures with an annoyed expression on her face. "So, is this bugging the hell out of you too, Zel?" She massaged her temples for a moment before turning to look at Zelgadis. "Sometimes you can think too much. That was a big problem of yours. You'd think, get depressed, think some more, and before long you'd be so stressed out there was no living with you." She grinned and elbowed him in the ribs. "You know?"
Zelgadis nodded. "I guess so."
Lina leapt to her feet and struck a pose. "At times like that, you've just gotta blow some steam off!" She winked at Zelgadis. "You know what I mean?"
Zelgadis grinned and stood. "I think that I do, Lina." He looked around at the library. There was nothing of value here. He quickly walked to the passage leading to the mansion while gathering magical energy. He muttered. "Darkness beyond twilight…"
Lina appeared behind Zel and put an encouraging hand on his shoulder. "Yeah, don't hold back Zel!"
"…and crimson blood that flows. Buried in the stream of time is where your power grows." Zelgadis felt his anger growing. How dare Rezo tamper with his life for some stupid research?
Amelia and Gourry appeared behind Lina. They both looked somewhat nervous.
Amelia cautiously cleared her throat. "Um, Mr. Zelgadis? Are you sure that this is a good idea?"
Lina waved her off. "This will be good for him Amelia. He's kept everything bottled up for too long."
Zelgadis struggled to pull more and more of Shabranigdo's power into his body. "I pledge myself to destroy all those who stand before the mighty gift bestowed in my unworthy hand." The energies flowed through him far more efficiently than any normal human. Waves of chaotic energy emanated from his body, shifting and warping the room around the chimera.
Lina chuckled nervously. "Uh, Zel? Maybe you should tone it down, just a bit?" Seeing that he was ignoring her, Lina and the others quickly backed away. She muttered, "Or not."
Zelgadis let his fury consume him as he finished the spell. He snarled as he shouted the last part of the spell. "Let the fools who stand before me be destroyed by the power you and I possess! Dragon Slave!"
"And furthermore Amelia… Hmm?" Xellos stopped his argument when he realized that there was nobody left listening to him. He looked around just in time to see a fiery wave of death wash over him.
The blast turned the mansion and a large portion of the mountain to dust instantly. The resulting shockwave shattered windows for miles around. When the smoke finally cleared, Zelgadis was standing on a perfectly flat stretch of ground over a mile in diameter. He watched as snow turned to steam upon contact with the superheated earth. He nodded, immensely satisfied with himself. "You were right, Lina. I do feel better now." With a flick of his crimson cape, Zelgadis turned and walked into the frozen wasteland.
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Hours later, Zelgadis continued on through the wilderness. He realized that since he had destroyed the mansion, he hadn't heard the voices. He finally had blessed peace. He thought for a moment. The sword he had carried for so many years had been in the mansion when he destroyed it. He was surprised to note that he didn't care. That was part of his past. He was looking to the future now.
"Help!" A man came running out of the woods towards Zelgadis. "Thank Ceiphied! A priest!"
Zelgadis looked at the man with a confused expression. He muttered, "Priest?" Then it hit him. The robes. He was wearing Rezo's robes. He shook his head. "I'm sorry. You're mistaken. I'm not a…"
The man grabbed his hand. "Please! My friend was attacked by a bear and he's hurt bad! I don't think he'll make it back to the village."
Zelgadis nodded after a moment. "Take me to him."
Moments later, Zelgadis was kneeling next to a badly wounded man. He surveyed the injuries grimly. He would almost certainly die, but Zelgadis had to try. He put his hands on the man's chest. "Recovery." The healing energy flowed from Zelgadis to the injured man.
Slowly but surely, the man's wounds closed. It seemed that he would survive after all. A little later the man opened his eyes.
Zelgadis carefully helped the man up to a sitting position. "Careful now. Take it easy for a minute."
The man grinned. "Thank you very much. I'm glad John found you. I don't think I would have lasted much longer."
Zelgadis was touched by the man's gratitude. He felt a smile spread across his face. "Not a problem. Just be more careful next time."
"You can be sure of that." The man held out his hand to Zelgadis. "By the way, I'm Thomas. And you are?"
Zelgadis just stared at him for a minute. Who was he?
Thomas's grin faded a bit. "Are you okay? What's your name friend?"
Zelgadis heard a name escape his lips. "Rezo."
Thomas shook Zelgadis's hand. "Thank you again, Mr. Rezo. Give me a hand here John."
John helped Thomas to his feet and after a brief goodbye, they departed for their village.
Zelgadis was in a daze as he walked on. Why had he said that his name was Rezo?
It was as good a name as any. What was wrong with it?
Well, for one thing, it wasn't his name. He was Zelgadis. Zelgadis Greywords. Heartless sorcerer swordsman.
Zelgadis shrugged. "Kind of hard to be a swordsman without a sword." Only a few people knew who he really was. Where was the harm in pretending to be Rezo for a while?
Zelgadis growled. "Because I'm not Rezo!"
Being Zelgadis hurt though. Zelgadis represented disappointment and pain. What was worth saving about Zelgadis? He was burdened by painful memories. On top of that, he was delusional and a murderer. The more he thought about it, the more he hated Zelgadis.
But, Rezo represented a fresh start. He could be free to pursue his purpose without any of the pain and guilt of the past. He smiled. He had found his purpose, quite by accident. He wouldn't kill anymore. He would only heal. It would be a good life. He looked up at the sky. "What do you think of that Xellos?" He listened for a moment expecting some sort of sarcastic remark from the priest.
He only response was the singing of birds flying overhead.
Rezo laughed. That settled it.
Zelgadis made one final protest. "You're not solving anything! You're running away from the truth!" He was shocked at his response.
"Who cares?" With that Zelgadis faded into the back of the chimera's mind without so much as a whimper.
Rezo the Red Priest continued on his journey, no longer troubled by the past.
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Next chapter: Zelgadis has obtained happiness. Or has he?
Whew! Had to totally rewrite this chapter. Normally I write on one computer and transfer it the one hooked up to the Internet later by disk, but the disk drive went down on the machine and I had to retype the whole thing. The weird thing is that it grew by 1000 words in the transfer. *shrugs* I like it better this way though. Believe it or not, I actually cut some garbage out and expanded the important stuff.
That was rough. I hope everyone can see why Zel did what he did at the end. It's been a rough life for him and it wasn't getting any better.
I love the idea of Zel in the red robes for some reason. It's one of the images that inspired the whole "Revival" storyline. I think it came off pretty well.
I also loved getting the Slayers cast back in the story in one form or another. I really like writing Gourry and Lina specifically.
Well on to the reviews.
Raven, I can't wait to see where this story is going either. I always have an idea when I start, but it never goes according to plan. That's part of the fun though.
Fang, thanks for the kind words. I guess you got the answer to your question.
Until next time!