The chimera's brow was furrowed in concentration.  Truly, this was a worthy challenge.  He focused his magical energy into a tiny orb in his hand and grinned.  Sensing that it was time to strike, he thrust his palm forward driving the energy into his target.  Perfect.  A child's voice pulled him out of his thoughts.  He blinked.  "I'm sorry?"

The six year old smiled shyly.  "Why does your face look like that?"

The girl's mother gasped in shock.  She quickly glanced back and forth between Rezo and her daughter.  "Alice, that's so rude!"

Rezo's smile faded and confusion flashed across his face, briefly.  He continued his spell as he spoke.  "That's quite all right, ma'am.  If we don't ask questions, we never learn anything."  He looked into the young girl's eyes.  There was no hint of malice or fear in her gaze, just an honest desire for knowledge.  "It's a gift from Ceiphied, Alice.  See?"  He took one of her hands and placed it on his face.

Alice gingerly ran her fingers over the contours of Rezo's face.  "It's hard."

Rezo nodded.  "I was given this body to assist me in my work.  I don't need to eat or drink.  On top of that…"  He rapped on his head with his knuckles, eliciting a giggle from Alice.  "…as you so astutely noted, my body is as hard as rock.  It helps me endure the trials that Lord Ceiphied has set before me."  He smiled warmly as he finished up the spell.  "That should do it Alice."  He stood and extended his hand to her.  "Can you stand?"

Alice took Rezo's hand and was quickly pulled to her feet.  She closed her eyes, waiting to fall again.  She had never had the use of her legs before and she was quite surprised to note that she was still standing after Rezo released her hand.

Alice's mother had fallen to her knees and was weeping with joy.  "Thank you!  Thank you!"  She grabbed Rezo's leg and hugged him tightly.  "It's a miracle!"

Rezo gently dislodged the woman from his leg, looking somewhat embarrassed.  "It's quite all right."  He smiled at Alice.  "Well, don't just stand there.  Try walking."

Alice nodded and nervously took a step.  He knees were shaking and she lost her balance.

Rezo caught her and chuckled.  "Well, it takes some getting used to.  But, you keep at it and one day you'll be able to run like the wind." 

Moments later, Rezo was on the road again, headed for the next village.  Normally he would have been happy with the morning's events, but now he wore a scowl on his face.  Why did he have this body?  He touched his face and sighed.  There had to be some explanation.  The answer was probably in his past, but he had no desire to explore his memories.  For one thing, trying to remember the past always made him angry for some reason.  Another reason was that his memories scared him.  It felt as if there was something hiding within him, and if he went to far back it would pounce.

Rezo forced a chuckle.  "Nonsense.  There's just no reason to dwell on the past when there's work to be done now."  Looking up, he saw a group of travelers walking towards him.  He smiled.  It was time to get to work.

Moments later, Rezo was tending to an old man's arthritis when something caught his attention.  He looked up at two men who were standing next to him talking.  "Excuse me, what did you just say?"

One of the men glanced at him and frowned.  "I was just talking about King Phillionel.  He's dead, you know."

Rezo gasped in surprise.  "Phillionel?"  He knew that name. 

The man looked surprised.  "Surely, you heard the news?  They say he was assassinated.  On top of that, his son disappeared the same day."  His face darkened.  "If you ask me, his son's the one who did it."

The old man that Rezo was tending to nodded in agreement.  "Not the first time something like this has happened though.  Remember when Princess Gracia ran off all those years ago?

The younger man blinked in surprise.  "Grandpa, I don't even remember a Gracia.  When did that happen?"

The old man shrugged.  "Eighty, maybe ninety years ago."

The younger man laughed.  "Well, that would explain why I don't remember.  We're all not a hundred like you grandpa."

The old man chuckled.  "I suppose not.  Anyway, Phillionel's wife, the first Phillionel mind you, was assassinated.  She had two daughters.  Gracia was the older of the two.  She ran away after the murder.  Nobody ever heard from her again.  You probably remember the younger one, Amelia.  She was Crown Princess for a while before she disappeared.  And that's not the only weird thing to happen with the royal family either.  Why, I remember… You okay, sonny?"  He glanced at Rezo who had a look of utter shock on his face.  "Sonny?"  He snapped his fingers in front of the priest's face a couple times.

Rezo just stared ahead lost in his own world.  Phillionel, Seyruun, and Amelia.  They all seemed so familiar.  He whispered, "Amelia".  Noticing that the voices around him had stopped, he glanced up.  "I'm sorry?"

"You kinda fell asleep there for a second, sonny."  The old man grunted as he stood.  He flexed his hands appreciatively.  "That's amazing.  I haven't felt this good in years.  What did you say your name was again?"

"Rezo.  Rezo the Red Priest."  Rezo shook his head trying to focus on the conversation.  What was wrong with him?

The old man looked at Rezo doubtfully.  "The Red Priest, you say?  What an odd coincidence."

Rezo looked at the old man, a feeling of panic rising within him.  "Why is that?"

"There was another priest, went by the name of Rezo, who wandered the land a long time ago.  I just thought it was odd that you called yourself Rezo the Red Priest.  It's not a common name you know.  Are you related to him or something?"

"Yes."  Rezo quickly lied.  There was information to be gained here if he played his cards right.  Had he really been wandering around healing the sick for a century?  "He was my great grandfather."  He hesitated for a moment.  "What happened to him?"

The old man furrowed his brow in thought.  "Hmm, well he disappeared before I was born.  Then he came back a decade later.  Something was different about him though."

"Different grandpa?" The younger man interrupted and received a withering glare from Rezo.

The old man nodded.  "He had once been a kind man, or so I was told by my pappy anyways, but when he came back he was cold.  Rumor was that he was involved with the dark arts and eventually destroyed Sairaag."

Rezo nodded eagerly.  This all sounded very familiar.  This was why he had this body.  Ceiphied had punished him for his transgressions in his youth.  It was so clear now.  He mumbled a quick prayer of thanks to Ceiphied for his wisdom and mercy.

The young man laughed.  "Which time are you talking about grandpa?  Sairaag's had the worst luck of any city I've ever seen.  Just last year it was hit by an earthquake and before that…"

Rezo scowled.  This impertinent bastard was terribly annoying.  He sighed and prayed for patience.  Speaking loudly he cut the younger man off.  "You were saying something about Rezo, sir?"

"Oh right, Rezo.  Well, about that time a group of heroes rose up to stop him.  Let's see…"  He began to count on his fingers.  "There was Gourry Gabriev, a master swordsman whose amazing strength was matched only by his keen intellect.  Lina Inverse, a master of the dark arts herself.  Supposedly, she drank the blood of young virgins to keep her powers.  Over three hundred years old, she was."  He grinned at his grandson.  "Our very own princess Amelia was involved as well.  And then there was that mysterious sorcerer swordsman.  He was a demon you know.  Summoned by Inverse to fight Rezo.  His soul was as black as night.  Apparently, he escaped from Inverse because he started to cause trouble on his own.  Killed everyone in a village up north, if you believe the stories."

Rezo's head was throbbing.  He massaged his temples and hissed at the old man.  "What happened to Rezo?"

"Killed by Inverse.  I suppose she was jealous of his power and wanted to claim it for herself.  It was a mighty battle though.  Lasted for a day and a night, but in the end Inverse took Rezo's head for a trophy.  Evil woman, that one was.  She even destroyed part of the capital city a year after that."  The old man shook his head sadly.  "Terrible business, that was."

Rezo shook his head.  "No."  He couldn't believe what the old man had told him.  He whispered, "I'm not dead."  Of course he wasn't dead.  He was standing here in fine shape.  Apparently, the old man's story must be wrong.  Chalk it up to old age.  The elderly were always misremembering things.  He must have killed the evil sorceress Lina Inverse.  Then Ceiphied gave him this body as punishment for his misdeeds.  He nodded, satisfied with his conclusion. 

Rezo smiled at the two men.  "Gentlemen, if you'll excuse me, I still have much work to do.  Could you kindly direct me to the next village?"

************************************************************************

Hours later, Rezo looked around and begrudgingly admitted that he was lost.  He muttered, "This doesn't make any damn sense!"  He glared at the map the two men had drawn for him.  "A mountain?"  He looked around angrily at the decidedly flat landscape.  "A mountain?!"  He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.  Anger was unbecoming of a priest of Ceiphied.  He was about to examine the map again when he heard a woman's scream echo through the forest.  An instant later, swirling leaves were the only indication that he had ever been standing there.

Rezo sprinted through the forest, calling upon speed that he didn't know that he had.  The trees flew by in the blink of an eye, but at the same time seemed to move at a snail's pace.  He whispered to himself, "Call out again.  Let me hear you."  The forest was vast and the scream had echoed, leaving him with very little to work with. 

As if in answer, the woman screamed again.  "Somebody, please help me!"

That was all Rezo needed.  Adjusting his course ever so slightly to the left, he burst into a clearing.  He paused, just for a second, to take in the situation.  Several wolves surrounded a young lady.  Willing himself to move at an even faster pace, he plowed into the beasts before they even knew he was there.  He snatched the largest off the ground effortlessly flung it against a tree.  There was a sickening crunch and a splash of crimson as wolf skull met pine.  The beast fell to the ground and lay still.  Rezo snarled as he turned to face the other wolves. 

Apparently somewhat intimidated by this new arrival and the death of their leader, the other wolves quickly darted off into the woods with their tails between their legs.  A moment later, the woods were peaceful again.

Rezo sighed shakily as he surveyed the clearing.  What had he done?  How had he done it?  His head full of questions, he walked over to a nearby tree and collapsed in the shade.  "Lord, what manner of gift have you bestowed upon me?" he asked as he looked at his hands.

A soft voice spoke to Rezo.  "Thank you for your help, sir."

Rezo shook his head.  "Not a problem miss.  I'm just glad I was in time."  He looked up and his breath caught in his throat.

Standing before Rezo was a beautiful young lady.  Hair the color of midnight spilled down her back, framing a beautiful face with two deep blue eyes.  She wore a simple rose tinted dress, the clothes of a farmer perhaps.  She was favoring him with a warm smile that seemed to light up the clearing.

Suddenly, someone else was standing before Rezo in the girls place.  Another girl with short dark hair and blue eyes.   She wore a white outfit with a matching cape trimmed in pink.  She smiled.  "Hello, Mr. Zelgadis!"

"Amelia?!"  Zelgadis reached out to the girl just as the vision faded.

Rezo frowned.  Who was she?  First the old man mentions an Amelia and then…

"Anita, sir."  The young lady took a step back, watching Rezo warily.  The man was acting very strange.

Rezo blinked and shook his head.  "I'm sorry.  What did you say?"

"Anita.  My name is Anita.  I think you had me confused with someone else."  She cautiously moved to his side and put a hand on his arm.  "Do you need help?  Are you ill?"

"No, I'm fine."  Rezo shied away from her touch as if she might burn him.  He inhaled and detected a faint hint of jasmine on the girl.  His heart ached and he felt a deep sense of loss, but at the same time familiarity.  Forcing himself to look into Anita's eyes, he smiled.  They were so beautiful.

Anita returned his gaze unflinchingly.  "That's good to hear.  I thought you might have hurt yourself in that fight."  She giggled.  "Hey, you missed one."

Rezo had climbed to his feet and was removing stray leaves from his robes.  He gasped in surprise when Anita brushed a leaf out of his hair.  "Yes, well, um, thank you very much, Miss."  He was stammering like an idiot.  It was unbecoming of a priest.

Anita smiled.  "How did you manage to find me, if you don't mind me asking?"

Rezo answered, "I was on the road when I heard a scream.  You were easy to find after that."

Anita looked at Rezo skeptically.  "Do you mean the main road?  That doesn't make any sense.  That road is at least five miles away.  There's no way you could have made it in time."

Rezo looked at her incredulously.  Five miles?  He had run five miles in mere moments?  Thinking quickly, he lied.  "Of course not.  See this?"  He pulled out his map and pointed to a random spot on it.  "I was on a forest path not too far from here.  I was trying to find my way to the next village."

Anita glanced at the map for a moment before giggling.

Rezo looked confused for a moment before grinning.  Her laughter was infectious.  "I'm sorry.  Did I miss the joke?"

Anita shook her head, trying to control her laughter.  "You got this from a young man and his grandfather, right?"  She laughed even louder when Rezo nodded.  "No wonder you're out in the middle of nowhere.  See?"  She pointed to a signature on the corner of the map.

Rezo read it aloud.  "Ryoga Hibiki?  What's the significance?"

Anita thought for a moment.  "Let's just say that he's not the most reliable map maker in the area."  She sighed, finally getting her laughter under control.  "Anyway, you're about fifteen miles off course."  She looked up at the sky, which was turning a lovely shade of orange.  "And I'd say that it's too late for you to make it before dark."

Rezo watched the sun dip behind the trees.  "I suppose that you're right."

"I know!  Why don't you come home with me?"  Anita pulled on Rezo's arm.

Rezo felt his face become hot as he halfheartedly resisted her.  "I'm sorry Miss, but we just met and I don't think that it would be terribly appropriate…"

"No silly!"  Anita smacked Rezo lightly on the arm.  She winced in pain and shook her hand.  "Ow, that hurt.  What's wrong with you anyway?"  She quickly regretted her words when she saw the hurt look cross his face.  "I'm sorry.  It's really none of my business.  Anyway, I'd like to make you some dinner and I'm sure my father would want to thank you for saving me.  Please?"  She saw him struggling to make up his mind and decided to play her trump card.  "I'm making mushroom soup."  She nodded to an overturned basket of mushrooms on the other side of the clearing.  "That's why I was out here."  She saw a hint of a smile on his face.  "It's the best in the kingdom."

Rezo shook his head and grinned.  "With an offer like that, how could I possibly refuse?"  He admonished himself.  What was he doing?  He didn't need to eat.  Apparently, having to travel fifteen miles didn't mean anything to him either.  He knew that he could be there in five minutes if he really wanted to.  Still…

Rezo watched Anita gather up the mushrooms in the fading light.  None of that mattered right now.  What harm was there in spending the evening in the company of a lovely young lady and her father?  Nothing at all, he decided.  He walked over to where she was hunting for the last of the fallen mushrooms.  "Here, let me help you…"

************************************************************************

Rezo had to admit, the soup smelled wonderful.  He leaned back in his chair as he surveyed the small cabin.  It was modest, but there wasn't really any need for anything fancy out in the wilderness.  Once again, he felt a strange sense of déjà vu as he examined the room.  It felt so familiar.  Almost as if…

"…we lived somewhere similar, for about four decades?" Zelgadis said smugly.

Rezo muttered, "Shut up."  Thankfully, the sorcerer swordsman seemed content to let the subject drop for now.  A moment later, he had forgotten all about Zelgadis again.

Anita turned to Rezo and smiled.  "Did you say something?"

Rezo shook his head.  "Just going over my schedule for tomorrow."  He sniffed the air and smiled.  "The soup smells great, Miss Anita."

Anita was about to answer when the door burst open to reveal a large form.

"Anita, you will not believe the day that I've had!  Those damn McDonalds' have been bitching up a storm."  The man laughed heartily.

Anita crossed her arms and glared at the man.  "Father, you haven't been fighting with old McDonald again, have you?"

Anita's father grinned, revealing a gold tooth.  "Ah, you got me.  I skunked that bastard three times at chess today.  Boy, was he pissed.  Old McDonald needs to stay on his farm, if you ask me."  This was followed by another bout of laughter.

Rezo shrank into the corner.  This bear of a man was Anita's father?!  He glanced at the doorway.  No good.  The large man was still blocking it.  Maybe through a window?  His escape plans were thwarted when Anita spoke again.

Anita frowned.  "Father, watch the language!  We have a guest."  She nodded to Rezo.  "Rezo the Red Priest.  He saved me from some wild animals in the forest today."

"That right?"  The man enveloped Rezo's hand in one of his own and pumped it vigorously.  "The name's Don.  Damn pleased to meet you!  Damn pleased!  Helped my little girl out did you?  Can't thank you enough for that."  His grin faded slightly as he looked down at the priest. 

Rezo tried to melt through the floor, but apparently that wasn't one of the powers that he possessed.  He squeaked, "Not a problem, sir."

"Sir?'  Don't be calling me sir.  I think Don will do", he said as he took the seat next to the priest.  He elbowed the much smaller man in the ribs roughly.  "Don't you be hogging all the soup now, you hear?"

Rezo grinned painfully.  "I'll try not to, si… um, Don."  This was a nightmare.  He had to get out of here.  He smiled at Anita as she handed him a bowl of soup, thankful for the distraction.  "Thank you very much, Miss Anita."

Don wolfed the first bowl of soup that Anita set before him.  He belched loudly.  "Damn, I swear this gets better every time you make it."

Anita refilled Don's bowl while giving him a reproachful look.  "Father, language!  He's a priest!"

Rezo waved frantically at Anita trying to keep her from drawing attention to him.  "No, that's quite alright Anita.  I've heard far worse."  He glanced at Don curiously.  Something was amiss here.

Don was inhaling another bowl of soup, but seemed far more interested in Rezo.  His eyes were fixed upon the priest over the lip of his bowl.

Rezo narrowed his eyes as he stared back.  There was more to this man than there seemed.  Far more, he thought.  Despite his boorish ways, he had noticed some things about Don in the short time that they had been together. 

First, there was the matter of his clothes.  They were the clothes of a farmer, but the stains in the fabric weren't from dirt.  They were… different.  Secondly, there was the smell.  Don had the scent of animals all over him, but not farm animals.  Wild creatures.  Finally, there was the small matter of his hands. Rezo had gotten a good look at Don's hands when he greeted him.  Those hands were smooth.  They weren't the hands of a farmer.

Rezo sipped his tasteless soup and spoke, "What did you say that you did for a living Don?"  His eyes never left Don's, almost as if he were challenging him.  There was something else here.  He doubted that Don was the gentle giant that he tried to make himself out to be.

Don scratched his head and glanced away nervously.  "I don't reckon I said.  I'm a farmer.  Got a field a little ways away.  Couple of animals too."  He glanced out the window into the darkness, quickly changing the subject.  "I guess you'll be staying the night then?  Little late to be heading out, if you ask me."

Rezo watched Don a moment longer before nodding.  He was a guest in this house and any secrets that the man had were none of his business.  He turned away from Don and looked at Anita.  She looked nervous.  Had she sensed something?  He gave her a reassuring smile that she gratefully returned.

Don belched loudly and leaned back in his chair, causing it to creak dangerously.  "Sorry about that pumpkin", he said as he saw her disapproving look.  He stood and stretched.  "Well, I reckon I'll clean out a spot in the shed for you Rezo."

"Oh, father.  The shed?"  Anita looked at Don angrily.  "It'll be cold out there."

Rezo shook his head.  "Don't worry about me, Miss Anita.  After spending the last couple nights in the woods, having any roof over my head would be a welcome change."  He stood and bowed to Anita.  "Thank you for the splendid meal.  Good night."  He followed Don out of the house into the night.

After they had gotten a short ways away from the cabin, Don cleared his throat nervously.  "Nice weather tonight, ain't it?" 

Rezo looked up at the sky.  "Lovely."  The full moon cast a silvery light over the forest, illuminating a small shed in the distance.  He glanced at the man walking beside him.  He was breathing quickly and Rezo noticed that his hands were shaking.  "Something wrong?"

Don jumped as if Rezo had struck him instead of asking him a question.  "No, not at all."  He fumbled for some keys and unlocked the shed.  "There's a lantern over there, if you be needing it.  You can open the window if it gets too hot in here and…"  He looked around for a moment before pulling a tattered blanket from under a shelf and handing it to Rezo.  "You can use this, if it gets too cold for you."  He looked around nervously before lowering his voice.  "You mind if I ask you a personal question?"

Rezo shook his head warily.  "Not at all."  He beat on the blanket expelling a large cloud of dust.  How long had it been in here?

Don cleared his throat.  "Um, how long have you been one?"

Rezo glared at Don, not liking where this was going at all.  He spoke icily, "How long have I been what?"

"You know, a chimera."  Don grinned as he stared at Rezo.

Rezo stared back at him for a long moment before answering.  "I'm afraid I really have no idea what you are talking about.  Now, if you'll excuse me."  He stifled a yawn.  "It really is very late and I've got a long journey in the morning."

Don blinked in surprise.  "Oh.  Oh, well of course!  I understand.  Touchy subject, eh?"  He backed away from the shed mumbling an apology before he turned and retreated towards the house.

Rezo stared after him, disliking him immensely.  He slammed the door, probably harder than he should have, and curled up on the dusty floor.  He muttered, "A chimera?" Something about that word infuriated him.  He closed his eyes and sighed.  It wasn't worth worrying about.  There were insensitive people all over the world, so why did this particular man bother him so?

Deciding that he wasn't going to get any sleep worrying about Don, Rezo struggled to find something worthwhile to think about.  There was Alice from earlier in the day.  He wondered if she was walking yet.  Probably, he decided.  She seemed to be a smart girl.  Then there was the old man.  Thanks to Rezo, his life was a little easier now and Rezo had even managed to find out a bit about his past too.

His brow furrowed in anger, Rezo muttered, "Except for the part about being dead.  I am most certainly not dead."  He looked at his robes, more silver than red in the moonlight.  They looked almost ghostly in the gloom.  "Stop it!" he snapped.

Noticing that he was slipping into a bad mood, Rezo quickly thought about something else.  Anita.  Anita wearing her simple dress, and smelling of jasmine.  Anita with her beautiful blue eyes.  Smiling contentedly, he slipped into slumber where two dark haired beauties waited to greet him.  He muttered their names as he fell deeper into his dreams.

And the months passed…

************************************************************************

Next Chapter:  Zelgadis wakes up.  But, is Rezo going to leave quietly?

Notes:  Whew!  Sorry it took so long to update this.  I really got stuck for a little while and, well, *shrugs* you see what happened.  Three weeks since the last update.  Don't worry though.  The rest of the story is pretty well planned out and should be coming at a far more regular pace.

This chapter was an absolute PAIN to write.  I struggled on the first quarter for about two and a half weeks and finished the rest in two days.  Thank you inspiration!  This is the first chapter that really feels like part of a bigger story to me.  The rest of them I sort of view as a collection of short stories, but this one is different.  We're about half way through the story and the rest should tie together better than the first half.

Oh, before I forget, a special thanks to Chaos Anita for serving as the inspiration for the Anita in this chapter.  Thanks a bunch! 

Also, thanks to the people at www.inverse.org, the best Slayers site on the net.  I meant to mention them last chapter, but better late than never.

A quick question for the readers.  Did anyone catch what I did with the dates in Rezo's journal in chapter 4?  It's kinda a hint for the third story…

Oh, and I'd like to take a moment to apologize to everyone for the Old McDonald joke.  It just struck me as funny so I put it in.

Review responses.

Anita, you're an excellent writer, damn it!  Especially since English is a second language for you.

Hikari no Chibi, do you ever check your e-mail?!  I wrote you about two weeks ago and haven't heard back.  And Zel hasn't been totally buried as you saw in this chapter.  You'll see more of him in the next couple chapters.

Linagabriev, I think I answered all your questions in the e-mail I sent you.  Tell me if I missed any.

Thanks for reading everyone!