As he had done five years ago, Zelgadis arrived at Seyruun at daybreak. Just as before, he paused on a nearby hilltop to admire the view before entering. Everything looked so simple from above.
Zelgadis smiled wistfully as his gaze moved over the cityscape. At the edge of the city was the crater caused by Lina's Dragon Slave all those years ago. He noted with no small amount of pleasure that it was filled with water now. "Will wonders never cease?" he muttered quietly as he regarded the newly formed lake. His eagle like eyes traced a small canal leading from a nearby river to the crater. He laughed aloud, a happy sound in the quiet of the morning.
There was the palace, magnificent in it's construction. The towers stretched far above the rest of the city and seemed just on the verge of reaching Heaven itself. The brightly polished stone reflected the morning light down upon the rest of the city, making it appear as if the palace was, quite literally, a beacon of hope to the rest of the country.
Zelgadis sighed in relief. From this vantage point, it appeared that there was nothing wrong in the kingdom. He wondered briefly if Christopher had been mistaken in his assessment of the situation in the country. After all, how could there be any instability in a kingdom that managed to turn the random destruction of a Dragon Slave into something beneficial? He felt nothing but a sense of peace and prosperity when he gazed at the city.
Then it happened. The sun reached a point just over the mountains to the east and, as it had five years before, the city turned blood red.
Zelgadis's breath caught in his throat and he squeezed his eyes shut. He desperately wanted to chalk the phenomenon up to natural occurrences. After all, this had happened before. It probably happened every morning at about this time. Why then, couldn't he shake the feeling of disquiet? Cautiously, he opened his eyes to see things as they had been before.
It wasn't the same though, was it? In the growing light, his sharp eyes saw that the once incandescent towers of the palace weren't quite as bright as they had been before. There were more abandoned buildings on the outskirts of the city. The dilapidated buildings actually seemed to be spreading within the city walls like some kind of cancer.
Zelgadis sighed again, his happy mood dispelled. With much trepidation, he made his way down towards the main road leading into the city.
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Zelgadis pulled his hood farther up, trying to totally conceal his face. He was a stranger here. This wasn't the Seyruun that he remembered.
As usual the streets were bustling with noise and activity. In the entire history of the kingdom the marketplace had never been slow, but despite the volume of shoppers, there was an almost tangible feeling of anxiety in the air. People completed their transactions with merchants without their usual smiles and laughter. The days of camaraderie between the citizens had been replaced by suspicion. Now, when Zelgadis heard a laugh, it sounded strangely out of place in the mutterings and whispers that had become normal.
Feeling more than a little apprehensive, Zelgadis ducked into a dark alley, unconsciously mimicking his actions from five years ago. When he realized what he'd done, he gasped in horror. He scanned the darkness, fully expecting a mad priest to come scampering out of the shadows.
"Xellos?" Zelgadis called out, trying to hide his fear. It would do no good. Xellos would know. He'd always known how to push the chimera's buttons and would see the fear that Zelgadis was feeling. In his posture, the slight tremble of his hands, or the nervous shifting of his eyes, Xellos would know. "Xellos!" he repeated, louder than before. "Come on out Xellos!"
Nothing. The shadows held no demons, only raw garbage. A little more garbage then the last time from the looks of things. Xellos had died. That had to be it. No human could survive in the state that the demon had been living in. He'd been eating rats for Ceiphied's sake. Most likely he was dead somewhere in the darkness, his spindly frame not so much rotting as crumbling to dust.
Disturbed by that mental image, Zelgadis turned on his heel and walked back out into the light. He'd spent far too much time in the darkness as it was. Stepping back out onto the street, he looked around the market, a mixture of sadness and raw apprehension etched on his face. Could this really be the kingdom that Phil and Emily had ruled for so long?
Deciding to find out, Zelgadis reached out and grabbed an old woman's arm. "Hey," he said, a little more roughly than he had intended. He immediately regretted his action when he saw the woman's terrified face.
The woman's hands shook and she dropped the basket of fruit that she had been carrying.
Apples and oranges scattered across the street. Once, the citizens of Seyruun would have eagerly leapt to the aid of the old woman. Now they scattered, avoiding the fruit as if it were poison.
Zelgadis found himself and the woman in a large open space with the crowd pointedly avoiding the disruption. He sighed and said, "I'm very sorry. I only wanted to ask you a question." He began to pick up the produce and deposit it in the woman's basket. "What's your name?" he asked in what he hoped was a reassuring tone.
The woman eyed him suspiciously for a moment. Finally deciding that Zelgadis might not be a threat, she answered, "Ilsa."
"Ilsa," Zelgadis repeated with a nod. Okay, now he was getting somewhere. "Ilsa, can you tell me who rules this kingdom?" Her response was not at all what he expected.
"Oh god," Ilsa stammered. "I swear that I'm loyal to the crown, sir."
Zelgadis blinked in surprise. That was hardly the answer that he had expected. What was going on in this kingdom? He shook his head and quietly said, "I'm sure that you are Ilsa. Can you tell me who wears the crown?"
Ilsa's lower lip trembled and she glanced around nervously, searching for some means of escape. Finally deciding that it was no use running, she sighed shakily and whispered, "Emily, sir. Queen Emily."
Zelgadis nodded. "Thank you Ilsa. That's all I wanted to know." He turned to leave when he heard her speak again.
"I'm free to go then?" Ilsa asked hopefully.
"Free to go?" Zelgadis repeated quizzically. Who did this woman think he was? He stared at her for a moment before nodding mutely. He watched as she scampered away into the crowd. "Bizarre," he whispered. No matter though. He'd found out what he wanted to know. He was about to move back into the crowd and make his way to the palace when he was stopped by a rough hand on his shoulder.
"Just a moment stranger."
Zelgadis turned to see a large apish looking man in the uniform of a city guard grinning at him. His unkempt appearance and thick brow gave the impression that he wasn't a friendly character. Zelgadis's eyes were drawn to a yellow scrap of cloth tied around the guard's left bicep.
This man was obviously looking for trouble. Zelgadis's temper flared briefly. He forcefully grabbed the soldier's hand and removed it from his shoulder. He was satisfied to see a pained expression cross the guard's face. "I am hardly a stranger here," he said with a smirk. "And I suggest that you keep your hands to yourself."
The guard massaged his wrist and glared at the chimera angrily. "I'd watch my tongue if I were you. I could have you arrested you know."
Zelgadis closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This man was just doing his job. Besides, he didn't want to cause any more problems for Emily by beating some uppity guard. She apparently had more than enough problems as it was. Finding himself a little calmer, he replied, "My apologies. Is there some sort of problem?"
"You're disturbing the peace," the guard said with a mean spirited grin.
"Sorry," Zelgadis said with a shrug. "I'll try to keep my illicit activities to a minimum from this point on." Noting the confused expression on the guard's face, he grinned and translated, "I'll be a good boy."
The guard's mouth opened and shut a couple times before he snarled, "Are you trying to make a fool of me?"
"Not at all," Zelgadis said with a quick shake of his head. "You've made it abundantly clear that you are more than capable of succeeding in that particular endeavor without my assistance. Good day." He turned to leave again, hoping that the idiot would let the matter drop.
He didn't.
"Hey!" the guard snarled. He grabbed Zelgadis's shoulder again and roughly spun him around.
Zelgadis's patience was at an end. He just wanted to see Emily and this oaf was keeping him from his goal. When he was facing the much larger man, he grabbed him by the collar with one hand and effortlessly lifted him off the ground. "What part of 'Good day' don't you understand?!" he snarled. He shook the guard roughly to accent each word.
If the people had been skittish before, Zelgadis's actions sent them into a full-scale panic. Everywhere he looked, the throng was struggling to get away from him. He mentally cursed himself for allowing his temper to get the better of him.
"What's going on here?!" a commanding and familiar voice called out.
"Could it be?" Zelgadis mused quietly, a stupid grin forming on his face. He turned to see a tall blond man push his way through the crowd. "Gourry!" he called out happily. He dropped the guard unceremoniously to the ground and turned to greet his "nephew".
The angry expression on Gourry's face was replaced with a grin even larger than Zelgadis's. "Uncle Zel!" he yelled in return. A moment later, he had embraced Zelgadis warmly. "What happened here?" he asked as he glanced around the crowd. They seemed to have calmed somewhat in the face of an authority figure.
Zelgadis glared down at the man who had caused him so much trouble.
The guard was all smiles when he saw Gourry. He quickly removed his yellow armband and began to mumble a hasty excuse. "This," he said pausing for a moment to figure out what Zelgadis was, "thing was disturbing the peace Prince Gourry. I took it upon myself to apprehend him."
Gourry helped the man to his feet. There was a stern expression on his face as he said, "This isn't a 'thing'! This is my Uncle Zel! He might look kinda funny but he's a good person." He clapped Zelgadis on the shoulder, making the chimera's knees buckle. "And I'm sure that he was disturbing the peace, but he really doesn't know any better."
"Thanks a lot, Gourry," Zelgadis muttered through clenched teeth.
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A little while later, Zelgadis and Gourry were finally on their way to the castle.
Zelgadis looked down at Gourry's belt and nodded. "You have your grandfather's sword."
Gourry looked down and patted the hilt affectionately. "Yeah, mom gave it to me after dad died. She said that she wasn't going to need it anymore."
Zelgadis found something disquieting about that statement, but quickly shook it off. He looked around at the other people in the street. "So, what's the deal with the armbands?" he asked as he saw another guard with a scarlet band around his arm.
"Oh those things? It's just how the people have been showing their support. The people wearing red ones support mother." Gourry said with a nod. He noted Zelgadis's bewildered expression and pointed to his hair helpfully. "You know, red because she has red hair."
"I see. And the yellow ones support Gouren and the nobles I suppose," Zelgadis said with a nod. "How did this all this foolishness come about?" he said, gesturing to the sea of red and yellow cloth surrounding them.
"It started right after the nobles started calling for mom to step down," Gourry said with a frown. "She wanted to, but Uncle Gouren talked her out of it. She's a good person and Seyruun has always had good people on the throne. Uncle Gouren knows that. That hasn't stopped the nobles from trying to block her at every turn. See?" Gourry pointed to a run down church that they were passing by. "Mom wanted to renovate some of the old buildings in the city, but the nobles say that they can't afford a new tax. No money means no renovations. And that's just one small example. It's sad."
"I see," Zelgadis said with a terse nod. It was typical. The nobles had seen a moment of weakness and immediately moved to seize power. He wondered briefly if the jackals had even given Emily time to grieve before moving in for the attack. Somehow, he found it unlikely. "I need to see her," he said, looking up at the much taller Gourry.
Gourry nodded as they passed through the palace gates. "I know. Mom always said that you'd come back someday. I know that she'd love to see you." He looked around briefly before pointing at an ornate gate leading to a lavish garden. "Mom spends a lot of time in there lately." He clapped Zelgadis on the back and grinned. "Well I have to get back to work. I hope you're going to stay around for a while this time."
Zelgadis nodded and turned towards the gate. His hand trembled ever so slightly as he reached out to open it. For some reason, now that he was this close to seeing Emily again he was feeling guilty. He felt as if he had betrayed her somehow. He tried to quash the feeling. He didn't want her to see him frowning.
Making his way through the garden, Zelgadis immediately noted the almost overpowering scent of roses. Along both sides of the path, rose bushes of every kind and color were planted. A gentle breeze blew through the garden, causing the bushes to rustle quietly. It was the only noise in the area. Maybe Emily wasn't here after all.
Zelgadis's sensitive ears twitched and he paused to listen again. There it was. The sound of hedge clippers. A moment later he heard a female voice quietly singing a sad song. Emily. He looked around desperately trying to determine what direction she was in. Getting a general idea of her location he set off, practically sprinting down the rows of the garden.
After rounding a corner, Zelgadis's breath caught in his throat. There was a woman here, but it couldn't be Emily. This woman was just wrong. But it was.
Emily was crouched in the shade of a large tree, trimming a sickly looking bush. "We'll have you looking healthy yet," she whispered, a sad grin playing at the corners of her mouth. She had the look of a person that had seen and experienced far too much pain for one lifetime. Beautiful crimson hair, once the envy of many women, was marred by ugly streaks of gray. Her proud gaze, the surest indicator that she was indeed the daughter of Lina Inverse, had given way to an expression of sadness. She resembled nothing more than a lovebird that had lost its mate. All her passion for life had abandoned her.
Zelgadis had a fierce urge to turn his back on the broken woman and run. If he ran, he wouldn't have to accept that it was really her. He quickly quashed the urge. He'd spent the last couple of years running and he was finished with it. Besides, he thought glumly, where would he run to? "Emily?" he whispered as he stepped out of the shadows.
Emily looked up at the chimera and blinked in disbelief. "Zel?" She stood and took a hesitant step towards him, as if expecting him to disappear before her very eyes. Seeing that he wasn't gong anywhere, the faintest hint of a smile crossed her face and she said, "You came back." She hugged him, tentatively at first, but tighter once she realized that he was real.
"Yeah," Zelgadis muttered weakly as he returned her embrace. He couldn't think of anything else to say.
Emily looked into Zelgadis's eyes and said, "You're late." There was no accusation in her words, just a simple statement of fact. "I expected you about a year ago."
Zelgadis looked away from Emily, unable to meet her questioning gaze. He should have been here for her after Phil died. "I'm sorry," he whispered contritely. "I was having trouble." He pulled the sad remains of her locket out of his pocket and held it out for her inspection.
Emily frowned as she hesitantly touched the twisted gold. She looked into Zelgadis's eyes and asked, "You had a hard time out there, didn't you?" Not waiting for an answer, she held him even more tightly and buried her face in his chest. A moment later, she began to quietly sob.
Zelgadis sighed and held Emily as she vented her sorrow. He tried to ignore the sensation of her frail body pressed against his. Once she had been a powerful warrior, able to stand against the strongest foes with a smile upon her face. Now, it felt as if he could break her in half if he squeezed her too hard.
Emily pulled away from Zelgadis and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I'm sorry," she sniffed. "We haven't even been talking for two minutes and I'm already laying a guilt trip on you."
"Don't worry about it," Zelgadis said with a sigh. "I deserve it." And he did. If he hadn't been so caught up in his own troubles, hadn't been lost all these years, he would have been here. Maybe he could have done something. Maybe…
"No you don't!" Emily exclaimed with a vehement shake of her head. "I knew that's what you would say, Zel. Do you have any idea of how terrible it makes me feel to know that you think that?" She looked up at the hurt expression on Zelgadis's face and frowned. "See? There you go again. Now you feel guilty because I said that, right?"
Zelgadis smiled mirthlessly. "I guess you do know me pretty well."
Emily grinned, bringing an incredible change over her face. With that smile, she appeared to be something like her former self. "I know you better than anyone, Zel," she said in a matter of fact way.
"Oh really?" Zelgadis asked, his cold smile becoming more genuine. Emily's cheer was infectious.
"Yep," she said with a nod. She glanced up at the palace and said, "Let's go inside. The flowers can fend for themselves for a little while." She looked down at the crimson blooms and bit her lip thoughtfully. "Phil gave me a rose all those years ago in the garden, when he tried to kiss me for the first time. Do you remember that? Back during the Soul Render mess?"
Zelgadis thought for a moment before laughing out loud. "I do remember that! Your mother ended up bagging an assassin that night, right?"
"That's right!" Emily said with a nod. She sighed and said, "Anyway, Phil loved roses. That's why I still take care of the gardens. The gardeners have a fit when they see how I've 'helped', but I do it anyway. For him, you know?"
Zelgadis took Emily's arm in his and began to make his way out of the garden. After a moment of thought, he chuckled quietly and said, "I don't think that's quite right, Emily. He didn't love roses. It was more like he loved giving you roses."
Emily excitedly punched Zelgadis on the arm and said, "That's it, exactly! And did you know that I got so tired of them? Rose petals in the bath every morning, roses on the table during every meal, rose petals on the bed when we… well, you know." She giggled like a young girl, pleasing the chimera to no end. "I got tired of roses, but never said anything. Phil was never really good at expressing himself and I guess the flowers were his way of saying, 'I love you.'" She sighed and mused aloud, "Roses year round, every single day." Her smile faded and she whispered, "I miss him so much."
"He loved you a lot, Emily."
"I know." Emily perked up and elbowed Zelgadis in the ribs. "Anyway, enough about that. I'm sure that I'm boring you to tears. Tell me about your travels. Did you find what you were looking for?"
Zelgadis nodded. "As a matter of fact, I did."
"And where was it?" Emily asked, a mischievous grin on her face.
Zelgadis rolled his eyes when he saw that smile. Emily already knew. He covered his face embarrassedly and muttered, "Would you believe that it was right here?"
"I would!" Emily said triumphantly. "See? I knew that you'd come back after you figured out that you shouldn't have left in the first place!"
Zelgadis growled good-naturedly. "You know, that little tidbit of information could have been brought to my attention a couple years ago."
"Would you have believed me if I told you?"
Zelgadis sighed and begrudgingly admitted, "No, probably not."
Emily nodded, satisfied at Zelgadis's admission. "I knew that. You won't believe anything that you don't figure out yourself. Although," she said with a playful elbow, "I was a little surprised that it took this long for you to figure it out. You must be getting slow in your old age, Zel."
"Says the woman with six grandchildren," Zelgadis quipped.
"Hey!" Emily said with feigned indignation, "I happen to be in the prime of my life, buddy! You're right though. There are a lot of grandchildren. More than I can keep up with sometimes." She coughed and muttered, "They could use some guidance. You know, from somebody who's seen it all."
Zelgadis smirked and said, "You're about as subtle as a kick in the head, Emily."
Emily blinked innocently. "Moi? I don't know what you're talking about, Zel. You don't happen to know of any wizened old men with a lot of time on their hands, do you?"
"I am not 'wizened'," Zelgadis corrected Emily tersely. He couldn't hide his smile though.
"Does that mean you're going to be staying?" Emily asked, noting the smile on his face.
Zelgadis nodded. "For as long as you'll put up with me."
Emily wrapped her arms around Zelgadis's torso and squeezed him tightly. "Then you're going to be here forever," she cheerfully informed him. "The kids, their kids, and all the others that will follow, they'll never let you go. You know that, right?"
Zelgadis nodded silently. He could think of worse ways to spend eternity than with people who loved him. This wouldn't be bad. "Not bad at all," he mumbled to himself as he looked up into the infinitely blue sky.
And the months passed…
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Next Chapter: The end of Zelgadis's tale
Notes: Whew, I'm really, really sorry that this has taken so long to finish. I've just been really caught up in a lot of other projects, work, and life in general. Anyway, the next chapter is the last as you may have guessed. I hope to actually have it up in less than a week. Yes, you heard right. A week. How about that for a change?
I know that there wasn't a shred of action in this chapter, but it's still one of my favorites, by far. As much as I enjoy writing action, I love the quiet moments between characters just as much, if not more.
I think that my favorite part of this chapter was the end. I've always loved Emily and being able to write her back into Zel's story pleases me immensely. Specifically, I enjoyed writing about her memories of Phil.
Reviewer Response:
Miss Gabriev, thanks for the review. I really appreciate the fact that you stuck with the story. As for your question, Christopher is Emily and Phil's son. Lina Seyruun will sadly, be making only a very, very brief appearance in the next chapter.
Thanks for reading everyone!